2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Australian first drive

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2025 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry could be something of an unsung icon in the Australian market. Built locally from 1987 until 2017, the only Aussie-built car offered as a hybrid, and with a rich history of GT Production Car racing (including a class win in 1998), the Camry has been a fixture on Aussie roads – one that often goes unnoticed.

But that under-the-radar status sees the Camry top the medium car segment under $60,000 in Australia. Technically it is outsold by the Tesla Model 3, although that car lives in the over $60K segment, but in its own price playground, the Camry roughly outsells the BYD Seal three-to-one, and next-placed rival the Mazda 6 by around 15-to-one.

But as the tide turns towards electric vehicles, the Camry is still gaining market traction. Sales are up this year compared to last (where supply restrictions throttled deliveries), but in a sign of the times, the Camry now comes as a hybrid-only model, joining the rest of Toyota’s mainstream passenger car range. Only performance models and commercial vehicles skip hybrid power for now.

Perhaps reflecting the move away from traditional sedans, Toyota has trimmed the line-up from four models to three, deleting the sporty-ish SX and sticking with two low-spec models and one high-grade flagship.

Under the bonnet a 2.5-litre petrol engine remains, paired with what Toyota refers to as a new ‘fifth-generation’ hybrid system.

How much is a Toyota Camry?

For the 2025 Camry range, Toyota has tried to keep a lid on entry-level pricing with it still kicking off with a leading three. Just.

The new model line-up includes Ascent and Ascent Sport, huddled closely together on price and equipment. At the top of the range, the Camry SL leaps up in both price and equipment. Compared to the outgoing model, the new range is up by around $2000 to $2500 depending on the variant.

With a starting price from $39,990 plus on-road costs, the Camry Ascent comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and running lights, auto power-folding mirrors, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, a urethane steering wheel and gear knob, fabric seat trim, manual seat adjustment including seat height (but no lumbar adjust), electronic park brake, and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, six-speaker audio, and 7.0-inch driver’s display, 360-degree cameras, plus five USB-C ports throughout the car.

Level up to the Ascent Sport from $42,990 plus on-roads and you’ll gain high-grade LED headlights and LED fog lights, a powered driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support, and a wireless phone charger. The infotainment system also steps up to a 12.3-inch display, but all systems are equipped with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM/DAB+ radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and navigation.

The leap in price to the flagship Camry SL is significant, kicking off from $53,990 plus on-road costs. Whereas the Ascent and Ascent Sport are fairly closely aligned in terms of equipment, the SL gets a much longer list of standard features.

The Camry SL gains 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated exterior mirrors with memory and reverse tilt, rear privacy tint, and front and rear camera washers. Inside there’s leather seat trim, a power-adjustable passenger seat, powered steering column and driver’s memory function, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument display, digital rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, a driver’s head-up display, and a nine-speaker JBL sound system.

The SX model that previously bridged the gap is no longer available in the new-generation Camry, and as you’d expect the SL is the car targeted at private buyers, while the lower grades are more focussed on fleets and ride services.

Among competitors, pricing stretches from just over $36,000 to just under $56,000 for the petrol-only Mazda 6 range, the single-variant Hyundai Sonata turbo costs $55,500 (all before on-road costs), and the hybrid Honda Accord wears a $64,900 drive-away price.

How big is a Toyota Camry?

The new Camry is 35mm longer than the model it replaces, with Toyota extending the front overhang, primarily. Other key dimensions are unchanged, including the 2825mm wheelbase, meaning interior accommodation also stays as it was before. Overall length is 4920mm – making the Camry just 46mm shorter nose-to-tail than a Kluger seven-seat SUV.

Boot space also carries over unchanged, with 524 litres. No model in the range has a powered boot lid, but Toyota has installed a strong-enough assist spring, so the boot raises itself when opened – you just need to manually close it when you’re done. A space-saver spare wheel is equipped under the boot floor on all models.

On the inside, the interior has seen a significant overhaul. The more horizontal dashboard is designed to make the cabin feel more spacious, and some of the awkward angled trim sections in the centre stack of older models have been tidied up and made more conventional.

Interior space, long a Camry strong suit, is much like it was before up front. There’s a generous amount of space in most directions, but in cars with electric seat adjustment, the driver’s seat can feel a little high. Taller drivers may find themselves brushing the headlining.

A redesigned centre console now features open storage under the climate controls, flowing into a pair of cupholders on the left of the console. There’s another storage area to the right on the base-model Ascent, replaced by a wireless charge pad on Ascent Sport and SL variants.

There’s a large storage space under the centre armrest, with decent room to pack items out of view. The armrest, upper dashboard, and door trims are all trimmed in soft-touch plastics. It’s not what you’d call particularly premium, there’s a utilitarian look and feel to surfaces, but they’re nice enough to the touch.

Oddly, the fabric dash and door inserts of Ascent and Ascent Sport models look and feel more upmarket than the faux leather strip used on the SL. Because there’s no contrast colour option for the interior of the range-topping car, the black-on-black effect ends up looking a bit taxi-spec.

In the rear, Toyota has – bafflingly – modified the rear door aperture slightly for a more flowing roof line. The side effect here is that it’s now much easier to clash your head getting in.

Apart from that backwards step, rear-seat accommodation is roomy. Leg room is generous, and there’s plenty of width. Rear-seat occupants of all grades get a fold-down armrest, but only the SL features adjustable headrests, the outboard headrests are fixed in place on the two base grades.

It’s not ultra-luxurious in the second row, space is really its main drawcard. There are no rear or side sunshades like you’d find in a Sonata, nor heated rear seats. The panoramic roof of the SL does let a lot of light into the cabin, though, and is positioned to be of far greater benefit to rear passengers than those in the front. Rear-seat occupants get access to vents in the centre console, and a pair of USB-C charge points too.

Does the Toyota Camry have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The Camry range has been upgraded to the latest infotainment system as found in a variety of other models. Screen sizes are up, and the layout and interfaces are a lot simpler to interact with.

The entry-level model comes with an 8.0-inch display, while the mid- and top-spec versions move to a wider 12.3-inch screen. All versions are equipped with AM/FM/DAB+ radio, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite navigation. The Ascent and Ascent Sport come with six-speaker audio, but the SL moves up to a nine-speaker JBL sound system.

Two different navigation systems are offered, ‘cloud-based’ on Ascent, and embedded navigation on Ascent Sport and SL. On the Ascent this means that navigation support ends when the Toyota Connected Services agreement More below) ends, The higher-grade cars retain sat nav, but the real-time traffic info is subscription-based. CarPlay and Android Auto mapping are still available, however.

The instruments on the base cars are handled by a 7.0-inch display, while the SL gets a larger 12.3-inch digital instrument display with a range of display layouts and configurable info displays. It’s a nice clear layout, but getting it set the way you want via the steering wheel controls can be fiddly. Once you have your cluster mapped the way you like, it’ll be set and forget.

The SL also comes with a head-up display that shows clear info like speed and turn-by-turn navigation directions.

All Camry models are equipped with Toyota Connected Services, complimentary for the first 12 months, allowing access to remote functions like recent trip info, guest driver settings, and more. The system also proves ongoing connectivity for vehicle status checks, vehicle location info, automatic collision notification, and SOS emergency call.

Toyota has dropped the complimentary period for Connected Services from three years to one year with this new Camry, but access to the expanded range of services is priced from $4.95 per month if you decide to remain.

Is the Toyota Camry a safe car?

The 2025 Toyota Camry has been tested by ANCAP to the most recent 2024 crash standard, and received a five-star result.

The new Camry received a 95 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 81 per cent for safety assist systems.

All Camry variants are equipped with eight airbags with dual front, front-seat side, full-length curtain, plus a driver’s knee and front centre airbag making up the tally. The rear seats feature three top-tether child seats mounts, and two ISOFIX anchorage points.

What safety technology does the Toyota Camry have?

The safety suite on the outgoing Camry was already comprehensive, but rather than just leave it as it was, Toyota has expanded the range of capabilities for the Safety Sense system.

Headlining the new system is a forward-facing camera with a field of view almost double that of the previous model. This allows the autonomous emergency braking to detect hazards in a wider range of scenarios with detection for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles, and vehicles – plus intersection crossing detection to avoid collisions at junctions.

Every updated Camry is equipped with a 360-degree camera system, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and curve speed reduction, lane-trace assist and lane-departure warning, traffic sign recognition, auto-on headlights with high-beam assist, blind-spot monitoring with safe exit alert, and a driver monitoring camera.

In practice, the expanded functions of the camera view allow the car to be smarter – if you need to switch lanes to one with slowing traffic, the adaptive cruise control can recognise and slow down sooner. If you need to skirt debris on the road, the car will allow you to do so without fighting you. The lane-keep and autonomous braking systems feel appropriately natural, and don’t fight against the driver.

Even the driver monitoring camera, often a problematic system in other vehicles, is patient enough to let you check your mirrors or look around at an intersection without beeping to keep your eyes dead ahead. It can also detect the difference between distraction and closed eyes, and if a driver becomes unresponsive it can bring the car to a slow stop if needed.

How much does the Toyota Camry cost to run?

The 2025 Toyota Camry range comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and, for private buyers, if you keep it serviced to Toyota's schedule you can get up to seven years’ powertrain warranty and up to 10 years’ hybrid battery warranty if you keep up what Toyota calls annual hybrid health checks. Cars used commercially, like rideshare or delivery services, are capped at five years or 160,000km warranty for all systems.

Servicing is covered by a capped-price program. Service intervals occur every 12 months or 15,000km, with each of the first five services under the program priced at $255 per visit.

With access to the new car ahead of its official on-sale date, we weren’t able to obtain a quote for this generation Camry. Because it’s so similar to the outgoing model, we ran the numbers on the old 2024 model and were quoted a surprisingly high annual premium between $2203 for the Ascent and $2358 for the SL. Although, the new model may vary when it launches.

We ran the same driver details for a base-model Mazda 6 Sport and got a $1587 quote. The more powerful Hyundai Sonata N Line returned a $1713 premium, and the more expensive Honda Accord Hybrid would cost a similar $2279 annually.

Is the Toyota Camry fuel-efficient?

With the changes to the hybrid system, Toyota claims that fuel consumption for all variants is officially rated at 4.0 litres per 100 kilometres. In the previous generation, base models claimed 4.2L/100km and the SL was rated at 4.5L/100km.

In the real world, we saw a mix of figures. Steady-state cruising saw consumption hover around 4.2L/100km. On a winding section of the launch drive, with some entertaining hilly roads, the worst the trip computer showed was a still-reasonable 5.3L/100km. After a mix of driving plus some stop-start commuting we recorded 4.5L/100km.

While it’s a little higher than Toyota’s claim, getting closer to the official figure wouldn’t really be too difficult. As before, the Camry requires 95-octane premium unleaded petrol, but the 50-litre fuel tank should give a theoretical driving range of 1250km at Toyota’s consumption claim, or a real-world figure of just over 1100km as tested.

What is the Toyota Camry like to drive?

Toyota’s hybrid system has always cleverly blended petrol and electric power, and delivered worthwhile gains in efficiency. It wasn’t always the most refined system, though, and asking for performance into the mix could see the petrol engine start loudly and clumsily as you accelerate.

With the new ‘fifth-generation’ hybrid system, it seems Toyota has ironed out some of the gruffness. You can still feel the petrol engine start up at times, and it makes some noise under hard acceleration, but in most driving situations it is much more refined. If you've driven the old hybrid Camry, you can immediately notice how much longer the car runs in electric mode.

Of course, as a driver you don’t need to do anything. Press start, put it in drive, and go. The car manages its own powertrain – you just pick if you'd like to drive in Eco, Normal, or Sport mode.

As you'd probably imagine, Eco mode dulls the accelerator to keep things efficient, and Sport doesn’t really transform the Camry into a hot hatch – but it does give it a bit more oomph off the line.

Changes under the bonnet see the combined output from the hybrid system rise by 10kW to 170kW in total. The petrol engine is rated at 138kW (7kW more than before) and the electric motor steps up to 100kW (up 12kW). Toyota arrives at its combined figure not by simply adding both outputs, as peak power delivery is offset.

The hybrid transaxle has been reduced in size and weight, lower viscosity fluids are used in the eCVT automatic and engine, the electric motor moves from a three-magnet design to a six-magnet motor (contributing to the more powerful output), with both petrol and electric power in use the petrol engine now runs 300–500rpm lower, and the power control unit has been revised – all of which makes the new car more efficient, but also quieter and smoother.

Unless you drove the old and new cars back-to-back you might not really pick it, but suspension and steering revisions make the new car feel just a bit more settled on patchy surfaces. It's a no-surprises experience. The TNGA-K chassis that underpins this car, and models like the RAV4 and Kluger, as well as the old Camry, does a decent job of comfortable ride, and neutral but not too bland handling.

On part of the drive route, Toyota pointed us towards a twisty stretch of road outside of Marysville in Victoria, and the car tipped neatly into corners. Exciting, no. Enjoyable, yes.

This is very much a car that has more dynamic capability baked in than it will likely ever need. It’s not going to get enthusiasts excited, but it is going to keep passengers comfortable and offer predictable control for the driver.

The biggest black mark I could find on the launch drive was noticeable tyre noise at highway speeds, and in windy conditions there’s a lot of wind rustle from the base of the windscreen pillar and the driver’s mirror housing. Those latter two elements are unchanged from before.

Can a Toyota Camry tow?

The hybrid-only Camry range probably shouldn’t be your first choice for a tow vehicle – even as a light-duty one.

The maximum towing capacity is 400kg braked or unbraked. This makes it more suitable for a towbar-mounted bike rack rather than anything of real size or heft.

Should I buy a Toyota Camry?

Like generations before it, the newest Camry does a great job of being broadly appealing.

It’s a big car, so it suits growing Aussie families well, and by extension its dimensions make it a smart choice for rideshare operators and taxi fleets too. More than just a roomy interior, it has reasonable power and really attractive fuel consumption. There’s something for almost everyone in this package.

The model line-up feels a bit incomplete. The Ascent and Ascent Sport are almost on top of each other time terms of price and features, but the SL is a big stretch. It really feels like there could be a middle step in there, but without enough private buyers for an in-between model, perhaps there’s simply no call for one.

Given the step forward in efficiency and refinement, and pricing that (in a modern context) isn’t too much more than the outgoing model, the Camry ticks a lot of boxes. Couple that with safety systems that are more comprehensive than before, while also being easier to live with, and the Camry more or less writes its own letter of recommendation.

How do I buy a Toyota Camry? The next steps.

Toyota hasn’t made any significant changes to its retail experience. Prices listed in this review are the recommended list price, but Toyota dealers are able to negotiate, so you may be able to work out a deal to suit you – and it pays to check multiple nearby dealers if you can.

For most drivers, the mid-spec Camry Ascent Sport feels like the right fit. It offers a few nicer features than the base model, but the long list of equipment in the top-spec SL is also very attractive.

If you’re in the market for a Camry, either new or used, you can browse cars for sale at Drive Marketplace. You can also check out the new Camry in person at your nearest Toyota dealership, with stock in showrooms as this review goes live.

For the latest Toyota news and information, you can catch up on the latest details here.

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