2012 Toyota Camry sedan to be launched on the 24th of August

Come 24th August, 2012, Toyota Kirloskar India will launch the latest version of their premium luxury sedan, the Camry. The 2012 Toyota Camry sedan, first showcased at this year’s Indian Auo Expo, will be the third iteration of the car being launched in the country. In its latest form, the 2012 Camry features grown up styling to match its European rivals with most of the curves on the previous model replace by sharper, more angular lines. The 2012 Camry sedan is expected to be competitively priced given that Toyota will begin assembling the car at its Bidadi plant off Bangalore through completly knocked down(CKD) kits.

2012 Toyota Camry Sedan Front

The last two versions of the Camry sedan sold in India were brought into the country as completely built units(CBU) and this was a major reason why the car was priced higher than competition, leading to slow sales. With CKD assembly, Toyota plans to price the 2012 Camry much more ompetitively, to give stiff competition to the likes of the Honda Accord and the Skoda Superb. However, there continues to exist a big chink in Toyota’s armor in the form of the non-availbility of a diesel engine for the Camry. Worldwide, the 2012 Camry, like its predecessors is available only with petrol engine options.

2012 Toyota Camry Sedan Dashboard

So, this could be a major stumbling block for the highly reliable and luxurious car as the Indian car market, especially in the high end luxury segment, which shows a massive inclination towards diesel engined cars. A case in point is the Hyundai Sonata Fluidic, which while being priced aggressively and packing in generous levels of equipment, still continues to be a dud seller due to the lack of a diesel engine under the hood. Due to this very reason, the 2012 Camry could continue to be a brand builder for Toyota, marking its presence in the Indian luxury sedan segment, rather than bringing in good volumes.

2012 Toyota Camry Sedan Side Profile

The 2012 Toyota Camry is expected to feature a 2.4 Liter, four cylinder petrol engine with variable valve timing. The car also gets a 3.5 Liter V6 petrol engine internationally and it remains to be seen if Toyota will bring the bigger, more powerful engine to the Indian car market. All said, the 2012 Camry is a luxurious sedan with a comfortable back seat, loaded with safety and creature comforts. The 2012 Camry, which boasts of high refinment levels, will be mainly aimed at the folks who are chauffeur driven.