2002 Toyota Camry Reviews

Building a new car isn't easy. Just ask the team behind the new Camry. Every single part of the car must be of the highest standard because one bad part could ruin the whole car.More than two dozen engineers and test drivers have been flat out on everything from the car body to the radio aerial to get it right. They have designed, developed, tested, tuned, tweaked and approved everything that makes their Camry, codenamed 380N, unique to Australia.They were backed up by the production-line team in Altona, Victoria, who built the car.Paul Diamandis is a test engineer who worked long and hard on the Camry chassis and suspension tuning. The former go-kart racer is Toyota's top-gun driver and does the torture testing at the company's Anglesea track and is happy about a Camry that has a much sportier feel. "It's the kind of car I'd want to drive," he says.Diamandis says suspension tuning means the 380N brakes, turns and grips better than the current car. The team achieved its goals of increasing cornering power with a flat ride and quick response to steering.The new Camry has more front-end grip and less kickback at the wheels. It comes from a stiffer chassis, including an engine-bay strut brace for the touring model, modified suspension, local springs and dampers with special Dunlop tyres - the first in Australia with added silica.While a great handling car is good, it's not much use if it won't stop. That's where Brett Evans steps in. Evans' engineering team has made sure the all-Aussie braking system on the new Camry is more powerful than on the old, putting the brakes through some punishing tests."We destroyed a number of cars going through the mud traps, but not the brakes," Evans says. The meanest work included building up red-hot discs with repeated stops, then plunging into deep water to look for signs of fractures from heat shock.The surface of the brake disc covered by the pads is up by about 20 per cent for improved stopping and Evans says the new pads will also last about twice as long and create less black dust on the front wheels. The new Camry also is better to drive at night thanks to new headlights, which were optimised for Australian conditions.Jacquie Fox was a member of the headlight design team which worked with headlight manufacturer Hella to come up with the system which has twin bulbs with multi-facet reflectors. It also uses a hard-coated polycarbonate lens instead of glass. "It's durable and damage-resistant and avoids any extra expense to the customer," Fox says.The shape of the light pattern on both low and high beams is tuned for Australian conditions. "City streets are pretty well lit, so when you're using standard beam you don't need a lot of penetration. We determined that a greater spread or width of light was a key feature," Fox says.The seats also needed to be designed for Aussie rumps and engineer Greg Weir says there are two types of seat for the 380N - standard and sporty - but each has new foam construction and a higher back. The Sport bucket is all-new and exclusive to Australia.The seats also sit 40mm higher, partly to make it easier to get in and out of the car."The reasons are for visibility, but the height also increases legroom. It's a more natural seating position," Weir says."To me the seating has transformed the way the car felt. The holding was the major factor. I think it is the most important part as far as customer satisfaction goes."

Camry has been transformed - and no model highlights that change more than all-new Sportivo. Toyota Australian designers developed a unique body kit that blends with Camry's aerodynamic, European-inspired styling to create a benchmark sports model.Underneath, Sportivo has the most advanced built-in-Australia engine and a confidence-inspiring locally developed suspension calibration.Two all-alloy engines are offered in new Sportivo, both using Toyota multi-valve technology to effortlessly blend performance, driveability, economy and low emissions.The choices are a 2.4-litre four-cylinder with intelligent variable valve timing or a 3.0-litre Quad Cam V6. Sportivo's new 2.4 engine is sophisticated and smooth as cream to drive, with twin balance shafts for added smoothness.The VVTi engine, which is all new for this generation of Camry, offers increased performance and fuel efficiency as well as reductions in noise and vibration, emissions and service weight. (There has been an 18 per cent mass reduction compared with the previous iron-block engine.)In fact at 117kg, the 2AZ-FE is the lightest 2.4 litre passenger car engine in the world.The performance gain is of similar magnitude to the weight reduction.With 112kW at 5600rpm, the new engine is 19 per cent more powerful than that of the superseded 2.2 litre.Its 221Nm of torque represents a 16 per cent improvement on the previous engine.Driveability in the all-new Camry has also been assured with the VVTi-engine delivering 90 per cent of its maximum torque from 1500rpm right through to 5400rpm.Toyota offers two new transmissions with the 2.4 engine - a five-speed manual and an electronically controlled direct-drive automatic.The latest hi-tech automatic is a significant advance on the superseded transmission and is an excellent match to the VVTi engine.The transmission combines the efficiency advantages of Toyota's latest low-friction and hydraulics technology with the smoothness of electronic control.City-cycle fuel economy has been improved from 9.9 litres/100km to 9.5litres/100km, while delivering improved performance.There has been a similar improvement for the six-cylinder engine, thanks to Toyota's re-tuning and calibration for the latest emission requirements.The Quad Cam V6 is more economical and cleaner than before, making it still the smoothest six in any built-in-Australia car.The all-alloy Quad Cam Multi-valve V6 engine offers improved power, torque, fuel efficiency and emissions.There's 145kW of power at 5200rpm and 284Nm of torque at 4400rpm. Sportivo's Quad Cam V6 has an impressively flat torque curve to suit all driving conditions, with more than 230Nm of torque from 1200rpm through to 5800rpm.Two special features help maximise this power - an acoustic control induction system (ACIS) which varies the effective inlet length and a variable backpressure muffler.Like the 2.4-litre engine, the Quad Cam V6 can be matched to a five-speed manual or an electronically controlled automatic transmission. Both offer plenty of driving satisfaction. Sportivo's highly sophisticated locally developed chassis package adds another dimension to an already impressive vehicle.It gives Sportivo confidence inspiring steering and handling.This car has well-balanced poise while maintaining the supple, well-controlled ride comfort you expect from a Toyota.The power-assisted rack and pinion steering has been re-tuned to give you precise control without kickback.Toyota's extensive local development of the Camry chassis dynamics is a boon for all drivers, and hence increases active safety.Indeed the well-balanced chassis dynamics work for the driver - so well that most times you won't notice. You'll just experience greater driving satisfaction.Plus the chassis package has been tested and approved by one of the best high-speed drivers around, former Ferrari Formula One driver Chris Amon.

These days he is a farmer in New Zealand, but he hasn't forgotten how to drive well or the engineering skills which made Enzo Ferrari rate him as the best test driver to ever race for his grand prix team.Many people believe Amon was the finest racer never to win a world championship grand prix - although he took dozens of other races and titles including the Tasman Cup for the sixties Formula One summer series in Australia and New Zealand.He also won Le Mans and Daytona in sports cars and both the New Zealand and Australian grands prix. Amon started 27 Formula One races with Ferrari and was the first driver to sample the Italian team's quad-cam multi-valve V6 race engine."Who would have thought the same technology would eventually be in a Toyota Camry road car?" he says. "Things have really come a long way."But he's not surprised by Toyota, or its technology, after more than 15 years of helping to fine-tune the cars sold under Brand T in New Zealand."I used to work on television doing critiques of new cars. One day Toyota called up and asked me if I'd like to try and make their cars better," says Amon.It was a new challenge for the retired racer, who started competing at 17.His suspension tuning work is heralded within Toyota and he has been given the final say on every Australian-made model shipped across the Tasman.Amon had always found something to tweak and improve, until he came up against the 2002 Camry. He says sometimes the Aussie-made cars were even too firm for New Zealand roads.But this time the F1 legend was satisfied first time, and he signed-off the new car's suspension without making a single change.

International demand for Australia's "unique" Camry, driven by a steadily gained reputation for build and engineering quality, has TMCA balanced on the crest of a wave."The Arab states already want 40,000, and when you add in the other export markets, that will take us past the 50,000 export sales we had expected for next year," Toyota Australia senior executive vice-president John Conomos said at the recent Australian launch of the new Camry.Toyota Australia is already sending cars to many foreign ports and is deep in discussions with China - potentially one of the world's greatest untapped consumer markets - and South America.There are already test cars on China's roads, ironically both from Australia and Japan as the two manufacturing centres chase new sales.With Toyota's production line in Victoria already closing on its capacity of 100,000 cars, substantial additional exports could tip the balance in favour of extensive expansion of the plant."That is one factor we would consider in any decision to expand capacity at Altona," Conomos says. "With a third vehicle on the line and new export markets there would certainly be reason to consider substantial investment in expanding the plant."Toyota's Camry is found on the streets all over the world.Countries importing complete built units are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, South Africa, Sudan, Tonga, Norfolk Island, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Marshall Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.Japan and Taiwan are also on the Australian export list but they only buy engines and components.

The new Toyota Camry is ... is ... well, it's Aussie - right down to its brake pads. Sure the badge belongs to a famous Japanese manufacturer, but THIS Camry was refined, developed, honed and built in Australia by Australians for Australians.With a $350 million development budget there was room to hunt around for the really good stuff, the best product made, the good overseas stuff.What Toyota found was most of the best and most suitable product was available - or could be developed to specific needs - right in Toyota Motor Corporation Australia's own backyard.The new Camry has been subject to record levels of local development for a Toyota model. It also has the highest-ever levels of local content for the local plant since Camry was first built in this country in 1987. Australian government figures put the local content at 77 per cent.The locally-pressed body makes it unique in the Camry world. Only panels pressed in Australia will fit the Aussie body, unlike vehicles made in Japan and the United States, where panels are interchangeable. The body is bolted to the Toyota Modular Platform and meets the latest Global Outstanding Assessment safety standards.Central to the 95 per cent locally produced body panels are the one-piece side members which are the key to improved panel fit and body integrity - the result of an $18 million investment in presses at the Altona shop.In the paint shop Toyota splashed out $15 million to ensure that nothing else splashed.The massive upgrade to the Altona paint shop inlcudes a cartridge-based application system which helps limit overspray as well as boosting quality control. It gives a better looking paint job, while contributing substantially to flexibility, paint quality and, importantly, to environmental control.The 2.4-litre four-cylinder VVTi engine is cast and built in a new local $90 million plant with an innovative just-in-time moulten alloy delivery system.Brakes were developed in conjunction with PBR. Seats, headlamps, electronics, the security system, suspension calibration and the Sportivo body kit were all developed in association with local suppliers - guaranteeing the company improved control over final design and quality.The benefit for local suppliers is right on the bottom line. The new Camry adds $120 million to Toyota Australia's purchasing commitment to Australian manufacturers, taking the company's total component spending within the country to more than one billion dollars.At the end of the day, Toyota has delivered 11 models in the Camry range with two all-alloy engines - the VVTi I4 and the quad-cam multi-valve 3.0-litre V6 - two transmission and four specification levels.The Altise and Sportivo models are available with either engine and a choice of manual or automatic. The Ateva also comes with either engine but automatic shifter only and the range-topping new Azura is available only as a V6 automatic.

The new-look Toyota Camry is more than just a car. It's also a reflection of a stronger youth push at Brand T and a plan to bring younger customers into the Camry family.Toyota Australia spent big on the car and decided very early that it needed to be a body and soul makeover.So the basic shape is much more angular and aggressive than any previous Camry, while the cabins have been tweaked to make them more stylish and luxurious."The Camry is always going to be a damn good car- that's its advantage," says Danny Lazzari, a colour and trim specialist who helped lead the local design team."Camry has always offered a value package, but with New Camry we've taken it well away from a commodity. There is a lot more style."The single biggest difference is that the car is sportier. Compared with the previous Camry, the new model is much more distinctive - a theme we've tried to replicate on the exterior as well as the interior."Lazzari is only 34, although he has been at Toyota Australia for 12 years, and says his age has helped with the latest design brief.He is a real fan of the Sportivo Camry, which has been given a separate model line-up for the first time."Our objective with the Camry was to get younger people to appreciate the car. Our current customers are older so we needed to lower our buyer demographics," he says."With Sportivo, we will get the age demographic even lower. However, we must also be aware of our current loyal and trusting owners. Camry has one of the strongest groups of repeat buyers in the industry."The Australian development team began their work with a Camry designed as a world car, and with plenty of scope for local tweaking and tuning.The Sportivo, the most aggressive and youthful model in the 2002 line-up, is the most obvious Australian development."The whole Camry Sportivo package is outstanding both inside and out. I think we've hit it right on the head," says Lazzari."The Sportivo seat is the feature I am most satisfied with in the new Camry. The seat works well and it looks really good with the suede side bolsters."Because Lazzari specialises in colour and trim, he knows the value of the paintwork on the new Camry."If you look at the new car against the old one, the body gives the colours a totally different character - even white," he says."The body is sharper and crisper. The highlights are much more defined, rather than being soft and nondescript."A classic example is red. On the superseded car the demand for red was decreasing, but we expect it to rise on the new Camry. The new colours we've added - Platinum, Racing green, Cascade blue and Pacific blue - are much more youthful. They have a lot more mica and the angles on the body assist in highlighting the character of the colours."From an overall paint colour point of view the Platinum and Pacific blue have been well received. Platinum is proving a very popular colour with customers in the Middle East as well as Australia, so we're happy that it's working well internationally."Inside the Camry, Lazzari again emphasises the modern colour tunings."We've gone for more contrast, especially on the Sportivo," he says. "We have a darker grey crash pad and door uppers, while retaining the lighter grey on the lower half of the interior."There are a lot of design details happening with consumer products that you now see in the new Camry - painted metallic finishes and satin chrome. People are comfortable with the finishes they like at home also being used in their cars." Lazzari says the lag between consumer products and cars is decreasing. It used to be four to five years but now it's only one or two."The same thing happens with fabrics," he says. "If you look at house interiors they are now generally monochromatic, with texture and three-dimensional effects. Fashion has moved away from florals and prints."The emphasis is on the contrast level, rather than the colour itself. We are looking at tone ahead of colour." On the new Camry the design work extended all the way down to badges and graphics, which are new for 2002."We created new graphics for the new names. Altise, particularly, I'm very proud of that graphic," Lazzari says."There is a lot of motion in the designs. When we took the concepts to Japan they were really impressed with our proposals."That gave Toyota Japan the confidence to let Toyota Australia design the badges as well as all the trims for the Middle East."Toyota Australia develops and builds the Camry for the booming export market in the Middle East.

The individual model names have also been changed for 2002 with the introduction of Altise, Ateva and Azura in place of the previous CSi, CSX-style badging.The Camry comes with either a 2.4-litre four cylinder or 3-litre V6 engine, each with a choice of manual or automatic gearbox. And there are nine exterior colours.The bottom line on the new Camry starts at $26,990 for the Altise manual with 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and runs up to $48,990 for the Azura V6 automatic. But there are plenty of stops on the way and the T-CAM division has developed a wide range of extra-cost accessories including the most radical race-replica body kit to ever fit on a Camry.

The exciting new generation Camry has been created with a deliberate aim of attracting younger drivers to build on its already extensive list of loyal owners.Toyota Australia has spent $350 million and taken four years to create a car it believes is right for the 21st century.With a starting price of $26,990, features ranging from a smooth new body to backseat air conditioning vents just add to the sportier focus on driving enjoyment."Camry spearheads Toyota's drive to regain number one position in the Australian market," says Toyota Australia's senior executive vice-president, John Conomos."Export success is already assured. Demand from our existing export customers is strong and we are in the process of an investigation of new markets in China and South America."Young Australian designers have played a key part in creating the all-new Camry, the fifth generation to wear the badge Down Under.Toyota's manager of local manufacture strategy, Adrian Weimers, says the company has broadened the overall concept of the car to attract buyers in the 25-40-year-old age group as well as retaining its traditional owners who were on average over 40.A key part of this lifestyle-focus change is the creation of the first true sporty Camry, the Sportivo.With its contemporary lines and sporty aero kit it is aimed at creating a unique driving experience attractive to younger people.The Sportivo is the first Camry in the world to have a body kit fitted as standard. The kit consisting of front and rear spoilers and side and rear skirts was designed in Australia."The design of the vehicle is slightly more aggressive on the Sportivo," Weimers says."Inside there is a leather steering wheel and gearshift knob. There are also lots of splashes of metallic finish, with black pearl featuring strongly in the badging."Toyota expects that up to 20 per cent of all new Camrys sold will be the Sportivo.These models also boast tighter suspension settings, Michelin tyres, alloy wheels, sportier bucket seats and foglamps.The V6 Sportivo also has climate control air conditioning, side airbags and alcantara synthetic suede seat trim. "Sportivo is pitched very clearly at winning converts," Weimers says. "The car has been given a distinctly sporting hue."It is also the result of a worldwide survey of driving styles, which showed Australians - despite tight speed limits - have a sportier style and corner more briskly than Americans, Japanese or Europeans.The Toyota research found Australian driving patterns are more similar to those in Europe than America or Japan. It found Australian drivers rarely exceed 120 km/h because of speed limits, but on the open road they are loathe to drop beneath the legal limit so cornering speeds are higher and more aggressive than even in Europe.Backing the new car is an extensive promotional campaign. Sportivo has its own advertisement emphasising its position."You could drop any European brand into that advertisment and it would look right," Weimers says.And, he adds, the across-the-board changes over the previous model Camry are profound."It's a really important part of our launch strategy to get people to understand that the standard specification of the new car is significantly above that of the superseded Camry," Weimers says.The Camry body was designed in Japan, and the American version is already heading for number one in the US, but the local model is very Australian.The "Australianisation" includes everything from the headlamps to the suspension.There is also a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder motor, claimed to be the lightest of its type in the world, which is being built at a new $90 million engine factory in Melbourne alongside the Altona assembly line.The heart of the Camry is its chassis - billed as the "Toyota Modular Platform" because of its flexibility and potential for development of extra models. The chassis is already shared with the Avalon and there is talk of an all-wheel drive model at some time in the future.Topped by a swish new body with lower drag, the Camry boasts a bigger (and quieter) cabin and a boot that's bigger than a Falcon or Commodore.The headlights make a striking statement and, thanks to intensive local development, mean much brighter Camry nights.The lamps are part of a program which has boosted local content to 77 per cent, a Camry record, and covered everything from the seats and sound system to the brakes and suspension."Toyota Australia has had local engineering input in locally manufactured product for more than two decades, but nothing matches the scale of involvement in this new Camry," says Toyota's divisional general manager Max Gillard."This reflects the confidence Toyota Motor Corporation has in TMCA's technical division."The work of the engineers and specialists involved in the car, is reflected in the final line-up. There are 11 Camry models, each of them offering a value-added boost to the final specification.For example the starting-price four-cylinder Altise offers twin airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, air-conditioning, CD player, power windows, electric mirrors, remote central locking and a power socket. And there's a choice of nine exterior colours.All up, the new Camry provides a driving package that deserves the serious consideration of new car buyers.

The updated and upgraded 2.4-litre four now has 112kW of power and 218Nm of torque, which means it moves pretty briskly and the Sportivo cars can really get along.Toyota also claims a benchmark fuel economy improvement of 9 per cent and lower emissions. The Camry is very responsive in corners, with good steering feel and great feedback. It does what you want, without any fuss or bother.It turns crisply, sits flat, and the back just follows the front in the tightest turns, the sign of a car which has been well designed and well developed.The car is very comfortable and the dashboard is clean and efficient. The new "half-moon" instruments add an interesting touch to the cabin.The base car doesn't offer twin cupholders in the centre console, but the rest of the stuff, including the CD sound, electric windows and mirrors, is exactly what you need.The air-con, which is now standard, is typically brilliant and the extra-cost satellite navigation will be popular with people who travel into unfamiliar country. It's also comforting to have twin airbags, with anti-skid brakes and side bags also on the safety menu.After driving the Camry in a variety of conditions, from lumpy inner-city bitumen to quick country gravel and at Toyota's testing course at Anglesea, it's tough to find any faults. The newcomer is a five-star Camry and that will be more than enough for plenty of buyers.