The Toyota Camry is a long forgotten child of Toyota India that was abandoned in the middle of nowhere as the company shifted focus to products such as the Innova, Fortuner and the Etios twins.
Once a very strong contender in the D segment, the CBU-route Camry suffered because of its pricing. Now, when the competitors such as Honda Accord and Skoda Superb easily ship 100+ units in a month, the Camry is still lingering between 10 to 40 units at most.
See comprehensive spyshots of the new Camry testing in India
Finally, Toyota India has started testing its new Camry in India and the spyshots are right in front of us. From the spyshots, it is quite clear we are NOT getting the US version of the Camry. We will be getting the global Camry which on sale in European and JD market.
What? There are two Camrys? Don’t be shocked. We have done pictorial comparisons of both the Camrys earlier.
The global Camry is the obvious choice for India because unlike the American Camry buyer, most Camry buyers in India will have a chauffeur at hand. The American Camry is designed to be driven whereas the global one is more a executive sedan for the backseat passenger.
The new Camry is powered by a 2.5-liter four pot petrol motor that produces 180 PS/230 Nm and a 3.5-liter V6 petrol generates 272 PS/336 Nm. It is loaded with all bells and whistles such as Bluetooth/USB connectivity, 6.1 inch infotainment system, reverse guide camera, GPS Navigation and a powerful JBL audio system.
When the global Camry debuted, the press release did not specify any diesel option. But Toyota India is smart enough to know that the new Camry HAS to have a diesel option for it to succeed. The company can think of introducing an über refined version of the Innova’s or Fortuner’s engine so that the new Camry can take the current market leader Skoda Superb head on! But will they?
Remember, the D segment is all set to get three new entrants in the next 2-3 years – Hyundai i45, Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 508. Recently, Hyundai India is disrupting every segment that it is entering, so expect some fireworks from the i45. Peugeot will also look to make a big bang debut in India. The 508 will certainly prove to be a worthy contender in the D+ segment.
Ford India told IndianAutosBlog.com the the CD-Platform is on its way, without specifying the product. Our guess is Ford India is talking about the Mondeo, which in its brief but brilliant previous inning, earned so many fans.
Unless Toyota manufactures cars in India, it will not be able to compete with full ability. The fully imported Camry in the first few months will see sales climbing and could reach three figures at best. Once Ford, Peugeot and Hyundai park their luxury models next to the Camry, how will the scene evolve?
In such a scenario, do you think Toyota will be able to successfully revive the Camry?
