Technology Thailand

Toyota Camry Hybrid hits Thailand's shores

It seemed like ages since Honda demo'd its Civic Hybrid several years back. Toyota has now hit back hard with the realization of a domestically distributed hybrid in the shape of the Camry Hybrid. Previously, if you wanted a hybrid, you could get a Prius, Alphard Hybrid and others through importers at greatly bloated prices. But now, Toyota Thailand is officially selling the Camry Hybrid through its sales channels and, surprisingly, it's not their most expensive package for the Camry.

Luckily, I had a chance to get my hands on one of these and have some pictures to tease you with. Sadly, insurance purposes prevented me from taking it out for a spin despite it being a test vehicle which Toyota had loaned for this photo shoot. But I've booked a personal test drive and will let you know how that goes.

So how's it different from a regular ol' Camry?

The Camry Hybrid is Toyota Thailand's second most expensive options package for the Camry model. Starting at 1.59 million baht for the "base" model, which gets you a standard CD player, you can incrementally add 100,000 baht to the price to get a DVD player and ultimately a navigation package which bundles GPS to the DVD package.

The Hybrid essentially takes the 2.4G model's engine and mates it with an electric motor, bringing the power to a total of 190 horses under the hood. The four-cylinder 2.4-liter VVT-i engine takes regular unleaded as well as ethanol. The battery assembly comprises 34 NiMH battery modules, totaling 204 individual cells, and is rated at 244.8 volts, putting out 6.5 amps for 3 hours. 

The drivetrain is also different from the gas models in that it utilizes an ECVT (electronically controlled continuously variable transmission) to keep the transfer from engine or motor to the drivetrain smooth and at maximum efficiency. Strangely I could not get comparative figures on gas milage from the representative!

This model also takes away the traditional power steering assembly and replaces it with the company's EPS electronic steering system, and yes, this appears to be the same technology that is in the 2009 Corollas which are being reported to lose control, supposedly due to this system. Let's hope all the wrinkles have been ironed out. 

With all this gear onboard, the hybrid is 100kg heavier and has 50 percent less boot space than its gas-only siblings.  

Now, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Recent Comments

screwtc: I bought one of these and have been using it for around 2 weeks. The bad news is that ... more »

Jesadac: I get the feeling that economics in each country plays an important part in pricing. Also, BB are just ... more »

eugenegoh: It seems like a lot of countries like Indonesia and Thailand are offering very cheap service for BB unlimited ... more »

clmm8899: UGG Sundance Grab bags UGG Ultra boots more »

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