Toyota Camry 2003 News

A Mustang is a wild brumby in the USA but also one of the all-time best muscle cars; the LandCruiser does just what the name says, even if the land is the worst of the Australian outback; and the Enzo is a tribute to the man who founded the world's best-know supercar company, Ferrari.But the name game can go badly wrong.  The Nissan Cedric was never going to be a hit in Australia with a name that creates a picture of an aging uncle Arthur in a cardigan, Taurus is tough in the USA but was always going to flop against the Falcon, and the Skoda Roomster has just been dumped after failing to find a home down under.Holden was careful to avoid the VD in its Commodore line, but why did it start with the VB and not the VA? And what about the Statesman, which went well as the WB but was never updated into the WC?  Just this week I was following a Citroen Jumpy delivery fan in Portugal, and wondering if the name was a reflection of the driver's behaviour or the way it runs on the road.The craziness goes on and on, like the Citroen Picasso people mover which is anything but an oil painting.  Today's showrooms also have cars whose names have more numbers and letters than a cryptic crossword, with just as much meaning. Who really knows the difference between an A7 and a C350?But head back in history and there are some absolute clangers.  Henry Ford named the 1950s Edsel after his son, but is now recorded as one of the biggest flops in blue-oval history.  Japan has given us everything from the Daihatsu Rocky and Rugger to the Honda Ascot and Acty Crawler and on through the Isuzu Big Horn to the Subaru Justy.Nissan created the Tiida name from nothing, even though it claims it has something to do with waves breaking on a beach, and Lexus is even a made-up brand name, in contrast to Mercedes which was named after an early Daimler customer's daughter.  Over in America, the AMC Gremlin was a flop, the Dodge Neon never went up in lights, Plymouth Reliant never lived up to its promise, and the Lincoln Town Car was so big it needed its own postcode.Even some of the names which have worked create more questions than answers about their creation.  The Kia Mentor is more likely to need one, the Honda Jazz is not much of a music machine and the Suzuki Cappucino was too frothy to sell in Australia.Some names also paint a picture because of their history.  Mention Celica and lots of people in Australia think hairdresser.  Ask about the Nissan GT-R and you'll hear about Godzilla.Camry is shorthand for fridge-on-wheels, Kingswood is classic sixties kitsch, and then there is the Goggomobil.  So, what's causing a Rukus today? The Toyota Rukus, for a start.We could also get the Nissan Cube, which is as boxy as its name, although Nissan Australia is also pushing for a return of the Pulsar badge which worked so well before the silly switch to Tiida.  Right now we have the Skoda Superb in Australian showrooms. If that's not a name which creates a serious expectation then we don't know our Falcodores.When Toyota was looking for a new name for a mid-sized car alongside the Camry it thought it had the ideal choice. It settled on Centaur - the mythical man-horse - because it sounded tough.  But no-one at Toyota Australia had taken into account a nasty incident in World War II during the battle for the Pacific.A hospital ship called the Centaur was sailing towards Brisbane when it was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. The idea of a Toyota Centaur sunk even faster.  The Centaur badges were crushed, all the paperwork was changed and so was the advertising. The Centaur quickly became the Avalon for Australia.  How do we know? Carsguide made the call to Toyota to warn about the problem. Japanese cars have always led the way in the silly-names race.  How about the Mazda Bongy Brawny? No, not the name for an off-road tough SUV, it was the badge on the back of a city delivery van with a 1.3-litre engine.Everyone has heard the story about the Mitsubishi Starion, and whether the company's sales team actually meant to call the turbo coupe the Stallion.  And then there is the Pajero. It's called the Montero in Spain, because Pajero is the word for something usually done alone in private.

That's the showroom tag for the Toyota Camry hybrid, which finally hits the road today.  The hybrid is being pitched as the flagship in the Camry range, from the way it looks to a cabin that is claimed to set a new standard for quietness in a locally-made car. The hybrid bottom line is fuel economy of 6 litres/100km, with performance that trims a full second from the petrol-powered Camry's 0-100km/h time.  The $36,990 pricetag compares to $29,990 for a basic Camry Altise, or $39,990 for a Prius hybrid. The basic details of the Camry hybrid have been public since the car was introduced in 2006 in the USA, but there has been a lot of work on 'Australianising' the car, both for production and driving.  "Right from day one we knew that the American version wasn't going to work," says Phil King, who headed local chassis tuning work. The result is a car which is more responsive, as well as packing a full suite of safety gear.  The Camry hybrid picks up the vast majority of its mechanical package from the third-generation Prius, which went on sale last year, although it has a 2.4-litre engine (up from 1.8) and still has a drive belt for the water pump, unlike the Prius. Full details of the pricing, equipment and sales plan will be revealed later today. But Toyota Australia is already trumpeting six airbags, ESP stability control, active steering assistance and a special power cut-off.  But the boot has taken a hit to fit the onboard battery system. "This hybrid can walk, and chew gum," says Peter Evans, technical chief for Toyota's imported cars.  More details later, together with a first driving impression.

GM Holden is less than two months from an economy-based update of its VE Commodore, Ford is promising a four-cylinder Falcon and more in 2010, and Toyota has just slashed the consumption of its family focussed Camry. The four-cylinder Toyota now tips the bowsers at an official rating of 8.8L/100km, trumping the best Commodore at 10.6 and the most efficient of the Falcons, the six-speed automatic XT build after April, at 9.9. But Holden is promising a double-digit improvement to its economy when the updated VE hits the road, probably in early September, while Toyota will only hold the line at 9.9 when it does a similar update job to the Camry on its V6 Aurion in September. "Fuel economy is an important issue for consumers. It's important that we remain competitive," says Toyota's head of sales and marketing, Dave Buttner. "There is no denying there have been improvements by some of our competitors. We are focussed on our customer's needs." That focus is reflected in a facelift which gives the Camry a slight visual lift and a significant value hike. Toyota says all models now come with six airbags and Bluetooth phone connection, while the Ateva and Grande get a rear parking camera. The Grande also keyless entry and starting, reversing sonar and an upgraded sound system. The bottom line is also sharper, with a $1200 price cut on the Atevo and Sportivo. "We've got improve value. So we're excited about the facelift," Buttner says. Camry sales are averaging around 1500 a month, down from previous years, but Buttner says the car is still holding its share of the medium class and he expects a significant boost through the back end of the year.  

The biggest recall has hit Toyota, which wants to check 144,500 Camrys for headlights, and nearly 8000 Honda Civics also have light problems.The federal Department of Transport says eight imported cars have been recalled since June 1, even Volvo, which makes safety a key selling point, hasn't escaped, recalling cars to check on a faulty door assembly.The latest recalls are;Audi: A6 built between March 2004 and March 2005 may have a software fault which, in exceptional circumstances, could delay release of both front air bags in an accident. Number of cars, 464.Toyota: Camrys built from June 2002 to May 2006; faulty headlight switch which may cause headlights to flicker or temporarily fail. Number involved, 144,589.Honda: Civic sedan and somes hatches built between 2001 and 2002; problem with plastic terminal connector melting, causing low beam lights to fail. Number, 7979.Volvo: Current model C70 may have incorrect left hand door assembly, so it doesn't meet legal requirements in an accident. Number, 173.Mazda: The Mazda3 MPS built from May 2006 to May 2007 may have a loose bolt securing the engine and transmission to its mounting. If it falls out, the engine may drop, detaching the drive shaft. Number of recalls, 1160. Recall will start next week.