Toyota Kirloskar Motors India launches the Camry Hybrid

Toyota Kirloskar Motors India has launched the Camry Hybrid. The new car is the second hybrid to be launched in India by Toyota, after the Prius. The Camry Hybrid comes with a 2.5 liter petrol engine that operates on the Atkinson cycle and an electric motor. The petrol engine outputs 160 PS of peak power and 213 Nm of peak torque while the Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery powered electric motor outputs 143 PS of peak power and 270 Nm of peak torque.

Click here to read Team-BHP's comprehensive review of the Camry Hybrid. 

Together, the petrol engine and electric motor deliver 205 PS of peak power to the front wheels of the car. The Camry Hybrid features a Synergy Drive, that modulates the power between petrol and electric modes, to maintain a constant peak power output of 205 PS. Torque transmission to the front wheels of the car is by means of an electronically controlled CVT automatic gearbox. The Camry is also available in petrol-only guise, with a 2.5 liter petrol engine mated to a 6 speed automatic gearbox.

The Camry Hybrid is priced at 29.75 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi, a price that's higher than the petrol-only Camry by 5.23 lakh rupees. The Camry Hybrid comes with an ARAI certified mileage figure of 19.16 Kmpl, which is clearly higher than the petrol-only model's 12.98 Kmpl. The higher fuel efficiency of the Camry Hybrid, along with its lower tail pipe emissions, will be the major selling points of the car. The Camry Hybrid gets a brake energy regeneration system as standard. 

The Camry Hybrid comes with a slew of changes when compared with the petrol-only model. On the outside, the car gets a refreshed front end with revised styling, LED headlamps, refreshed front grille, bumper and fog lamp housings, and 17 inch-10 spoke alloy wheels. On the inside, features such as the triple zone climate control, 2 additional airbags (total of 4), recline function for the rear seat, rear arm rest mounted controls, collapsible front head rest and Optiron Combimeter specific to the hybrid model, are the additions.  

On the safety front, features such as the Hill Start Assist, the traction control system and the electronic stability program are new additions specific to the Camry Hybrid. The Camry Hybrid is now available for booking across all Toyota dealerships in India, with deliveries to commence right from today. The Camry Hybrid is assembled through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route at Toyota India's Bidadi factory.

The Indian government's subsidy structure under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 could reduce the price of the Camry Hybrid by about a lakh rupees, once the subsidy comes into effect.