Toyota salutes Oz Camry with Commemorative Edition

TOYOTA Australia is marking the end of its local car-manufacturing operations with the Camry Commemorative Edition, limited to just 54 units to signify the same number of years it has assembled cars Down Under.

Based on the top-spec Atara SL Hybrid, the special Camry mid-sizer is differentiated by a combination of metallic silver paint and a black roof, as well as a commemorative edition badge on the rear and a red-stripe highlight along the lower front lip.

From the inside, its special status is denoted by blue illumination in the footwell, blue lighting in the scuff plates and commemorative edition floor mats.

The limited-run Camry will cost $710 more than its donor car at $41,150 before on-road costs, and also retains the same level of equipment including satellite navigation, JBL sound system, leather-accented seats, front and rear parking sensors and wireless phone charging.

The Camry Commemorative Edition’s powerplant also remains unchanged with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor for a combined output of 151kW.

Feeding power to the front axle via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Commemorative Edition will return a fuel economy figure of 5.2 litres per 100km and features a five-star ANCAP safety rating thanks to the inclusion of seven airbags, a reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

However, while 54 examples will be produced, Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner said only 52 will be available to the public.

“One of the 54 Commemorative Camrys will be kept by Toyota Australia and another sent for display at the TMC (Toyota Motor Corporation) museum in Japan, confirming our parent company’s high regard for the employee commitment, local engineering input and quality achieved in 54 years of local manufacture,” he said.

Toyota has manufactured cars in Australia since 1963 starting with the Tiara and continued throughout the years with models including the Corolla small car, Crown, Corona and Camry.

According to the market leading car-maker, “Camry was nominated for the honour because of its significant impact on local and export markets as well as the hybrid’s position as the most technically advanced car mass-produced in this country”.

In total, 2.1 million Camrys will be built before production winds down early next month, with 1.2 million examples shipped overseas.

After production ceases, Toyota Australia will import the new-generation Camry from Japan.

For the first eight months of the year, the Toyota Camry continues to dominate the sub-$60,000 medium car segment with 16,190 new registrations, an 11.4 per cent increase over the same period last year.

The Toyota Camry will likely finish the year ahead in the segment against competitors including the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Skoda Octavia and Subaru Liberty – a title it has consecutively held since 1994.