Toyota Camry Hybrid performance, top speed, engine

Previous generations of the Toyota Camry have always been about delivering smooth and comfortable progress around town and on the motorway, and the latest model is no different in this regard. It's a car that relaxes rather than thrills.

Toyota Camry Hybrid 0-62mph, top speed and acceleration

On paper, the Camry's 218bhp power output suggests lively performance, but this is quite a heavy car and it delivers its power through a CVT automatic gearbox, so it feels a good deal more sluggish than you might expect.

The claimed 0-62mph time is a modest 8.3 seconds and top speed is less than you'd expect of a powerful saloon car, too, at 112mph. But the Camry will cruise very nicely at the UK motorway speed limit and in electric mode it responds urgently enough when you pull away from a standstill.

With a bit of practice, you can adapt your driving style to ensure the petrol engine cuts in as little as possible at town speeds, enabling smooth and silent progress. Yet, however careful you are, there's only enough capacity in the battery for the car to make it a mile or two before it has to draw power from the engine.

Handling

The Camry can't hold a candle to agile, sporty executive saloon cars like the BMW 3 Series and Jaguar XE. It's simply not a car for the driving enthusiast, but it will be appreciated by those that prefer to make steady, comfortable progress without fuss. And it's not unwieldy or excessively soft over bumps and around corners.