The Toyota Camry has just been redesigned for its ninth iteration since 1983 in Australia.
Made in Japan but aimed at North American buyers, the mid-sized four-door five-seater family sedan is a thorough reskin of the previous model. It boasts a new front and rear design, a fresh interior, more safety and an overhauled hybrid system. In fact, the entire range is now hybrid-only.
The Camry Ascent Sport is the model for private buyers, or ‘user-chooser’ fleet buyers who want a bit more luxury in their family car, but without the steep price tag. Think of it as the Holden Commodore Berlina or Ford Fairmont of today.
Starting from $42,990, before on-road costs, it is about $2500 more expensive than before, but equipment levels rise, as well.
Explore the 2024 Toyota Camry Range
Standard Ascent Sport features include “high grade” LED headlights and fog lights, a powered driver’s seat, a leather-clad steering wheel (replacing the plastic one in the base grade), a wireless charger, a larger (now 12.3-inch) touchscreen, in-built sat-nav, powered driver seat lumbar support, an electro-chromatic rearview mirror and more.
These come on top of the standard Ascent’s adaptive cruise control, AEB, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, digital radio, auto-folding exterior mirrors and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Like all Camrys today, the Ascent Sport pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motor generators and a lithium-ion battery pack. The front wheels are driven via an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).
The result is sprightly performance (the 0-100km/h time takes 7.2 seconds), as well as outstanding fuel economy, averaging just 4.0 litres per 100km (and 91g/km of carbon dioxide emissions). But 95 RON premium unleaded petrol is recommended.
Lastly, the Camry offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, at $255 per service.
