When you think of the humble Toyota Camry, you probably think of rideshare cars, taxis, and fleet cars. That is because the Camry is the epitome of reliability. But you can also own one yourself. Before a facelift is released in mid-2024, we experience the Camry from the driver’s seat, rather than the back seat.
Although the medium car segment under 60k may be small, the Camry dominates. According to December 2023 VFACTS figures, it was the best-seller by far for the year, with 10,581 sales – a huge 71 per cent market share.
There are only six other competitors in this segment; the BYD Seal, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Skoda Octavia, and Volkswagen Passat.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Specifications
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid, two electric generators
Output: 160kW
Gearbox: CVT auto
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 18×8.0, 235/45
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 1580kg
Power-to-weight: 9.87:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 4.5L/100km
Our consumption: 5.3L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/95 RONPower efficiency: 35.55kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 4.06 seconds*
0-100km/h: 8.23 seconds*
60-110km/h: 5.62 seconds*
1/4 mile: 16.09 seconds at 145.5km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.908g*
100-0km/h braking: 40.12m in 3.07 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.588g*
Decibel at idle: 23*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 75*
Starting price: $51,417
*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: How much does it cost?
Pricing commences at $34,320 for the base Ascent petrol, or $36,820 for the hybrid. The Ascent is the only variant you can opt for the all-petrol engine. One up is the Ascent Sport hybrid from $39,620, then the SX hybrid from $43,020. At the top, the SL hybrid that we have here retails from $51,417 (excluding on-road costs).
$50k sounds like a lot for a common sedan, but comparing to the rest of the market, the Camry undercuts all competitors. It’s just that everything has gone up. The next cheapest rival is the Mazda6 Sport, kicking off from $36,140. The Camry SL is also the most affordable top-spec variant among all rivals, with the Mazda6 20th Anniversary being the next cheapest at $54,235.
Every new Camry comes with 5-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and an additional 2 years on the powertrain when serviced at a Toyota dealership. Capped-price servicing is available for $255 per service up to 5 years or 75,000 kms, whichever comes first.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Interior & packaging
Even though it is the top-shelf variant, inside the Camry SL is not the most elegant. At least it is a familiar and easy space to navigate; which is likely to attract most buyers. You get older style menu graphics on a 9.0-inch touch-screen, and only a semi-digital instrument cluster. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, but wireless connectivity to these services is omitted. There is also no wireless phone charging pad.
Hard-wearing materials and plastics degrade levels of sophistication, and the centre console armrest is hard on your elbow, but it will probably never wear. The SL does not make giant leaps in luxury over the lower models, but it does add features.
Standouts for the SL include heated and cooled front seats, leather seats, a decent JBL nine-speaker sound system, a rare electronically-adjustable steering column, electric boot opening, a surround-view camera system, a panoramic glass roof with a powered blind, and head-up display.
Of course, all Camrys score Toyota’s safety suite as standard, which includes Toyota Connected Services, road sign assist, emergency steering assist, lane trace assist, intersection turn assist, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise, and auto high beam (though, the auto high beam does not seem as accurate as others on the market). SX and SL models also gain blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors.
With regards to interior space, you get loads of it no matter where you sit – especially legroom. One obvious area where the Camry loses out over SUVs is the lessened headroom, and the squatting down required to get in and out of a lower-riding sedan.
For a sedan, boot space is huge; offering 524 litres of volume. The boot lip cuts low to make luggage loading on those Uber rides easier. Obviously, it cannot beat the practicality of an SUV’s wagon-shaped boot.
We look forward to seeing what the 2025 Camry facelift will change externally in 2024, as the current design is starting to look a bit tired and in need of a refresh.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Powertrain & handling
In the driver’s seat, it’s a no-frills, easy, relaxing and predictable driving experience. There is no extra knowledge required to operate the hybrid setup, either. It’s as easy as stop, go, and steer. Power and braking delivery is as smooth and predictable as they come; as well as the transition between power sources.
With 160kW to play with, it can get up to speed quickly and effortlessly. Take-off feels effortless as the torque from the electric motor is predominantly used during this time. The Camry hybrid is one of those powertrains where you don’t gain much benefit when you push it hard. The engine sounds harsh when revved, too. Across the 0-100km/h sprint our Vbox revealed a time of 8.23 seconds – very respectable for a common sedan.
While it won’t do much for performance enthusiasts, the CVT auto has six artificial gears built in to make it feel like a conventional gearbox. It works with the hybrid power sources smoothly, and contributes to admirable fuel consumption.
The Camry hybrid gains popularity in the fleet and taxi world due to its fuel economy. Officially, it burns just 4.5L/100km. That is a praiseworthy result from a non-plug-in hybrid. Even better is that the real-world average does not differ far from this, regardless of your style of driving.
Our experience saw an average of 5.3L/100km, which is still excellent. It tends to prefer slower city-style commutes over highways, as that is when the electric side is utilised more. Surprisingly for a Toyota, it requires the more expensive 95 RON petrol.
On the open road, the Japanese-built sedan goes about its business without any surprises. It absorbs bumps excellently, with minimal impact entering the cabin. It provides the type of ride you’d want if you were to be chauffeured around. It rides on Toyota’s TNGA platform, which is a solid foundation.
When pushed harder around corners, it feels secure and planted. A good balance between comfort and performance has been struck. The steering is predictable, with good progression, weightiness at higher speeds, and a light feel during parking. When it comes to road noise, there is room for improvement – especially being the luxury variant.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Key attractions/reasons to buy
- Leading reputation, reliability and resale value: Toyota is a very trusted brand in Australia, and it has built up one of the strongest reputations for longevity and durability, even in our harsh conditions.
- Price: It leads the class for price, with the SL being the most affordable flagship variant in the segment.
- Fuel consumption: It is brilliant, including in the real world – you’ll get close to the official 4.5L/100km rating.
- Easy and relaxing: This is one of the easiest vehicles to drive and it is very smooth and calm, which suits well with the premium SL theme.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Key considerations before you buy
- Rather boring: The SL’s level of prestige does not go far enough to lift it from a standard Camry Ascent in our opinion.
- No wireless Android Auto or wireless Apple CarPlay: Technology levels are starting to fall behind, but there is a new model coming later in 2024.
- Delivery delays: Toyota is still suffering from slow delivery times, which might impact your decision.
2024 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid: Video
How does it rate against its rival?
- Price
- Quality look & feel
- Interior tech
- Powertrain performance
- Ride & handling
- X factor (does it stand out in its class?)
Final word
We look forward to a Camry facelift in mid-2024 in hope it will give the famous model some renewed spark. If you’re not concerned about that, the Camry is hard to beat in terms of price, economy, and reliability. And the sales figures continue to reflect that. The SL gives more features if you need them, but without much more prestige.
