The US-designed Camry range has been given such a substantial tweak because Toyota admits it needed a sharper design to compete with a number of desirable rivals globally, and to fit its new corporate direction towards creating more attractive and characterful vehicles.

Experts explain how re-used Toyota Camry Hybrid battery packs are helping bring power to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch field campus in Yellowstone National Park.

It's the long-awaited grudge match between two of the biggest names in the mid-size segment – plus we bring along a wildcard.

Set to dwell with more style in the land Down Under, the 2015 Aurion features not just styling upgrades, but also increased safety, sophistication and driver involvement.

It's derived from the Toyota Camry. Still, that doesn't mean the Aussies didn't put their own mark on it, now rejuvenating it for the year 2015.

Starting with the entry-level AT-X version, Toyota went and gave it a new sporty black mesh grille, 10-spoke 16" alloys, a power adjustable driver's seat and dual exhaust. Inside the AT-X you'll find classic fabric seat trim, whereas the Sportivo version features a unique sports fabric trim.

Speaking of the Sportivo, it features improvements such as a smaller-diameter three-spoke leather-accented steering wheel with paddle shifters, rear sunshade, power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats and it can also be fitted (at an extra cost) with a moonroof, optional paint color and a premium package which contains a 10-speaker JBL audio system, sat-nav+ and leather-accented seat trim.

The top of the range Aurion 'Presara' comes with a blind-spot monitor and auto high beam, as well as new 17" 15-spoke alloys, the previously mentioned JBL audio system, sat-nav and basically everything else that's optional on the Sportivo.

Presara buyers can also go for the 18" package which also includes steering revisions and costs $1,000.

As for the increased driver involvement, the Aurion features a new pre-load differential, providing enhanced steering and better control under acceleration and deceleration, while improving low-speed handling and high-speed stability.

All Aurion models have 7 airbags, reversing camera and a full suite of electronic active safety features.

Prices for the AT-X ($36,490) and Sportivo ($40,990) remain unchanged, while the Presara's price of $50,440 now reflects the standard metallic or pearlescent paint which is a $450 option on the other grades.

Not a Sports Sedan, but Not an Appliance, Either

The 2015 Toyota Camry underwent a significant refresh with more than 2,000 new parts, and although we were disappointed that the automaker made no changes to the powertrain, we've come to realize it didn't really need to. At least that's the case for the Camry SE Hybrid that we had in for testing — it delivered a slightly better performance with looks to match.

On the skidpad, the old Camry Hybrid pulled 0.78g average and lapped our figure-eight test in 28.0 seconds at 0.61g average. Meanwhile, the newer hybrid pulled 0.80g average on the skidpad and completed the figure-eight course in 27.5 seconds at 0.64g average. We imagine these baby steps toward betterment were a result of a more rigid body structure and retuned suspension, which really became apparent on a snaky shortcut that I take on my daily commute. While I didn't anticipate an exhilarating drive down the canyon road, I wasn't expecting the Camry Hybrid to hold its ground, either. Even though it felt on the heavier side, the sedan crouched through the twisty turns with ease, inspiring me to coax the gas pedal a little more each time. It's safe to say the improvements significantly reduced body roll and made it feel more capable than one would expect from a hybridized midsize sedan, especially a Camry.

Although brake pedal feel still isn't 100 percent on point compared with the older model, it's still better than it was before. Stopping from 60 mph took the new Camry 120 feet, a whopping 8 feet shorter than the previous model we tested. Like we said in our First Drive of the hybrid, the gas engine's engagement is overall smooth and seamless, but if you're sitting at a long red light when it restarts, you're going to feel it. You're also going to feel the heavily weighted steering, which feels like an arm workout when you're making several short-radius turns. Road and wind noise aren't an issue in the 2015 Camry Hybrid, but you might hear some of the interior bits rattle if you manage to drive over deeper freeway grooves.

Now for the whole reason why customers would opt for the Camry hybrid in the first place: fuel economy. The Camry SE is EPA-rated at 40/38/40 mpg city/highway/combined, but after our Emissions Analytics team spent some time in it, they came back with slightly different numbers. The Camry Hybrid's real MPG number was pegged at 38.5 mpg in the city, 34.4 mpg on the highway, and 36.5 mpg combined. For comparison, our long-term Accord Hybrid's Real MPG numbers were logged at 46.8/41.6/44.3 mpg city/highway/combined.

Aside from the improved driving dynamics, Toyota also says the Camry has a nicer interior. I opened the doors to find our SE model had metallic trim and a more modern design. The standard Entune and navigation system were easy to use, and I had lots less trouble using both those features than folding down the rear seatback. I came to the conclusion that it couldn't be messed around with after spending a good five minutes trying to fold it down. Much to my surprise, it does fold down and there is a trunk pass-through, but the only way I found out was because the Monroney said so. I never ended up figuring out how to work it, so keep in mind that you might have to seriously investigate the matter if this is a car that you're looking into buying.

There's no doubt the 2015 Camry Hybrid is a better car than the one it replaces. Though it's no sports sedan, it's not the boring old appliance you'd expect it to be, either.

Wear headphones! The audio in this video was recorded with in-ear binaural microphones. With headphones or earbuds on, you'll feel like you're actually sitting in the driver's seat.