- Available as one fully loaded model priced at Rs. 48 lakh
- Is in its ninth generation
New-gen launched in India
It had been in the making for a while, but the ninth-generation Toyota Camry is here and it is in a unique position. It’s a hybrid, one of the few on sale in India, and with its pricing, it has plunked itself right into the middle of two major EVs. For its price, you can either have the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the BYD Seal in the Premium trim. On the face of this, looking at this trio might not seem like a fair comparison given that two of them are battery-electric and one is a hybrid, but consider them as choices you have if you want to spend Rs. 50 lakh (Ex-showroom) on a green car.
The range game
The Ioniq 5 is RWD and has a range of 631km, while the Seal has a range of 650km. Consequently, the Camry offers a range of 1,275km thanks to its hybrid package. However, while the Camry has more range, it is far less powerful than both its rivals. Its 2.5-litre hybrid petrol engine produces 134bhp/208Nm, while the Ioniq 5 and Seal outputs stand at 215bhp/350Nm and 308bhp/360Nm, respectively, making them significantly more powerful than the Camry.
Dimensions
In terms of dimensions, the Camry is the longest car but has the smallest wheelbase due to its ICE nature. Both the Ioniq 5 and the Seal are built on skateboard platforms allowing for a smaller overall length but a much longer wheelbase.
Features fight
Surprisingly, as features go, all three cars are pretty evenly matched. They have standard elements like dual digital screens, multi-zone climate control, LED light package, powered front seats, 360-degree camera-connected car technology and Level 2 ADAS. The difference is down to the smaller details in the sense that the Camry has nine airbags, the Seal has eight, while the Ioniq 5 has six airbags.
What’s more, the Camry is the only one with a powered second row as well as media controls built into the centre console. This plays well into the chauffeur-driven market that Toyota is targeting with the Camry.
Is the extra firepower enough?
The Ioniq 5 has its SUV nature and wheelbase on its side but the Seal is the most powerful and sportiest of the lot. But when you level the playing field, as is the case with the feature list, the Camry seems to have the big advantage of no range anxiety, something built into the other two cars by their very nature and this will always be a huge factor when looking at these three vehicles.
