[RavenAvi]

Toyota India has slashed the prices of it's Camry Hybrid luxury sedan in Delhi by a whopping 2,30,000 rupees!

This comes in the wake of the Delhi government reducing Excise duties to 12.5 percent, from the previous 24 percent, under the NEMMP (National Electric Mobility Mission Plan).

The Camry Hybrid is powered by a 2.5L (2AR-FXE) petrol engine in conjunction with a 143PS-producing electric motor and a 6-speed CVT, which boosts the total power output to 205PS, while returning an ARAI-certified fuel economy figure of 19.16 kmpl.

Maruti Suzuki announced the revised pricing for the Ciaz SHVS sedan and Ertiga SHVS yesterday and now Toyota has reacted by reducing Rs. 2,30,000 on the Camry Hybrid whilst the standard petrol variant won’t see any change in ex-showroom price.

The regular Camry will continue to be sold at Rs. 30.28 lakh and the hybrid version will now be retailed at Rs. 30.90 lakh.

Since the Delhi-NCR diesel vehicle ban of above 2,000cc powered cars came into effect, the sales of the Camry Hybrid has improved as it’s eco-friendly.

Under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles) scheme devised by the Indian government earlier to encourage more eco-friendly vehicles from the two-wheeler and four-wheeler manufacturers, the Toyota Camry Hybrid received an incentive of Rs. 70,000.

GaadiWaadi

[naikameya]

How does this work out on-road? Suddenly petrol camry makes no sense since it is less powerful and looses out on some kit (other than the battery pack) like more adjustments to lumbar support and hill hold. It puts out more power in tune of 202 bhp compared to pertrol's 158 bhp.
The hybrid model also solves the problem of poor fuel efficiency that camry is famous for.

[Turbanator]

this comes in the wake of the Delhi government reducing Excise duties to 12.5 percent, from the previous 24 percent

This must have something do with VAT applicable on such vehicles in Delhi. State Government's have no purview on excise duties which are normally changed during budget time.

A good move by Delhi Government and others states should follow. Even central government should support true hybrids like this and if possible take off the Import duty on CBU's under such category with a caveat to produce / export equivalent numbers by setting up production in some fixed time.


Quote

The Delhi government has reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) on hybrid cars, battery-operated vehicles and e-rickshaws from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent, projecting it as

a step towards reducing air pollution in the city. The reduction was one of the measures announced in the 2016-17 Budget.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle8587708.ece

[benu9714]

Hello friends

I am currently on a 32 day driving holiday in Scandinavia, using a Toyota Auris Hybrid Station Wagon with a 1.6 liter petrol engine, rented from Hertz with 4,419 KM on the clock.

I am getting amazing fuel economy - 23.6 KMPL over 1,800 KM so far (12 days) using mostly inter-city routes. Best so far - 27.2 KMPL over a 39 KM stretch, and 27.3 KMPL over a 109 KM stretch.

Admittedly, the car has a few drawbacks :
1. It has a somewhat low power engine, due to which you have to really press the accelerator to get on to a highway from a side road, especially if the ramp is on an up-slope.
2. The battery is tiny, and can propel the car only for about 2 KM or so before the engine cuts in automatically. (The engine keeps cutting in and out automatically depending on the accelerator setting and the slope of the road). However, the battery can run the car even at 60 KMPH, admitted;y for a short distance.
3. The CVT gearbox lacks the feel of a normal automatic gearbox (slush type) let alone a double clutch automatic.
4. The best mileage (26+ KMPL) comes from very gentle acceleration and a speed range of 80-90 KMPH. Driving the car at 110-120 KMPH reduces the fuel economy to about 22-23 KMPL.

Overall, the car is great. Very roomy, comfortable, fairly silent, lots of luggage space etc etc. I am doing all the driving (I am 65+) with my wife as navigator using a Garmin GPS system (Hertz cars, of this class, in Scandinavia don't some with a GPS) updated with a chip containing Europe maps.

I cannot help comparing this car to my Scorpio VLX Automatic 4X4 in which I drove 7,700 KM over 31 days (Kolkata to Kerala) with 14 KMPL overall.

I am looking forward to driving over to Norway soon (been through Denmark and currently near Stockholm, Sweden) where I expect to find many twisting, hilly roads which should be great fun.

Regards

[nikapur]

only after i read this review did i realise that the hybrid has been in india since 2013.
i am a fan of camry and have been using them since 2004..still have the 2007 model. now i am looking for a change and while people might call it boring, i am actually looking at my 3rd camry. the hybrid!

i took a test drive of the hybrid and had the following doubts...
1) warranty on battery: why aren't we getting lifetime warranty on the batteries..the most critical part? do the batteries need to be changed every few years...are they expensive?
2) charging the battery: despite the fact that the hybrid for test drive in Pune is being shared across a few cities and i had to wait nearly a week to get a test drive, the battery of the car was only 25% charged. the sales chap couldn't explain that. he couldn't answer how much time the car took to charge the battery?

i know that a face lift is expected in jan...but is there a next gen hybrid also on the cards?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by nikapur

i took a test drive of the hybrid and had the following doubts...
1) warranty on battery: why aren't we getting lifetime warranty on the batteries..the most critical part? do the batteries need to be changed every few years...are they expensive?
2) charging the battery: despite the fact that the hybrid for test drive in Pune is being shared across a few cities and i had to wait nearly a week to get a test drive, the battery of the car was only 25% charged. the sales chap couldn't explain that. he couldn't answer how much time the car took to charge the battery?

From what I was told by Toyota - the battery carries the same warranty as the car which is 3 years in India and 8 years in USA (where the law requires it on hybrids apparently). They also said that they have not had a case of the battery needing changing in the 8 year warranty mandatory in USA. The battery in this hybrid is an auxiliary power unit for the high torque low speed portions of your driving which in city driving in India is well over 50% of the driving you do by time. It does not matter if the battery charge is 25% because the car is not reliant on the battery as a prime mover. The IC engine is the prime mover both for higher power outputs and for charging the battery. The car's computer decides when it is time to charge up the battery and revs up the IC engine accordingly. I do not know the total time taken for recharging the battery to full but I guess it must be in less than two hours. But it is not as if you have to plug in the car and wait. I agree with you about the Camry being a car that you get addicted to. In our business we have a Camry (2006 - same as yours I guess) that is used for utility runs and it has given no trouble for a decade. And Toyota give first class service. Go for the Camry Hybrid - you cant go wrong.

[RavenAvi]

Updated Camry Hybrid to reach Toyota dealerships soon.

12-speaker JBL surround sound system, (present one has 10-speaker system)
MapMyIndia navigation, (new addition)
Airbags count to be raised to 9, (from the existing 7)
Wireless charging for cellphones, (new addition)
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, (new addition)

are among the notable ones.

Expect Toyota to make an official announcement on this soon.

[Raja]

Toyota Bharat website updated with revised version as mentioned by RavenAvi

http://www.toyotabharat.com/showroom/camry-2015/

I am attaching a copy of the brochure for those interested.

[dZired]

2017 Toyota Camry Hybrid launched, gets new features

Toyota has launched the updated Camry Hybrid in India. It now comes with some minor cosmetic tweaks and a few feature additions and is priced at Rs. 31.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Toyota hasn't made any powertrain related changes to the Camry Hybrid. It is thus equipped with the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is paired to an electric motor. This system is capable of generating a combined output of 202 BHP, while being mated to an e-CVT gearbox. The car boasts of a company-claimed fuel efficiency figure of 19.16 km/l.

The updated Camry Hybrid now comes with new LED fog lamps, while other features on offer include 15-spoke alloy wheels, LED headlamps with DRLs, welcome lamp and auto folding & reverse linked ORVMs. Toyota has also upgraded the infotainment system on offer, which now features navigation support and is connected to a 12 speaker JBL sound system.

The 2017 Camry Hybrid further features a new wireless smartphone charger, new back guide monitor, power reclining rear seats and 3-zone automatic climate control. Safety features on offer include 9 airbags (2 more than the older model), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and new emergency brake signal. Vehicle stability control, traction control and hill start assist control are also a part of the Camry's feature list.

Link to Team-BHP News

[M00M]

What is the realistic fuel economy of the Camry Hybrid in stop start traffic like Mumbai ? Any owners here can shed some light on ownership aspects ?

[kedarwalke]

Originally Posted by M00M

What is the realistic fuel economy of the Camry Hybrid in stop start traffic like Mumbai ? Any owners here can shed some light on ownership aspects ?

I am getting consistent FE of 13.5km/L in terrible Mumbai traffic.
It stays on battery for almost 30mins if at standstill with the AC on.
I have completed 25000kms and she is a Beauty to drive, and the rear seat is the best in class.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by M00M

What is the realistic fuel economy of the Camry Hybrid in stop start traffic like Mumbai ? Any owners here can shed some light on ownership aspects ?

Think it honestly depends on how you drive the car in the city.

If with a gentle foot in traffic, you can run mostly on the battery and fuel consumed should only be towards charging the battery.

[M00M]

Originally Posted by kedarwalke

I am getting consistent FE of 13.5km/L in terrible Mumbai traffic.
It stays on battery for almost 30mins if at standstill with the AC on.
I have completed 25000kms and she is a Beauty to drive, and the rear seat is the best in class.

Thanks. more than the fuel. i would like what are the maintenance costs and does it warrant a look for purchase or should the superb be a better pick ? i am currently thinking of changing my Honda City and looking at Superb Diesel / Camry Hybrid / was looking at the BMW 520 d but have shelved the idea as of now as this is going to be a drivers car.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by M00M

Thanks. more than the fuel. i would like what are the maintenance costs and does it warrant a look for purchase or should the superb be a better pick ? i am currently thinking of changing my Honda City and looking at Superb Diesel / Camry Hybrid / was looking at the BMW 520 d but have shelved the idea as of now as this is going to be a drivers car.

In the same boat as you. Honestly, if by driver you mean chauffeur, then get the Camry Hybrid.

Mom is currently using the E60 525d, but given her usage is primarily in the city and the car is 90% chauffeur driven and often does small errands too - the Camry is a top contender when it is time for a replacement (which I keep on delaying because of that 10% self-drive ) along with the BMW 3GT (classy brown interiors, ease of ingress and egress owing to higher stance, more legroom than 5 series, etc.).

The superb is known to be a little problematic with electronics, and a fussy gearbox - which a driver will need to be trained properly for.
Plus the camry has slightly better rear seats, with better headroom and the recline function + audio & AC controls in the rear armrest.

Advantages would include better reliability, better rear seat, better service, and peace of mind!

What you would lose out on though are all the bells and whistles and that superior build quality. No doubt the superb is a very very desirable car, but may not be the one that appeals to the head as much as it does to the heart.

My sister was very close to picking up a second camry hybrid to replace their outgoing superb, but ended up getting the BMW 3GT as it was going to be self driven too. Their current Camry is around 3 years old and no maintenance issues that have cropped up - they aren't car enthusiasts if it helps.

If you're driving, the 520D/outgoing E250d (they have a couple still in stock).

[M00M]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

In the same boat as you. Honestly, if by driver you mean chauffeur, then get the Camry Hybrid.

Yes i did mean a chauffeur driven car. I honestly was looking and waiting for the new Accord Hybird but its too expensive so that option is out, then i wouldnt mind getting another CRV that in Diesel with the 9 speed AT when it launches.

Honestly the car is going to be a chauffeur car so i have decided to not go the BMW way for now.

I do like the Camry but find it terribly boring as a car. I like that now it has 9 airbags, reclining seats, nanoe ac, etc. but its not as solid as the superb. ive never owned a german car but i really do like the superb but the skoda horror stories has kept me away till now.