New Toyota Camry 2012 & Toyota 86 Launch

A couple of weeks back, I was at Sepang to witness the launching and unveiling of not one but two all-new Toyota iconic cars the All-New Toyota Camry 2012 as well as the All-New Toyota 86 sports car. It is interesting to note that this was the first time in 30 years that UMW Toyota Motor had launched two cars in one go.

All-New Toyota Camry & 86 Media Launch
All-New Toyota Camry & 86 Media Launch


Held at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the location was by no means near, but it was worth the journey as we got to see and experience the cars on the race tracks itself. The Toyota Camry has come a long way since it's first launch in 1994. Over the years, Toyota Camry has built a name for itself synonymous with quality, style and reliability.

Toyota top management with the chief engineers for both Toyota Camry and 86 at the official launch
Toyota top management with the chief engineers for both Toyota Camry and 86 at the official launch

According to En. Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor, “To date, we have sold more than 96,000 units of Toyota Camry in Malaysia, thus cementing its position as the most preferred choice of vehicle. It has become the best-selling model in the medium PC segment in Malaysia since 2006 with a market share of 47%.”

The All-New Toyota Camry being unveiled on the tracks of Sepang International Circuit
The All-New Toyota Camry being unveiled on the tracks of Sepang International Circuit

The All-New Toyota Camry is assembled locally at UMW Toyota Motor’s manufacturing facility, Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB) in Shah Alam. This development is in line with the company’s and Toyota Motor Corporation Japan’s objectives to support the Malaysian government’s efforts towards promoting localization in the Malaysian automotive industry.

The All-New Toyota Camry 2012 looking all set to gain lots of admirers
The All-New Toyota Camry 2012 looking all set to gain lots of admirers

Several changes has been made to the exterior of the new Toyota Camry 2012 which according to Toyota was aimed at conveying a sense of prestige with a premium image. It wasn't just appealing to the eye, the car was aerodynamically designed to provide a straight line stability and a more composed ride. 

Huge boot space available in the new Toyota Camry
Huge boot space available in the new Toyota Camry

The All-New Toyota Camry is available in three variants, which comprises the top-of-the-range 2.5V, followed by the 2.0G, and the 2.0E. The 2.5V features a new 2.5 litre engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the 2.0G and the 2.0E are equipped with a 2.0 litre engine and a sequential shift automatic transmission. 

The luxurious cabin of the new Toyota Camry 2012
The luxurious cabin of the new Toyota Camry 2012
The All-New Toyota Camry is priced at RM 149,900 for the 2.0E variant, RM 157,900 for the 2.0G and the 2.5V variant, which is their top-of-the-range model, is priced at RM 180,900. Four color options are available –Attitude Black is a new colour, followed by the Camry ‘signature’ colour White Pearl, Silver Metallic, and Medium Silver Metallic. Always going for the popular colours, Camry can do no wrong in this department. 

The All-New Toyota 86 unveiled on the tracks of Sepang International Circuit
The All-New Toyota 86 unveiled on the tracks of Sepang International Circuit

We also got to witness the unveiling of the much anticipated Toyota 86 which was based partly on the legendary Toyota AE86. The new Toyota 86 was truly a great looking sports car. The sports car was developed by Toyota and its partners after countless requests from motoring enthusiasts all over the world to bring back the same ‘fun-to-drive’ approach that was taken in the original Toyota AE86, Toyota Sports 800 and Toyota 2000GT. 

The new Toyota 86 inspired from the past models of Toyota AE86, 2000GT and Sports 800
The new Toyota 86 inspired from the past models of Toyota AE86, 2000GT and Sports 800

The Toyota 86, beautiful in Satin White Pearl
The Toyota 86, beautiful in Satin White Pearl

The All-New Toyota 86 is built primarily as a driving enthusiast’s car. The exterior defines attractive sports car styling and makes a personal statement with intuitive driving dynamics which anyone can appreciate.  The front-engine, rear wheel drive layout follows the popular convention of a ‘true sports car’ drive train configuration.

The all-new Toyota 86, in Lightning Red
The all-new Toyota 86, in Lightning Red

Powered by a 2.0 litre boxer engine, customers have the option of a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual transmission. Both options come with Traction Control (TRC) and VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) which has a VSC Sports function that turns off most of the driving aids to provide more control to the driver. Other dynamic safety features include ABS, with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) and BA (Brake Assist).

I do like the sporty looks of the Toyota 86
I do like the sporty looks of the Toyota 86

The All-New Toyota 86 is priced at RM 243,000 for the manual transmission and RM 249,000 for the automatic transmission. Six color options are available - Satin White Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, Sterling Silver Metallic, Lightning Red, Galaxy Blue Silica, and Orange Metallic. Personally, I loved the Lightning Red, giving the Toyota 86 a personality of its own.

Toyota Representatives answering queries from the media
Toyota Representatives answering queries from the media

Bookings for the All–New Toyota Camry started on 2 April and for the All-New Toyota 86 on 9 April. Since then, UMW Toyota Motor has collected more than 3,400 orders for the All–New Toyota Camry and over 30 orders for the All-New Toyota 86.

 “We expect that demand for our flagship model the All–New Toyota Camry will be strong and we are targeting to sell 8,500 units and a target of 140 units for the All-New Toyota 86 for the next half of the year”, added En. Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor.

Do check out the links below for the product information files for both the new Toyota Camry as well as the Toyota 86 below for further details on this two cars.

Comments

  1. Just had a quality time with a Toyota 86 in Bangsar Village yesterday... Love the car very much...

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow..great looking..better than my camry..

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow, really handsome cars!! how i wish i could have one of them, for FREE!! hahaha~~ :p

    ReplyDelete
  4. no test drive? nice car, both!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice! Come, come...buy one and when I go over to KL, you can be my chauffeur... Hehehehehe!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ummm...I've changed my mind. LOL!!!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrNPoEjds6I

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, nice car and got pretty girls around. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the Toyota 86 very much!!! Does it come with the girl or need to pay extra???

    ReplyDelete
  9. First of all, I must add your blog back, lost my blogroll some time ago...
    Secondly, i think i can only afford Camry's youngest brother... dont think i can get to buy a camry at my age.. hahaha...

    ReplyDelete
  10. so . . . u gonna buy toyota car? u seems to be fancy about it :P

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Always appreciate the comments. Thanks!

Popular posts from this blog

Envi Skydining @ Menara TA One, Kuala Lumpur

Toyota Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo Review