BRAKES are another part of the Camry localisation story, with Toyota using expertise and components developed by PBR here in Australia.

The fundamentals of the brake system remain the same - ventilated front discs and solid rears, with the aid of ABS now standard across the range, bar the Altise four-cylinder.

It's the actual componentry which PBR has developed and supplied - discs, callipers, brake pads and its Banksia parking brake (pictured), the first time this sytem has been installed on a Toyota and one of the first applications on a front-wheel drive vehicle.

Toyota is claiming an improvement in brake performance of up to two metres in a 100-0km/h crash stop, which is a reduction to about about 44 metres. However, at least some of this improvement is based on the use of Dunlop's new 300 silica/carbon tread tyres on 15-inch tyre models.

The Bosch four-channel ABS system is carry-over, so no sign of Emergency Brake-force Distribution as is now standard on BA Falcon.