Road TestCar reviews - Toyota - Camry - Sportivo sedanToyota modelsOverviewToyota's new Camry Sportivo is an enjoyable drive, but needs power to match it go-fast look18 Aug 2006 By CHRIS HARRIS TOYOTA really is the Big Australian these days, devising two large family cars for the Lucky Country – the four-cylinder-only Camry and upcoming V6 Aurion. The former will probably prove to be the more relevant, as big-car buyers continue their relentless downsizing in search of better fuel consumption. Now, the most interesting model so far in the Camry line-up is the Sportivo, which doesn’t actually boast any more power. But it is a surprisingly dynamic vehicle to drive, and has the goods to finally get people to look at Toyota’s four-door sedan stalwart in a more exciting light. Model release date: 1 July 2006 to 1 November 2011 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelBuilt off the old front-wheel drive Toyota Modular Platform that also underpinned the previous two Camry editions, as well as the failed Avalon ‘large car’, the 380N was at least the most dynamic of the lot, especially in the racier Sportivo guise. However, there was nothing particularly inspiring about the 112kW/218Nm 2.4-litre twin-cam VVT-i four-cylinder engine (that carries over with light revisions to today’s 420L Camry), paired to either a five-speed manual or slow-witted four-speed automatic gearbox. Lucky it was spacious and offered a quiet ride. |
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