Although the styling of the 2018 Toyota Camry revealed earlier this month at the Detroit auto show takes a daring turn for this long-bland nameplate, at first glance the powertrain lineup looks to have been left behind in the radical remake. As before, there’s a base 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder, a V-6 for upper trim levels, and a hybrid.
However, the basic descriptors are about where the similarities end. The displacements are the same, yet almost nothing carries over. The 2.5-liter used throughout much of the lineup (and in hybrid models) is an entirely new engine, while the hybrid system has been reworked, and a new eight-speed automatic transmission has been introduced for all non-hybrid models.
With the flexibility of a clean-slate engine redo, we wondered: Why hasn’t Toyota moved to the new industry norm of turbocharged smaller-displacement, generally 2.0-liter, engines as embraced by the Chevrolet Malibu, the Kia Optima, and the Hyundai Sonata? Why is a V-6 still in the Camry lineup?
“The American customer loves a V-6, right? That is my understanding of why we have to keep the V-6,” said Masato Katsumata, chief engineer for the 2018 Camry, in a roundtable at the Detroit show.
Bill Fay, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, said that he expects V-6 models to make up less than 10 percent of Camrys sold, yet Toyota sees continued demand from “a certain kind of customer who’s looking for that level of performance.” Toyota executives have in the past also called the V-6 Camry a dealer favorite, as it brings a higher-income customer into showrooms and commands a higher sticker price. Besides, Honda still offers a V-6 in the Accord, and if there’s one competitor Toyota wants to match its lineup against, it’s the Accord.
Toyota makes a strong argument that its new four-cylinder engine, with its high-efficiency intake port and high-airflow design, doesn’t need forced induction, and the automaker hints that its performance will be edging closer to that of the V-6. Deputy chief engineer Keita Moritsu pointed out, as we followed up with more questions after the show, that the engine produces low-rev torque that’s comparable to supercharged engines, and combined with its high-rev output, he said, that gives it an advantage among naturally aspirated engines.
40 Percent Thermal Efficiency, 20 Percent Better Fuel Economy
The new Dynamic Force four, which is physically the same in the Camry and Camry hybrid but tuned differently, promises some astounding efficiency improvements, too, which Toyota attributes to its long-stroke design, variable cooling system, multi-hole direct injection, and high compression. The company claims 41 percent thermal efficiency in the Camry hybrid and 40 percent in the standard Camry. That’s in the range that was the exclusive domain of diesel engines only a few years ago.
Toyota has not yet confirmed U.S. specifications for the Camry powertrains, which can differ significantly from specs on those sold in Japan. That said, Toyota claims about a 10 percent improvement in power and approximately 20 percent better fuel economy for the Dynamic Force over today’s inline-four, which makes 178 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque and returns 24 mpg city/33 mpg highway (27 mpg combined). That suggests new power ratings above 195 horsepower and an EPA combined rating of 32 mpg or better.
Today’s Camry hybrid is rated at 42 mpg city/38 mpg highway (40 mpg combined), and Toyota also points to a 20 percent improvement there—for 44 mpg combined, perhaps.
Although some Americans will avert their eyes from the sight of a hybrid badge, especially while gasoline prices remain low, chief engineer Katsumata is convinced that it’s the hybrid model—not the V-6—that’s the best-driving Camry. That’s because the weight distribution is more balanced in hybrid models, thanks to the battery pack located under the back seat.
“I believe you can enjoy the driving performance in a twisty road better than the V-6,” Katsumata said. “Of course in a long straight or up and down, on a racetrack, the V-6 is better.”
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