Size, power, and 43-mpg in the city
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Flipping through the classifieds in the “Los Angeles Times,” you might think the hybrid revolution has lost its momentum. Dealers are actually discounting the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. But we think discounts are available on these models because Honda and Toyota chose to hybrid-ize V6 models rather than four-cylinder versions in an attempt to extract performance instead of efficiency out of these models. Newsflash: Hybrid buyers don’t care about acceleration. The continiued success of the Toyota Prius ought to prove that.Wisely then, Toyota decided to create a 2007 Camry Hybrid with a Hybrid Synergy Drive system that employs a four-cylinder gas engine rather than a V6. Shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid looks just like a regular Camry except for minor details and special badges. Best of all, the combined power output of 192 horsepower is about what the outgoing ’06 Camry with a V6 can produce, which allows the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than nine seconds.
But if you’re reading this, acceleration is beside the point. Here’s the data you want: 43 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Not enough to qualify for carpool lane use with a single occupant in California, but good for a range up to 600 miles on a single tank of fuel. Plus, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is one of just six cars on the market to receive a super-clean AT-PZEV emissions rating. Unless you’re plugging your wheels into a wall socket every night, it doesn’t get better than that.
Toyota includes plenty of standard equipment on the 2007 Camry Hybrid. You won’t go wanting thanks to a premium JBL audio system with an iPod input jack and Bluetooth wireless communications technology, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver’s seat, heated outside mirrors, and other niceties. Warranty coverage on the powertrain is good for five years or 60,000 miles, and the hybrid-related components get an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty plan.
Ready to move up from your beloved Prius? The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid goes on sale in June, for a price yet to be determined. We’ll bet that Toyota finds that the Camry Hybrid proves more popular than the V6’d Accord and Highlander models.
Photo by Ron Perry