Next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid (2024 launch) likely to set personal best EV mode range

Update: ‘Production’ section updated.

The Toyota Camry, America’s best-selling midsize sedan from the last 21 years, will receive a full redesign and enter the ninth generation. It will continue in the market as a hybrid vehicle, perhaps with new variants. The next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid should pack significant upgrades in all areas. Here’s everything that we know about the upcoming hybrid car:

Design

The present Camry impressively surpassed its predecessors with its bold styling, but it remains a practical family car prioritizing functionality over aesthetics, evident from its large windows, straight beltline, and simple roofline. When compared to contemporary models like Toyota’s Prius, Crown, or recent all-electric additions like the Ioniq 6 or the ID.7, it may lack the “wow” factor by today’s standards.

Spy pictures have revealed the next-gen Camry will conform to Toyota’s new design formula for its sedans. Unlike the early generations of the Camry but much like the eighth-gen model, it’ll have a sleek design and sporty styling.

The new Camry features a low hood and roofline, giving the vehicle a low-rider impression. Additionally, the roofline will slope downward at a steeper angle than a traditional sedan. While we’ve seen a prototype with a single exhaust with dual tips, we’re confident one of the sporty grades will sport a dual exhaust with quad tips.

A hammerhead shark-like front and a smooth transition to the rear with a sloping roofline and fluidic profile can make the next-gen Camry Hybrid instantly recognizable next to the current model that’s sharp and boxy. We have created a rendering (above) imagining it with this type of design. The test mule of the next-gen Camry spotted on the roads looked a bit similar to our rendered car.

Interior

As for the interior, we know Toyota emphasizes form over function and prefers evolutionary upgrades through generations. As such, don’t expect it to follow European and South Korean models with unusual elements like a two-spoke steering wheel or a touch-operated climate control panel. The Japanese automaker is in no hurry to adopt minimalism and doesn’t believe in falsifying luxury.

Bigger Toyota Audio Multimedia system

In place of the 7-inch Toyota Audio and 9-inch Toyota Audio Plus touchscreen infotainment systems, the next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid should pack the 8- and 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen infotainment systems. Developed in the U.S., the Toyota Audio Multimedia comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual Bluetooth connectivity, Drive Connect Cloud Navigation (cloud navigation), OTA update capability, and a new voice assistant that responds to “Hey, Hi, Hello, Okay Toyota” prompts.

Digital instrument cluster

In addition to the infotainment systems, the semi-digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch display of the outgoing Camry Hybrid looks outdated. We feel that the higher grades of the next-gen Camry Hybrid will pack a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster with different layouts and a more comprehensive hybrid system indicator. A color head-up display with a projection area of no less than 10 inches should be available in select configurations.

Seats

In addition to affordability and efficiency, long-distance comfort is a key attraction of the Camry. Select trims should include heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. New for the ninth generation could be heated rear seats, allowing rear occupants to travel in nearly the same comfort as the front passengers during winter.

Safety

The next-gen Toyota Camry should feature the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) instead of the outgoing car’s Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+) as standard. The newer ADAS suite includes improvements made possible using sensors with enhanced detection capability.

TSS 3.0 includes a new Proactive Driving Assist feature, which provides gentle braking into curves or, along with automated steering, supports controlling the distance between a preceding vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist. It’s not a replacement for Pre-Collision System, and it’s operative in different situations.

Pre-Collision System with improved Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist that offers improved lane recognition, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with additional, fourth distance setting, Lane Tracing Assist with improved lane recognition and newly added ‘Emergency Driving Stop’ system, and Road Sign Assist with expanded sign detection capabilities are other features of TSS 3.0.

In addition to TSS 3.0, we expect the next-gen Toyota Camry to come with Panoramic View Monitor (360º camera system), Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking. Front and rear seatbelt reminders, 10 airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, smart stop technology, and a backup camera would be standard.

Specifications

The next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid could come with two series-parallel hybrid systems: an evolved THS-II with a 2.5-liter engine and the all-new Hybrid Max with a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. The latter will likely serve the needs of customers who typically choose the performance-oriented 3.5-liter V6 engine in their Camry. There are rumors that the all-new Hybrid Max system may come in two versions, one that produces around 265 horsepower and one that develops around 335 horsepower.

For the first time, a Toyota Camry plug-in hybrid could also be part of the Camry line-up. If it does happen, Toyota may use the RAV4 Prime’s 302 hp plug-in hybrid system that combines a 2.5-liter engine with two electric motors, one at the front and one at the rear.

Release date

The next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid will likely start arriving at U.S. dealerships as an MY2025 car in the second half of 2024. The current 2024 Camry Hybrid, priced from USD 28,855 onwards, is a carryover of the eighth-gen model.

Gas-powered sedans fall out of favor

With the rising popularity of tougher and more practical SUVs, sedans are fading away. In the past few years, countless sedans have been discontinued in the U.S., including the Acura ILX, the Chevrolet SS, Sonic and Cruze, the Ford Fiesta, Taurus and Fusion, the VW Jetta and Passat, Honda Insight, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Avalon, Kia Rio, Nissan Maxima, etc.

Despite the intense cross-segment competition, a few legacy models like the Camry, Corolla, Accord, and Civic have managed to hang on. Due to gas prices and inflation, customers are rethinking efficiency, and there is some hope for these cars with the traditional body style. In our experience, the value, reliability, and dependability of the Toyota Camry make it immensely popular with customers in the U.S. Over the years, American customers have also appreciated the comfort the car provides along with its affordability, and that is set to continue with the incoming generation.

Price

Prices of the next-gen Camry Hybrid in the U.S. will likely start at around USD 30,000, with the range topping out at around USD 35,000. In addition to normal trims like LE and XLE, Toyota may offer it in sportier SE, XSE, and TRD trims.

Production

Toyota manufactures the U.S.-spec Camry Hybrid locally in Georgetown, Kentucky. When the company fully redesigned the car as part of its MY2018 revision, it increased U.S./Canadian parts content from 40% to 45%, reducing the Japanese parts content from 50% to 45%. It would be interesting to see how much of the local content goes up with the generational change.

Camry Hybrid sales

The Toyota Camry Hybrid makes a valuable contribution to Camry sales in the U.S. In 2022, Toyota sold 295,201 units of the Camry in the country, 5.9% lower than in 2021 (313,795 units). 14% (41,830) of the nearly 300,000 units of the mid-size sedan were of the Hybrid variant. Compared to 2021 (46,399 units), sales of the Camry Hybrid were 9.8% lower.

Between January and June 2023, Toyota sold 150,742 units of the Camry in the U.S., 10.9% higher than in the first half of 2022 (135,925 units). If we talk about the Hybrid variant specifically, though, sales were actually 40.4% lower. While the company delivered 20,468 units of the Hybrid variant in H1 2022, it managed to ship only 12,207 units in H1 2023.

Toyota Camry sales in Japan to end in 2023

As per a Nikkei Asia report dated March 23, 2023, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) intends to drop the Camry from its portfolio in Japan by end of the year. Even though the brand sold about 600,000 units of the mid-size sedan globally in 2022, the Japanese market contributed only around one percent to the overall tally.

TMC has already informed local dealers about the plan and is no longer entertaining new bookings from customers in Japan. However, Toyota will continue producing the Camry for global markets where demand for the iconic nameplate is still strong, the report said.

TopElectricSUV says

With a quarter of a million units sold every year in the U.S. alone and a potential life of over a million miles, the Toyota Camry is a crucial model for the company’s electrification goals, and continues to be a pillar in its business plan. The reliable midsize sedan’s hybrid variant will likely get more appealing to the masses with added efficiency, higher performance, and a wide choice of variants.

Next-gen Toyota Camry Hybrid FAQs

Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s illustration of the next-gen Toyota Camry.