Best Sedan by Price, Size & Category in Aus

The Toyota Camry has just been redesigned for its ninth iteration since 1983 in Australia.Made in Japan but aimed at North American buyers, the mid-sized four-door five-seater family sedan is a thorough reskin of the previous model. It boasts a new front and rear design, a fresh interior, more safety and an overhauled hybrid system. In fact, the entire range is now hybrid-only.The Camry Ascent Sport is the model for private buyers, or 'user-chooser' fleet buyers who want a bit more luxury in their family car, but without the steep price tag. Think of it as the Holden Commodore Berlina or Ford Fairmont of today.Starting from $42,990, before on-road costs, it is about $2500 more expensive than before, but equipment levels rise, as well.Standard Ascent Sport features include “high grade” LED headlights and fog lights, a powered driver’s seat, a leather-clad steering wheel (replacing the plastic one in the base grade), a wireless charger, a larger (now 12.3-inch) touchscreen, in-built sat-nav, powered driver seat lumbar support, an electro-chromatic rearview mirror and more.These come on top of the standard Ascent’s adaptive cruise control, AEB, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, digital radio, auto-folding exterior mirrors and 17-inch alloy wheels.Like all Camrys today, the Ascent Sport pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motor generators and a lithium-ion battery pack. The front wheels are driven via an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).The result is sprightly performance (the 0-100km/h time takes 7.2 seconds), as well as outstanding fuel economy, averaging just 4.0 litres per 100km (and 91g/km of carbon dioxide emissions). But 95 RON premium unleaded petrol is recommended.Lastly, the Camry offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, at $255 per service.

The Toyota Camry offers a flagship grade known as the SL – short for Sport Luxury.You could call this ‘Lexus Lite’, given the amount of equipment it offers for the reasonable $53,990 price tag.These include grade-exclusives like a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, leather trim, a driver’s seat memory function, a powered front passenger seat, heated/vented front seats, a powered steering wheel column with heated rim, larger (to 12.3-inches) instrumentation screen, upgraded audio, a digital rear-view mirror, reverse-dip heated exterior mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, camera washers, rear privacy glass and 18-inch alloys.All build on top of what the mid-series Ascent Sport version offers, including a powered driver’s seat, a wireless charger, 12.3-inch central touchscreen, in-built sat-nav, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.Designed for North American buyers but made in Japan, the latest Camry is the ninth-gen version since 1983 in Australia. And it’s now a fully hybrid-only model range.A heavy facelift of the previous version released in 2017, it has a beefed-up body featuring a restyled front end, different tail-lights, a fresh dashboard, improved safety, revised suspension and steering, and an updated powertrain complete with an overhauled hybrid system.Power comes courtesy of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a pair of electric motor generators and a lithium-ion battery pack, and driving the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).Economy is an SL strong suit, as it is in all Camrys, averaging just 4.0 litres per 100km (and 91g/km of carbon dioxide emissions), though Toyota says 95 RON premium unleaded petrol is recommended. Conversely, the flagship can zip to 100km/h from standstill in an impressive 7.2 seconds.Finally, a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is included, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, at $255 per service.

The vast majority of Toyota Camry grades sold in Australia consist of the Ascent.The darling of fleet buyers, ride-share companies and taxi cabs alike, this is the entry-level model, and so, by definition, the least expensive.Now, for the ninth-generation version, the Japanese-built but North American-focused mid-sized four-door five-seater family sedan gains a front and rear end restyle, an all-new dashboard, extra equipment and greater safety. Plus, the entire range is now hybrid-only.However, the Toyota also now costs more. This means the entry price into Camry has jumped about 15 per cent, or by around $5000. That gap drops to about $2100 if we’re lining up new versus old hybrid versions of the Ascent.As a result, the cheapest new mid-sized sedan in Australia is now the Mazda6 Sport. On the other hand, the next equivalently-sized hybrid sedan costs nearly $20,000 extra, and that’s the Honda Accord VTi-LX e:HEV.Plus, the latest Camry Ascent is better equipped than before, with improved advanced driver-assist safety tech like 'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB), keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch instrumentation display, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with cloud-based navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, digital radio, USB-C ports, one year’s free access to Toyota Connected Services, LED headlights, auto-folding exterior mirrors, 17-inch alloys and, thoughtfully, a temporary spare wheel – a rarity in a hybrid nowadays.Fundamentally, the Camry Ascent is much the same underneath as before, retaining its predecessor’s 'Toyota New Global Architecture' hardware, powertrain (hybrid-system aside), suspension (now retuned for comfort) and (albeit beefed-up) body structure. Carryover items include the Camry’s windscreen, roof and front doors.Under the bonnet is a revised version of the old 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Mated to a new pair of electric motor generators, they drive the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), to provide more power and better economy than before. A lithium-ion battery pack is located under the back seat.Result? On one hand, the Camry Ascent reaches 100km/h from standstill in a commendable 7.2 seconds on the way to a 180km/h top speed, and on the other, it averages an astonishing 4.0 litres per 100km, which translates to just 91g/km of carbon dioxide emissions.Note, though, this Camry prefers 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.Finally, Toyota offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with service intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, at $255 per service.