Motor

Latest scoop on all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid


Who wants to translate?

Nice to see this thread ruined with pics of the Malibu.

-J-P-L-

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/6515771-post156.html

Posted almost a month ago.

How can the Malibu ruin the thread when it's easily better looking than the Camry? We're just having a styling discussion.

-J-P-L-

Another point on design.

History always proves that the conservatively styled designs always stand up to the test of time much better than their over styled, trendy competition. A smart consumer will often avoid the most futuristic or most exciting new design knowing that it may not look so hot in 8 years and beyond.

Go back and look at '90's-early 2000's Pontiac's, Hyundai's, Saturn's, and some Ford's and look how ridiculous they now look (especially Pontiac's Batman body cladding). And people are still forced to own them. Now look at Toyota's, Honda's, BMW's, VW's, ect. from the same period, and they still look good today because they weren't trying to be futuristic and kept their designs clean and simple with classic lines.

Not to mention that this can also affect resale value. Who wants a used 10 year old car that was only cool looking 10 years ago?

So even though I admit I love the new Hyundai Sonata/Elantra, I would be a bit concerned with how they may be judged 10 years from now. Styling trends take dramatic turns and Hyundai's fluid sculpturing could look silly down the road even though many of us love it now.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I like how the Malibu is "easily better looking than the Camry" and all we've seen of the Camry are grainy spy pics of one model, and nothing but photoshopped, high-res press photos of the Malibu. Gotta love it!

-J-P-L-

These shots below look pretty clear to me and enough to make a comparison. HD pics won't change the design. Maybe I shouldn't say "easily better looking", but it does beat the Camry IMO. Still, I do like the new Camry as well.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Toyota has made a concerted effort to differentiate hybrid models from their gas-powered counterparts, as the market has basically said, "If I am driving a hybrid, I want people to know it." As such, Toyota has said, a few times, that they will continue to find ways to differentiate hybrid models from the rest of the lineup.

Here we're obviously looking at the Camry Hybrid, a car that has a very different front end from the standard Camry, smaller wheels, and probably a few other cosmetic differences. Let's wait to see the LE, SE, and XLE before we really make calls about what the Camry looks like.

Will the basic shape still be the same? Yep. Will the details be different on the hybrid model vs. others? For sure. Let's wait to see how it shakes out.

TRDFantasy

Once the Camry is unveiled, you'll see that the Corolla looks like a baby Camry, not the other way around .

You must not like many of the German cars then, where the 7 Series looks like a 5 Series, and where the Audi A6 and A8 both look like enlarged A4 models.

Very nice, darkened headlights . It looks sporty, a bit aggressive, modern without being gaudy or overstyled, and still looks like a Camry. So in conclusion, this will appeal to a huge number of people and will sell like hotcakes.

Impressive that the SE no longer has a tacked-on body kit. Makes the car look more expensive .

If ANY next-gen Lexus model has a tacked-on body kit, then I will mercilessly bash Toyota to no end. Absolutely NO excuse for ANY future Lexus models to have tacked-on body kits.

This is a thread originally about the dealer meeting, which became a discussion of the new Camry. Now people want to discuss the new Malibu and subjectively state it looks better than the Camry? IMHO that's a discussion for perhaps another thread.

I must mention subjective again. To me, the new Malibu does not look "easily better" than the Camry. It easily looks worse in my opinion. The new Malibu looks too chunky and too bloated. The hood on the new Malibu sits way too high in relation to the window line, and the front end looks like an SUV.

Hyundai's new models look silly to a lot of people now, so yes in several years they will definitely look silly and dated. Many have stated that Hyundai's gaudy new designs will age poorly.

Rash

iTrader: (1)

The red Camry picture looks great.

*Batman*

The problem with this design is that it just doesn't look new to me. It's different to the old design, but I think the old design was more sleek and sporty.

This design seems a bit boxy. Purely from an aesthetic standpoint, I prefer the KIA Optima.

I think comparison to Malibu is a waste of time. Malibu will be junk in comparison with the Camry. The real competition will come from Hyundai, KIA, and once the new ones are out from Honda and Ford.

Maybe it will look better in person than in photos. Or the amazing interior and handling will make it up (if they live up to the hype).

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

I think to dismiss the new Malibu will be very poor judgment. The new design was pretty nice when I saw it at the NYIAS. A big step forward from the current model. And the current model has received a lot of good reviews for being what it is, a competitive car in the segment. I think it will be a player in the field. Don't know if it will sway buyers from the Camry though. This is a nicely redone evolutionary change in the Camry's design. I know my parents are already looking forward to trade in their 07 for the new one when it comes out.

I'm a big fan of the Hyundais. I don't know if they will be seen as old and out dated. If more cars come out that copy the design, it may not. Not all radical styles get out dated. Sometimes they get copied and incorporated by other makes and keep it looking fresh.
The cars you mention that look silly now looked silly when they first came out! LOL

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Who are the 'many' people? This is entirely your opinion. Some people like the looks of Hyundai cars. You cannot take opinions and state them as if they were facts. There aren't too many cars out there that look timeless. Cars will generally look dated after a few years, especially if it's been replaced by a newer model. History have shown that styling is not the number one priority when it comes to family cars.

*Batman*

The good thing is there is now a JD Powers APEAL study to gauge these things.



So the question is, whether the new model is appealing enough to pip Hyundai and KIA, or whether the Camry will remain an intelligent but unemotional purchase.

ydooby

Didn't know that the Kizashi was the APEAL winner! I guess one has to be really emotional to buy one.

C. McHale

QFT.

I don't get where all this love for the new Malibu is coming from. Okay, okay, I know, different tastes and all.

It looks like a Ford Taurus mated with a Buick LaCrosse (which itself is an extremely ugly car IMO). Overall, it looks like a downgrade over the current model, with the exception of the projector headlights, which honestly make any car look better. Also, based on appearance, it looks like they forced the poor Malibu to eat 300 dozen donuts, causing it to look like a Biggest Loser contestant. The thing looks like it could have easily gained 400-500 pounds over the current model. If that's not fail, I don't know what is.

This doesn't even mention the tail lights, which look out of place on a family car. Those belong on the Camaro, not on a Malibu

The interior also looks worse than the current model. Too busy, and too much gaudy interior "accent" lighting.

As for this new Camry, it's not perfect, but it looks like a logical evolution of the current design. If they'd remove that stupid second bar on the grille, it would greatly improve the look of the hybrid. Less is more. If they can improve the material quality inside over the current model while maintaining its excellent ergonomics, this could be one seriously good car.

JessePS

It honestly looks like they matted a Subaru with a VW Jetta, but that is just my opinion.