1 Aug 1989
By CHRIS HARRIS
A product of the Labour Government’s rationalisation of the local car industry, the Toyota-engineered and built JK Apollo sedan and wagon was nothing more than the 1989-‘93 Camry it was built alongside, with only a unique grille, taillights, badges, and trim to differentiate it.
The Apollo may have replaced the hapless Camira but the people still weren’t buying.
The base SL, Executive, and SL/X used the Camry’s 82kW 2.0L twin-cam carburettor engine, the high-line SL/E the 88kW fuel-injected (EFI) version. 5-speed manual or 4-speed autos were the transmissions on offer.
The Apollo was released at the same time the facelifted Camry Series II (SV22), and so benefited from the improved steering, handling and ride qualities.
