It’s a given ? the old order always changes, making way for the new. Who would have ever thought that India’s most successful cricketing captain would ever be swept aside in the manner he was? Or that after years of dominating Formula 1, Renault of all manufacturers would replace Ferrari at the top of the racing charts? The truth is that change is the only constant in life.

And in keeping with that, Toyota, the world’s second-largest automobile manufacturer, has replaced the old Camry with a brand new, updated version. The new car was unveiled recently on what turned out to be a rather dark and gloomy day in Delhi. Despite the low light, which ruined many a shutterbug’s shot, one did manage to get a decent dekko at Toyota’s brand new offering.

The new Camry is very different from the earlier generation car, which was the fifth in the Camry chronology. The Camry first zoomed onto the auto scene in 1983 as a front-wheel-drive vehicle replacing the Toyota Corona and became available both as a hatch and a saloon. A good nine years later, the Camry got an overhaul when Toyota moved it up a slot, making it bigger and better. What Toyota brought to India was the fifth-generation Camry ? the first new platform in 10 years. Now itt had a lot going for it, though some car lovers felt that the fourth-generation car was much better in terms of styling and presence.

The eyes are what one usually notices first in a face, and the new Toyota Camry’s eyes ? its headlights ? are very striking indeed. However, look towards the central area, and the grille and Toyota badge in the centre both beg for attention. Indeed, one just can’t ignore that cheesy grin and the huge Toyota logo ? overall a very in-your face look, that’s typically North American. In fact, it is in North America that the Toytota Camry sells like hot cakes. And to increase its market share, the company has struck a deal with Subaru to utilise the latter’s underutilised production capacity to make the Camry. An interesting fact is that the Camry’s popularity makes it the car that is the most popular with auto thieves. But for now, let’s switch back to India since the 6th generation Camry is here.

The Camry is available in two versions ? a manual and an automatic. The difference is that the five-speed manual version has a slightly different final gear ratio ? 3.944 as compared to 3.391 in the automatic, which is also a five-speeder. The dimensions of the new model are largely similar to the earlier Camry ? 4815 x 1820 x 1480mm as compared to 4815 x 1795 x 1505mm. Despite the same length however, the wheelbase has been increased in the new car to 2775mm, so there is much more interior space now. The boot space, which is down from its predecessor, can still swallow a good 535 litres of luggage

The same 16-valve DOHC 2.4-litre engine as before powers the new Camry. However, power output has been bumped up to about 167bhp at 6000rpm and importantly, torque is up too, to 22.8Kg-m or 224NM. That compares favourably with the Honda Accord’s figures of 142bhp and 19.5Kg-m and the Hyundai Sonata Embera’s 160bhp and 22.9Kg-m. The Camry rides on 16-inch rims shod with 215/60 R16 rubber and retardation is effected by disc brakes all round, ventilated at the front and solid at the rear.

Inside, the four-spoke multi-function steering wheel is one to look forward to, as this is like a mini command centre. The left-hand side controls the audio system while the right hand side controls the air-conditioning system. In addition, the speedometer includes a multi-function display that gives information on fuel status, the temperature outside, distance travelled, range and the average speed of the car at the mere touch of a button.

Toyota calls the air-conditioning system in the new Camry, a Plasmacluster AC. What this basically does is to release negative ions into the cabin, as the AC runs and helps to keep the driver fresh and alert at the wheel. The Camry experience is further heightened by a six-CD, six-speaker in-dash audio system. The head unit is compatible with mp3 and wma music files too.

In terms of safety, the new Camry features both ABS (with electronic brake force distribution or EBD) and a vehicle stability system. Both driver and front passenger get airbags to protect them from injury in case of an accident while both front and rear seat passengers have side and curtain airbags. Visibility at night is enhanced, as the headlights are of the HID type ? High Intensity Discharge and can be levelled from inside the cabin. In what was a very short drive, less than five minutes, it was not possible to gauge the car at all. However, first impressions seemed good. The engine has a lot of torque and the HID lights made short work of the gloomy conditions.

What plays a large role in a car selling well is pricing and brand image. Toyota is very strong on the latter as far as India is concerned but the pricing ? under Rs 20 lakh and under Rs 21 lakh for the manual and automatic versions respectively, could make the going tough as the competition is very keenly priced. So will brand loyalty win over price considerations? Wait and watch.

Road rage

Wasim Kapoor,
painter

I think one of the main problems that the city faces is there is no proper traffic control. Many a times, enroute to Salt Lake, I’ve reached Kankurgachi in 10 minutes flat. But then I’ve been held up at the Ultadanga crossing for 45 minutes to an hour. This has happened many a time, so much so that I’ve even turned back in disgust. The situation I feel, had eased up in between, but the last three to four months have become really bad. The roads have improved and traffic signals are in place, so I can only conclude then that traffic control is poor. Now that I’ve learned my lesson, I always approach Salt Lake from the Bypass.

Another serious flaw for which, I feel we have ourselves to blame is that most pedestrians don’t have any road sense. They walk wherever they like and cross the roads at their fancy. What’s the use of Traffic Week being celebrated every year? It’s only on that day that people cross the roads using zebra crossings and follow rules. After that one day, discipline is thrown out of the window.