Toyota Camry: Variants explained

Many people tend to buy the Toyota Camry over any other sedan even if they have all the money in the world. There are many reasons for that; one of them being the brand value. Toyota is known for making reliable and durable vehicles and the Camry is no less. In the Philippines, this mid-size sedan is available in two variants - 2.5G and 2.5V - which are very similar to each other, especially from the outside. In this story, we are going to find out what makes them different from each other.

Exterior

Just by the looks of it, you can’t really tell the difference between the 2.5G and 2.5V. Both the models feature very stylish and elegant exterior bodywork. The full LED headlamps look utterly beautiful and get integrated LED daytime running lights that enhance the looks even further. There’s this huge dark grey radiator grille that covers up almost the entire front bumper. It really looks very engaging and sporty. Toyota has very neatly created space for the fog lamps as well.

The rear end of the latest Camry is even better. It shows off the massive two-piece tail lights that come with LED signature lines. They are simply marvellous. We also have a couple of exhausts emerging from under the rear bumper along with the rear diffuser. Everything on the exterior of the Camry looks seamless.

Coming on to the side profile of the car, it’s the alloy wheels that are the centre of attraction. The 2.5G model gets 17-inch alloys whereas the 2.5V variant is given a set of 18-inch wheels. Both are similar in terms of design and give the car a very attractive look. Another difference between the two variants here is the operation of the outside rearview mirrors. While they are power operated on the 2.5G model, they can also be auto-retracted and reversed and even get a memory feature on the top-end variant.

Interior

Now, let’s talk about the interior of the Camry where you would find most of the noticeable differences among the variants. Of course, the cabin is very comfortable and luxurious, there is no doubt about that. However, the 2.5G model doesn’t get leather seats. Also, the driver and passenger seats are manually adjustable.

On the 2.5V, the driver seat is 8-way power adjustable with memory function & lumbar support and the passenger seat is also 8-way power-adjustable. Even the headrests are adjustable. Another great feature on the 2.5V is the power reclining of the rear seats and a beautiful capacitive control panel located on the armrest.

The dashboard on the Camry is very well designed. The seamless lines from the outside of the car have been carried over inside as well. Talking about the dashboard, while the 2.5G gets a 4.2-inch TFT display for the infotainment system, on the 2.5V we have a larger 7-inch TFT display. Also, the leather-wrapped steering wheel on this car feels fantastic and comes with various functions like audio, phone, MID, and cruise controls. It’s on the 2.5V model where the steering wheel can be electronically adjusted.

Engine

The Toyota Camry specs say that both the variants are powered by the same engine. Powering them is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that makes 184 PS of maximum power at 6,000 rpm and 231 Nm of peak torque at 4,100 rpm. Both the models come with a six-speed automatic transmission, which means there’s no manual gearbox available here. The engine is super smooth & refined and suits the personality of the car.

Safety equipment

One thing that we really like about Toyota is that it doesn’t compromise with safety on most of its cars. Take Toyota Vios for example, all of its variants come with the same set of safety features. Similarly, both the Toyota Camry variants are loaded with mostly the same safety features - ABS with EBD, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist, SRS airbags (driver, passenger, side, curtain shield, and knee), high mount stop lamp, immobiliser, and clearance and back sonar sensors. The 2.5V gets a couple of additional features - a heads-up display and three driving modes (sport, eco, normal).

So, these were the differences and similarities between the two variants of the Toyota Camry. Even the 2.5G model is a feature-laden variant and you would not be disappointed by it. But if you really want to enjoy the complete Camry-experience, you should get the 2.5V trim.

The Toyota Camry price for the 2.5G variant is Php 1.81 million whereas the 2.5V will set you back by Php 1.99 million. Both of them are available in seven colors - Red Mica Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Phantom Brown Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Graphite Metallic, Burning Black Crystal, and Thermalyte.

Also Read:- Which 2019 Toyota Corolla Altis variant is right for you?