There was a time not too long ago when the Toyota Camry ruled all and sundry, when its name stood for the very definition of the D-segment class. It was never the most riveting or dynamic of characters, but for many people, Sam Loo's favourite sedan had everything they needed in a car – impressive comfort, a smooth engine and gearbox combination as well as bulletproof reliability.
Its domination of the class culminated in the previous-generation XV40, which was the best to look at (by far, might I add), had the nicest, most well thought out interior and rode the most comfortably. That, plus the decent levels of kit on offer, pretty much cemented the Camry's place at the top of many company car shopping lists.
Since then, the Camry has pretty much stood still, despite the launch of the current XV50 (in some areas it has even regressed, not least in terms of looks). Meanwhile, the Honda Accord's equipment and comfort levels – areas it has struggled with – have been bumped up with the ninth-gen model, and the new Nissan Teana comes with a renewed focus on safety and improved driving dynamics. There has also been a swarm of fine left-field alternatives that have cropped up, from the Mazda 6 to the Volkswagen Passat.
The powers that be at Toyota seem to have understood this, as it fields a considerably revamped 2015 Toyota Camry (which was launched earlier today), with sportier looks, a range of new powertrains – including, finally, a hybrid variant – and a suite of improvements to the interior and under the skin. Is it enough to put the Camry back into contention again? We took it for a quick spin around Setia Alam to find out.
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