what i read was that changes were minor though... so who knows what was in their mind.

 

I wonder if the new Camry might be one of the first (only?) Toyota's in the US to offer DI? It was mentioned somewhere in here how its supposed to exceed the competition in terms of mileage. I imagine this can be accomplished several ways but most likely either DI or a 7/8 sp tranny. Correct me if I am wrong here but isn't the 3.5L in my IS350 related to the camry motor anyway?

In regard to the interior, I too hope for a great improvement in materials hoping it will work its way to future 4runners

Just thinking out loud here

 

Toyota has confirmed DI and turbos for future products. Will the Camry get either of those? We'll see soon enough.

 

sonata has DI, why not camry!?

 

I wonder how much of a power increase the 3.5 liter V6 is going to get. Current one is plenty powerful at 268 horsepower. Just needs to focus on fuel economy.

 

Just my opinion but for example, the Malibu interior sucks. I was expecting alot more after reading of it, and sitting in it, it is far worse than the Camry. Flashier stuff here and there definitely does help towards raising the perception of the interior. I'd say the Camry is on par with most. The dash is soft touch even!!!

 

Sonata DI seems to help MPG but Sonata performance is midpack and not class leading. I have a feeling there will be a huge focus on hybrids for the next Camry. Will there be a greater effort with the Camry SE?

 

Yeah the focus will definitely be on on hybrids and I'm happy to see DI in Toyota cars. I mean when most of us think Hybrid we think Toyota. It's pretty much synonymous with Toyota. Now that everyone else particularly the Germans are doing a great job with this technology while offering substantial style and performance to go with it. Even Hyundai is a serious threat with this technology in their Sonata, which has rapidly grown popularity. I don't recall seeing so many Sonatas in parking lots ever, whether I was in NY or now in GA. I'm sure part of that is because of their CLS-esque styling which obviously increased sales and now also makes them stand own and forces you to take notice. Bottom line is the Camry needs to be special. Not that the current gen isn't a looker or well made for a vanilla audience. But it does need a little sprinkles. Because though we all like vanilla it's even better with sprinkles. I'm looking forward to the next Camry and ES. However I truly hope Toyota does a better job to make them more distinctive. That will only further help their luxury division.

 

toyota had DI in their cars million times ago, same as turbos.

decision not to offer it right now is mostly cost based, nothing else... same goes for transmissions - Toyota offers 6 speed on every car sold in europe, except for 1.0l 68hp engine which gets 5 speed. Valvematic engines are not even sold in USA, again cost decision...

as to the looks, weakest part of Toyota cars... but i think camry generally looks good and is perfect match for its audience.

 

I'm aware that Toyota has used DI of some sort since the late 90's. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough in my previous post.

Just because a product sells well to their target audience doesn't mean it can't be improved upon. It isn't so much about expanding its fan base but more so about not losing what it currently has. Is there a risk that it may lose some of it's buyers buy becoming more design conscious? Certainly but one all stands to lose its following if one stays stagnant or listen to what many of its buyer may want. It happens every day in any segment of business. Apple sells a boat load of smart phones but you better believe they stay abreast to what Google does with their Androids and want their legions of iPhone buyers want all while staying true to their core.

 

I think that no one -- except the most skeptical -- will doubt that the new G7 Camy will be an improvement over the current G6 Camry. You must give Toyota credit for really knowing its audience. The Corolla is in its 10th generation, is the world's best-selling nameplate and still sells well. The Camry has been the best-selling car in America every year for the past 10+ years. This is despite not offering the most advanced technology -- no DI, no Valvematic, only a 4-speed automatic in the Corolla (!?!?!) -- and not offering the flashiest interior or exterior designs. Toyota knows what it must offer to sell its cars and it is tremendously successful.

The current Camry's drivetrain is competitive, I believe. Both the 4-cylinder and V6 engines are modern, refined, efficient designs, even if they do not have direct injection or turbo-charging or Valvematic (with both variable valve timing and variable valve lift) or variable displacement; they are competitive as they are. They both offer power and fuel efficiency that are competitive with the other mid-size cars on the market. The Camry Hybrid, on the other hand...

I have no doubt that the new Camry will be competitive, even if it is not as flashy as some of its competition.

 

Perhaps you didn't see my previous post in this thread, just above the one you quoted. I, along with everyone else, am certainly aware of the legacy of the Camry that Toyota has proudly created. I also know that they know who their base is. The Camry appeals to a very wide audience and for good reason. Toyota knows that and I'm not suggesting that they re-invent the wheel. However we all know that they also have various areas that need to be addressed and it goes beyond their recent PR scares in the media.

The Accord has always been a threat and they also have a couple of Korean manufacturers putting out very good products, as a nice, less expensive alternative. Let's not forget the Americans, specifically Ford and GM. It's been quite some time since the domestic market has looked this promising. As I said before, everyone loves Vanilla but who doesn't want sprinkles to go with that vanilla. I agree that Toyota knows that they can't sleep on their competitors. All I'm saying is that they must bring it better than they ever have, and I'm sure they'll be up to the task. We all saw the pursuit of GM. Now it's time to remind everyone how they got there and stay in that slot. Which should make for great cars for the coming months and years. (rubs hands in anticipation of the next wave of Lexus cars)

 

It will probably be more about power/torque curves, refinement, and fuel economy as opposed to just having impressive paper specs, like certain other competitors are doing.

Yes I agree with what you mean. This is the same thing that other people have mentioned when sitting in the new Sonata for example or the new Altima, that it's not that good compared to all the media praise it is getting.

The NVH and refinement of the Sonata's engines are also at mid-pack levels at best. Hyundai seems to be focusing on impressive paper specs and checklist features, somewhat like Nissan and other competitors.

 

Pre-production 2012 Camry models are currently being built at Toyota's Kentucky plant as part of the process for checking quality before the model goes into production.

 

That is great news! Hopefully it will translate into a better quality product than the generation 6. Also, that might mean the opportunity for some spy shots.