Toyota Camry gets a makeover

TOYOTA has unveiled a more thorough than expected midlife facelift of the current-generation Camry, its last big change before the company quits Australian manufacturing in 2017.

The facelifted Camry will go on sale in Australia in 2015.

With all-new sheetmetal bar the roof, an interior quality uplift with a big leap in tech features, wider tracks, retuned suspension and steering courtesy of Toyota Technical Center Australia’s engineers, the mid-size sedan has undergone more than 2000 changes.

The company says it has worked hard to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, with more sound-deadening, a more rigid platform and detailed improvements such as quieter exterior mirrors.

New seats, softer-touch dash materials, a redesigned console, an updated multimedia system that includes wireless mobile phone charging and the introduction of driver aid technologies such as lane-change warning, blind-spot monitoring and radar-based cruise control systems complete the Camry makeover.

However, the drivetrain components are expected to stay the same since the Australian-made 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and petrol-electric hybrid mechanicals were all-new just two and a half years ago.

Toyota Australia PR manager Mike Breen said the exact timing and specifications for the 2015 Camry are yet to be determined.

“There is still a lot of work to do,” he told Wheels at its New York debut. “The long lead times mean we still have the challenge of maintaining interest in the existing model.”