Our road test car this week was the upmarket version of the Toyota Hybrid Camry.

Hybrid Camry has slightly different styling to the conventional Toyota Camry. The front bumper shares styling cues with the latest generation Prius that not only provides cosmetic benefits but also improved aerodynamics. The outer edges of the bumper flow into the sides of the vehicle with side faces that are almost flat for better airflow. The lower grille is slightly larger to give additional cooling to the engine bay.
Hybrid badges are featured on the front guards and on the boot lid. The rear lamps have a clear cover and include LED lights that use less power and therefore reduce fuel use just that tiny bit more          .

Away from sight are three covers - under the engine, rear floor and fuel tank - that improve airflow and reduce drag. The overall drag coefficient is 0.27 which Toyota says is among the best in mass-produced family cars.

Inside, the instrument panel reflects the hybrid technology. Other specific hybrid features are the blue highlights on the dials and in the centre of the speedometer, a large `Hybrid Synergy Drive' display. The main read out replaces the tachometer in the conventional car.

The Hybrid Camry has a 2.4-litre petrol engine that's different to the standard unit used in the other Camry models. It uses an Atkinson-cycle for reduced fuel consumption and produces 110 kW of power, and 187 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm. The engine is linked to two electric motors that produce up to 105 kW with 270 Nm of torque. The two driving sources, petrol and electric, produce their outputs at different times so you can't simply add the two outputs and come up with a total.

Somewhat oddly for a vehicle principally aimed at economy, this is the most powerful Camry in the range and actually has better straight-line performance than a pure-petrol Camry by more than a second in the zero to 100 km/h sprint. This apparent anomaly is due to the excellent torque characteristics of electric motors as they produce maximum grunt at very low revs.

Though the Hybrid Camry can nominally be used as an electric car for short periods of time we found that in real life driving the petrol engine was running virtually all of the time. However the fact that it’s being assisted by the electric motor, and that braking energy is recovered and stored in a battery for future use, does trim the fuel consumption.

Hybrid Camry uses a seamless CVT transmission to further reduce petrol consumption. This gives a different feel to the driving experience as there are never any obvious gear changes. Instead the transmission is subtly varying ratios all the time to have the engine running in its best range. Some drivers dislike this type of transmission, others really appreciate its feel, many don’t even notice anything is different. We fall very much into the middle category.

Officially the fuel consumption of the Toyota Hybrid Camry is 6.0 litres per hundred kilometres when measured to Australian standards on the combined cycle. Overall our petrol usage during our one-week test came reasonably close to that figure, with an average of 6.4 litres per hundred. On the highway the Camry usually ran in the five to six litre range, with town driving seeing it into the sevens.

These are the sort of figures you would normally get from a small car such as a Toyota Yaris or perhaps a Corolla, so the Hybrid Camry certainly works.

The only real drawback is that the car's main battery is stored in the boot between the rear wheels. The boot is still a reasonable size at 389 litres. The rear seats retain a 60/40 split but there's a loss of versatility due to the very limited through access. Check it for yourself if you need to cart long loads.

On the road the new Toyota Hybrid Camry is a big step forward from previous hybrid cars because of the considerable inputs made by Australian engineers to suit the Toyota to local driving conditions and drivers’ desires. Steering, suspension and handling are much more pleasant than that of the Toyota Prius. The suspension is stiffer and there's good feedback through the steering. You certainly wouldn't  call the Aussie Toyota Hybrid Camry a sports sedan, but keen drivers will appreciate the way it all works.

The engineers have done a magnificent job of noise, vibration, harshness reduction when underway, with the cabin eerily quiet as you pull up at a set of lights. The air conditioning fan dominates the interior landscape as everything else shuts down awaiting a slight prod of the throttle.

AT A GLANCE

MODEL RANGE
Hybrid Camry 2.4-litre petrol/electric hybrid four-door sedan: $36,990 (CVT)
Hybrid Camry Luxury 2.4-litre petrol/electric hybrid four-door sedan: $39,990 (CVT)

FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in both models
Air Conditioning: Standard in both models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in both models
CD Player: Standard in both models
Central Locking: Standard in both models
Cruise Control: Standard in both models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in both models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in both models
Stability Control: Standard in both models
Traction Control: Standard in both models

SPECIFICATIONS (Toyota Hybrid Camry 2.4-litre petrol/electric hybrid four-door sedan)

ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.362 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 88.5 x 96.0 mm
Maximum Power: 110 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 187 Nm @ 4400 rpm

DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: CVT
Final Drive Ratio: 3.542:1

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4815 mm
Wheelbase: 2775 mm
Width: 1820 mm
Height: 1480 mm
Turning Circle: 11.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1610-1645 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres
Boot Size: 389 litres
Towing Ability: Not available

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, McPherson struts, L-shaped lower arms, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, dual link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc

PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 8.9 secs

FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 91RON
Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.0 L/100km

GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10

STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km