Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid Under Review

Camry seems set to make a comeback with its all-new and improved 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid. As a family-size sedan, the first Camry had set an impressive benchmark for mileage.

Features of the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Available in two trim levels, the LE and XLE trim, the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid has several features that have been revamped to produce a top performance vehicle. These features include:

1. A 200 horsepower capability made possible by the revamped Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain that has a slightly larger 2.5 liter Atkinson-cycle four cylinder engine. The engine also has a 105 kilowatt electric motor and these features combine to give the vehicle 13 hp more than it had last year. The Atkinson-cycle engine yields a little less power output and compensates by being more fuel efficient and giving off less emmissions. Overall, the vehicle has a fuel efficiency rating of 43/39 mpg EPA delivering a combined average of 41 mpg.

2. The 2012 Toyota can be operated on either electric or gasoline or both. The vehicle is equipped with a new EV-mode button that allows the driver to operate the hybrid in pure electric mode as long as the speed does not excel 25 miles per hour. Toyota gives the maximum battery-only range as 1.6 miles.

3. The 2012 Camry Hybrid is fuel-efficient with the XLE, which is rated a bit lower than the LE, yielding an efficiency of 40 miles per gallon during a mixed drive. Overall, the 2012 vehicle has a fuel efficiency rating of 43/39 mpg EPA, delivering a combined average of 41 mpg.

The energy impact score for the vehicle stands at a consumption of 8.3 barrels of oil per year, while the carbon footprint stands only at an annual emission of 4.6 tons of CO2.

One of the major factors that cause a vehicle to use a lot of fuel is its weight. The weight of the 2012 Toyota has been cut by 250 pounds. The size and weight of the battery by itself was trimmed as a part of the weight reduction.

4. Camry's Hybrid sports 17-inch low rolling resistance tires that grip the pavement to yield efficiency.

5. The Car is also equipped with Toyota's Entune infotainment system, which relies on a smartphone data connection for certain apps to operate on the large touch screen. The data connection runs apps such as Bing and Pandora on the touch screen. Entune is free for three years, then it becomes available at a monthly cost of $5. It will eventually run other programs such as OpenTable and MovieTickets.com.

The Driving Experience

The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid gives a smooth, quiet drive as it moves seamlesly, neither seen nor heard, unless it comes upon speed traps. When the vehicle comes upon a bump in the road, the gasoline engine kicks in, and this is the only disruption to the seamless ride. The 2012 hybrid drives pretty much like the brand new gas powered 2012 Camry.

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