The Camry is the largest Toyota model sold in Europe where the current generation of sedans replaced the Avensis a few years ago. Featuring similar characteristics to the US Camry, this vehicle for the Old continent is sold as a hybrid with a 2.5 liter Atkinson-cycle gas engine. It’s not the most dynamic machine on the market, but it sure does its job of comfortably getting you from point A to point B. But how did it perform in the deer test? It’s time to find out.
Team at km77.com have a new episode Youtube series in which modern vehicles are tested on the famous deer test. The European-spec Camry is the latest guest with a hybridized four-cylinder engine that produces 215 horsepower (158 kilowatts) and 163 pound-feet (221 Newton-meters) of torque.
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At 4.9 meters long, the Camry Hybrid is not very compact especially by European standards. This easily explains why the sedan wasn’t nimble around the cone in testing, despite being relatively stable on the ground. At 48 miles per hour (77 kilometers per hour), the Camry did not manage to complete the maneuver without hitting a cone and it appears the late intervention of the electronic stability system was to blame. It is important to note that the vehicle uses Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 tires with size 235/45 R18 94.
The top speed at which the test managed to pass was 45 mph (73 kph), which may not be a record but still decent considering the size and weight of the hybrid sedan. Test pilots found the car’s reactions to be highly predictive at these speeds, although all attempts at higher speeds were unsuccessful. Overall, although not fast enough, this car feels comfortable and safe in the moose test.
A similar situation occurs in slalom. The Camry Hybrid showed good reaction as it went through cones, although it never felt like a nimble or high-performance vehicle. Thanks to the fast-acting hybrid powertrain, the final slalom time was more than enough to place the Camry Hybrid next to the BMW iX xDrive40 and Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI.
