7 things you might not know about the Toyota Camry
CY Foong · Feb 17, 2022 03:45 PM
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Thai-spec Camry facelift shown on right
Launched in Malaysia in 1994 but elsewhere since 1979
The Camry was more than an 'unclemobile'
Here are some interesting things you (probably) don't know about the Camry
The Toyota Camry has been on sale for nearly 30 years in Malaysia. 28 to be precise when the XV10 generation was launched in 1994. With the soon-to-be-launched Camry facelift expected to be equipped with a modern Dynamic Force engine, it seems that the D-segment sedan is still trying to make a mark even though the market has been shrinking significantly.
The Camry replaced the Corona in Malaysia which was a very popular model and its debut saw some backlash by fans. However, the controversy quickly died down as the Camry climbed the sales charts and became one of the most recognisable models in the country.
The Camry was one of the first locally-assembled cars to be equipped with ABS
But that’s enough about the Camry’s origins in Malaysia. Despite only introduced here in 1994, the Camry was actually launched in other markets overseas in 1982 with the name originally appearing in 1979.
Without dragging on, here are 7 things you might not know about the Toyota Camry.
1. Its name has royal connotations
Pre-facelift shown
Toyota’s first few passenger car models had a common naming scheme whereby they were associated with royalty. The Crown and Corona are pretty obvious in that both are the English and Latin words for a royal headpiece.
The name Camry is taken from the Japanese word for crown, kanmuri. The traditional headgear is only worn by the Japanese Imperial Family and by government officials on special occasions like weddings and the ascension of a new emperor. At least, the Camry isn’t only exclusive to the highest order unlike the Century.
Even the Camry’s variants kept the royal analogy with the Australian Atara trim taking the name from the Hebrew word for crown while the JDM “wide-body” version of the Camry is called the Sceptre. More on the latter later in the article.
2. The first generation was a ‘variant’ of the Celica
The very first model to bear the Camry name wasn’t exactly a Camry nor was it a Celica. The Toyota Celica Camry was a sedan variant of the Celica but it did not share any similarities with the sports car aside from the name.
Carina (top) and Celica Camry (bottom), not quite twins but they are
Instead, the Celica Camry was a slightly elongated Toyota Carina which itself slotted above the Corona but shared similar size. Market segmentation was non-existent in the 1970s, anyway.
First-gen Camry also known as V10 shown
Confusion aside, the Celica Camry wouldn’t be in the market for long, lasting only for a few years between 1980 and 1982. The Celica Camry was considered a predecessor to the true Camry which would be launched in 1982, replacing the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) layout for a more conventional front-wheel-drive (FWD) set-up
3. It was split into a narrow-body model and a wide-body model
Toyota skipped three generations of the Camry in Malaysia before its debut in 1994
In many markets including North America, Japan and Australia, the Camry was introduced in 1982, 12 years before its arrival in Malaysia. Things were running pretty straight-forward until the XV10 was introduced which saw the Camry split itself into two different versions.
Global Camry (top) and JDM Camry (bottom)
While the rest of the world would be familiar with the wide body shape, Japan saw a narrow-body version being introduced in favour of Japanese tax laws. These narrower-bodied Camrys were distinct from the oversea models in terms of design.
This would only last for 2 generations before Toyota streamlined the JDM Camry with the rest of the world. There is also another variant of the JDM Camry called the Vista which was only available at a different Toyota dealer network called Toyota Vista, a precursor to the Toyota Netz dealers.
The Camry wasn’t only offered as a Toyota. Since 1998, the Camry is sold in Japan as the Daihatsu Altis which we've covered before. Surprisingly, the Altis (not to be confused with the Corolla that is sold here) is pricier than the Camry despite Daihatsu being more known for its affordable compact models.
But the Daihatsu Altis isn’t a weird rebadge considering both Toyota and Daihatsu are partners. No, the award for weird Camry rebadge belongs to the Holden Apollo. Even more interesting is Holden was the Australian arm of General Motors which was Toyota’s rival.
Despite the strong rivalry between the two, both GM and Toyota partnered not just in Australia but America too under the short-lived Geo brand. In the case of the Australian Holden though, the reason for joining forces with Toyota was due to a controversial automotive plan called the Button plan.
The plan was initially developed to make local Aussie-built cars more competitive and to eventually reduce import tariffs. As a result, Holden would rebadge the Camry as well as the Corolla which was called the Holden Nova.
Instead of fostering competition among locally-built cars and foreign imports, the result was a disaster for the Australian automotive industry. The Holden Apollo would turn out to be a massive failure along with the Nova with the original Toyotas being more in favour of buyers thanks to limited variants.
5. The Camry was offered with a V6 in Malaysia
Toyota has offered a V6 engine on every generation of the Camry ever since the V20 generation but it was offered in Malaysia for two generations in the XV10 and XV20. With the popularity of the V6-powered Cefiro and Perdana, Toyota thought introducing the 6-cylinder engine on its successful D-segment could attract some much-needed attention.
Unlike the 4-cylinder variants of the Camry which was locally-assembled (CKD), the Camry V6 was fully-imported (CBU) and each generation was only offered with one variant. The XV10 V6 was powered by a 3.0-litre 3VX-FE V6 unit (188 PS/256 Nm) while the XV20 V6 was powered by a 3.0-litre 1MZ-FE V6 engine (182 PS/267 Nm). Since this was a cruiser, both units were paired to a 4-speed slushbox.
The only sign that this is a Camry V6 without popping the hood is the badge
In 1998, when the XV20 Camry V6 was launched, it was priced from RM 163,500 (RM 271,410 in 2022) which put it very close to an entry BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The Nissan Cefiro 3.0 V6 on the other hand started from RM 137,000 (RM 227,420 in 2022) and buyers would rather follow their wallet instead.
UMW Toyota (UMWT) would quietly discontinue sales of the Camry V6 before the turn of the millennium and only focused on the 4-cylinder models throughout the Camry’s life in Malaysia. With UMWT focusing on hybrids, the Camry V6’s time in Malaysia would likely not make a return.
Before there was Gazoo Racing (GR), there was Toyota Racing Development or TRD. The three letters that stirred up any older Toyota fans was officially established in 1976 and as the name suggested, its primary focus was on motor racing.
Standard non-TRD Aurion shown, looks very familiar to Malaysians
Many road-going models with the TRD badge were simply given a bodykit and little performance upgrades. That is with the exception of a few models including the TRD Aurion. Aurion was the Australian name given to the Camry that was sold in Malaysia.
In fact, the regular Aussie-spec Camry was based on the North American and Japanese-spec model. The TRD Aurion was developed and built in Australia and was Toyota’s answer to the Ford Falcon FPV and Holden Commodore HSV.
Powered by a 2GR-FE 3.5-litre V6 that was bolted to an Eaton supercharger, this fire-breathing Camry made 328 PS and 400 Nm making it one of the most powerful FWD cars ever made. Despite all the buff horses making things work, the TRD Aurion was more of a tourer than Aussie muscle.
It was mated to a 6-speed automatic and despite the high power output, there were minimal torque steer issues (unlike another fire-breathing FWD hot hatch). Sadly, Toyota’s challenger to the RWD Falcon and Commodore was short-lived, lasting for two years in 2007 and 2008 with only 600 made.
7. There are online groups dedicated to the ‘Camry Dent’
Pre-facelift shown
Excluding trucks and SUVs, the best-selling car in America for the past 21 years is the Toyota Camry. Even though the current generation is considered as the most dynamic and exciting generation, many Americans consider the Camry to be ‘boring’.
Just like the Myvi in Malaysia, the Camry is everywhere in the USA, so much so that it became a meme of sorts. One of the most peculiar ‘feature’ among American Camry owners is the ‘Camry Dent’ which is a prominent dent usually seen on the corner of the Camry’s bumper.
Even the current generation isn't immune to the 'Dent'
Photos of these dents are uploaded and shared in various Facebook groups and online forums dedicated to the bent-in bumper corners of the Camry. Does this mean that Camry owners in America are more accident-prone than others?
What are the odds that the Camry opposite this one also contains a dent
Perhaps not as some buyers see the Camry as just merely an appliance to get from A to B. Hence, they might not take proper care of the car or merely just keep the dent than fixing it as it doesn’t affect the car, aesthetically at least.
Given the Camry’s popularity, it also might be why these dents receive more coverage than say, one from a Honda Accord or a Volkswagen Passat. The Camry Dent Facebook group is in essence, the American version of the “Myvi Buat Hal Apa Hari ini ?” group.
Pre-facelift shown
Those are 7 things you might not know about the Toyota Camry. In spite of the market no longer as huge as it once was, the Camry would surely still attract attention for those who wanted to experience what it’s like to be a boss without splurging so much on a luxury brand.
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
