Toyota Camry Commemorative Edition 2017 pricing and spec confirmed

ONE month before Toyota Australia ends 54 years of local manufacturing, the Japanese carmaker has released a Camry Commemorative Edition to mark the occasion.

Limited to just 54 units – with 52 available for sale and two for Toyota’s Japanese and Australian museums – to signify the number of years of Australian manufacturing, the special Camry is based on the flagship Atara SL Hybrid.

From the outside, the new Camry will be identified by its metallic silver paint and a black roof, badges and a red-stripe highlight along the front spoiler.

The cabin treatment includes blue illumination in the footwell, blue lighting in the scuff plates and Commemorative Edition floor mats.

The car retains the Atara SL Hybrid standard features such as sat nav, JBL audio, leather seats, wireless phone charging and front and rear park sensors.

Safety equipment is also carried over, with seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

It will also share the drivetrain of a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor system for a total of 151kW and a fuel economy average of 5.2L/100km.

Toyota’s limited Camry variant will cost $710 more than the Atara SL Hybrid at $41,150 plus on-road costs.

Toyota has made cars in Australia since 1963 starting with the Tiara and then to other models including the Corolla, Crown, Corona and Camry.

The company will have made 2.1 million Camrys in Australia by the time production ends next month. Of those, 1.2 million units have been exported to markets including the Middle East and New Zealand.

When local production ends, Toyota Australia will import the new-generation Camry from Japan.

The Camry has long dominated the sub-$60,000 medium passenger-car class. For the eight months to August 31 this year, it found 16,190 new owners, up 11.4 per cent on the same period in 2016.

It is expected to retain the top position in the segment that it has held since 1994 by finishing the calendar year ahead of rivals including the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Mazda6, Skoda Octavia and Subaru Liberty.

Will the Toyota Camry Commemorative Edition become a collectible like the final edition Ford Falcon and Holden Commodores are expected to be? Tell us what you think in the comments below.