And if you based it on the regular Prius like I did you'd get less than 35mpg for the new Camry Hybrid.

I'm now more inclined to believe in 40mpg just because the HS250h shares the same powertrain as the current Camry Hybrid.

 

Speculation is fun Toyota, hold the numbers, send the pics lol.

 

well lets hope their numbers for the trunk space are correct... because honestly thats a lot more important than 1 MPG up or down (especially when 31/35 MPG Camry has always been testing as well as Fusion Hybrid which should be 20% better).

It would really be disappointing to find out that trunk info is not correct :-).

Also, 0-60 info would be cool with additional hp and HSD being well integrated system...

This same system will probably go into Rav4 Hybrid as well, and Sai/HS and probably many other cars.

 

I'm betting the new Camry hybrid will have class-leading fuel economy. I heard a rumor a while back that was Toyota's aim with the new Camry hybrid, and they already were aware of the improvements the competition would make.

Look at the big fuel economy jump the RX450h made compared to the RX400h. I'm expecting the same, if not bigger jump for the new Camry hybrid.

As for the way the batteries are packaged in the new hybrid, so can we confirm from the scans that 440L of boot space is for the hybrid and not just the regular Camry model? Does 440L of trunk space equal roughly 4 golf bags? In any case, it does seem like magic how Toyota has improved the hybrid trunk space. Maybe it's a new platform, or a major revision of the MC platform. Maybe the batteries are completely repackaged under the floor, or something else we don't know.


This this this. I feel the same thing, that it will be the best-built Camry since the 3rd-gen model.

 

considering how deep that golf bag goes, batteries are not under the trunk for sure, thats a deep trunk... could be under seats or who knows where... we will see soon i guess.

Prius v with lion batteries has them in-between front seats, they are that small... but article doesnt say anything about lions and you would think it would

 

The Prius V 7 seater with li-ion batteries has them under the center console. They are small, but the only problem is they take up almost all of the storage space of the center console. I can't see Toyota doing that for the Camry hybrid, for practicality reasons, especially for the US market.

You're probably right, the trunk is too deep for the batteries to be there. They must be under the seats somehow, under the floor, or possibly under the center console, which I doubt though.

 

it is not so bad under central console, there is still tiny bit of space left but gain is huge with trunk space opening up... but again, i dont think this is using same battery as 7 seat Prius Alpha.

Main problem with hybrid batter size was always cooling, this is why li-poly in Sonata take about the same space as NiMH in Camry, maybe they found some way to improve that.

and from the pics, back passangers dont look like they are sitting on batteries as position is not raised... so who knows really anymore :-).

 

Competition is always behind Toyota in this regard, as they are a pioneer in hybrid vehicles. It just seems like Toyota found a new, better way to package the batteries. It's similar to the current 3rd gen Prius, where batteries are packaged in a very clever way where you get good interior space as well as pretty good cargo space.

Oh, and I just remembered current Prius is on MC platform, so maybe with this new Camry hybrid the batteries are packaged in a similar way as the current Prius.

 

Yeah 40mpg makes sense if for nothing else other than one upping the 39mpg Fusion Hybrid. I fail to see how Toyota can ever let the Camry Hybrid out the door without making damn sure it beats everyone else out there and reinforce their undisputed position as the hybrid leader.Maybe they found room in the engine bay somehow? That would be the best scenario.

 

I doubt it's in the engine bay, even if they did find space. That would pose somewhat of a safety hazard for a number of reasons, and it would also throw off the weight distribution of the vehicle.

Here is a picture of where the battery is located on the current Prius, as well as the shape of the battery:



Maybe they further improved the battery packaging for the Camry hybrid, or maybe the battery is mounted lower on the Camry hybrid than the Prius.

 

My thoughts on the packaging of the hybrid battery:

1. The battery may be in the spare tire well (meaning the Camry Hybrid has runflats or a can of puncture sealant?).

2. Could Toyota have used the flat fuel tank first developed for the iQ? That could allow the fuel tank to go under the floor and the battery to go under the rear seat.

3. After holding out for so long, claiming that they are worried about the long-term reliability of LiIon batteries, could Toyota be starting to get serious about them, putting them not only in the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, but also the Prius+ and the new 2012 Camry Hybrid? We can only hope.

 

Interesting points there Sulu. I agree with most of them. With regards to li-ion batteries, Toyota was in no rush with them because they said more long-term testing was needed for reliability. Apparently it seems they have concluded their testing, and it does seem like slowly they are set to use more li-ion batteries in future hybrid models.

 

Commenting on this ASEAN market model: I really like the interior and the rear! The front is decent. Overall, it looks like a solid new Camry. If the estimates are right, the new Camry should be class-leading in economy without sacrificing performance, which is great news! I'm really excited for Toyota to release new information and for the reviews to start coming out (although with the anti-Toyota slant of the media these days, I'm sure some of them will hold back on singing praises )

Question to those who have seen the Camry: will the SE be differentiated from the other models to the extent of having different headlights (the one teased by Akio)?

And here is the interior with the wheel on the left side for us left-hand drivers:

 

Also, do those aluminum-like accent on the sides of the dashboard middle panel taper as it goes down? If so, LOVE it because it reminds me of the Lexus "fang grill" (which funnily enough, am not a fan of on Lexus cars)

 

I like the interior. Certainly looks a lot more solid and less cost cutting.