What's the difference?
The Toyota Camry is one of the few cars that really needs no introduction. It's been on our shores for 41 years and has proven itself to be steadfastly popular, enough for Toyota to launch a ninth-generation version.
The entry grade Ascent is one of the few 'base-models' still available for the mid-sized sedan segment and offers an upgraded hybrid powertrain and transmission, new tech and a fresh take on its design.
Old fans will love it and in this review we discover if there's something for families to get excited about.
Toyota Australia is on the record as saying it doesn't want to push one form of electrification over another, and to that end wants the market to choose whether it wants hybrids, plug-ins, full battery or hydrogen vehicles.
While hybrid options have well and truly arrived in models like the RAV4, Corolla and Camry, and we’re all still waiting for the full-electric and plug-in vehicles, Toyota has now brought in its second-generation Mirai hydrogen FCEV.
But with Toyota, and Hyundai with its Nexo, the only brands pushing hydrogen into the mainstream, is it good enough to hold its own against battery electric models like the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf?
Ah, gotta love a sedan that knows its audience and the ninth-gen Toyota Camry Ascent proves once again why it’s a popular choice.
On top of the space and practicality, you get a shiny new design and technology. Overall the Camry Ascent is a well-rounded base-model - what’s not to love?
Believe it or not, the Mirai represents a pretty big gamble for Toyota, a company who has been known in the past for being relative conservative with its vehicles.
In recent years though, with models like the GR Yaris and even the RAV4 Hybrid, it seems like Toyota is more willing to go out and take a chance on something that would not be considered a safe bet.
The Mirai represents this willingness to experiment, but it is still too early to say whether it will a winner or a failure.
It drives well, looks good and its powertrain is a potential gamechanger for electric cars in Australia, but whether hydrogen takes off locally with customers is beyond Toyota’s control and up to those willing to invest in refuelling infrastructure.