Toyota believes its Camry Hybrid will be a big hit in the Thai passenger-car market.
Already, after its launch late last month, the car has become the talk of the town, being the first locally assembled petrol-electric hybrid.
Although petrol-electric hybrids have been presenton Thailand's roads for many years, their numbers have been somewhat limited. Most of them have been sold by grey-market importers, while distributors like Toyota(and Honda) have only experimented with sales of hybrid vehichles.
Toyota brought in a previous-generation Prius for marketing research purposes, which obviously paved the way to the decision to assemble the Camry Hybrid locally. At the same time, Honda offered its Civic Hybrid through a leasing programme that was far from successful because of the small number of cars involved.
The main problem with sales of hybrid vehicles in Thailand has been high retail prices, because the vehicles have been imported and subject to high import duties.So even if they offered outstanding fuel savings, hybrids in fact did not offer customers overall money savings because the retail prices were too high to start with.
But the Camry Hhbrid is a totally different story.
Prices range from Bt1.59 million to Bt1.77 million, or only Bt70,000 to Bt100,000 more than the petrol-driven versiions of the outgoing model.
Apart from low excise duties for hybrid vehicles, the retail prices for the Camry Hybrid are based on there being no import duties for hybrid components that are not presently produced in Thailand. These include the battery, electric motor and inverter.
Government approval has not yet been given for the abolition of import duties on hybrid components, but Toyota is confident the Finance Ministry will grant approval, and it has launched the car with prices calculated on the basis of no import duties for the vital components.
So what happens if import duties are not cut as expected?
Toyota says the current prices are introductory and will be revised at the end of the year, meaning if it does not receive approval, then customers can expect prices to rise.
Meanwhile, Toyota is proceeding at full speed with marketing activities. Last week it staged a media test drive for the Camry Hybrid that was quite different to its usual test-drive events.
Instead of mapping a test route to a nearby province or staging a group drive upcountry as usual, the Camry Hybrid test drive was held in Bangkok's most congested areas.
Starting off at the Dusit Thani Hotel on Rama IV Road, the Camry Hybrids were driven to Chinatown (Yaowarat Road) and crossed the Rama VIII Bridge over the Chao Phya River to the Thon Buri side. Then the cars took Charan Sanitwong Road before crossing back via the Rama VII Bridge to Ratchadaphisek Road, Lat Phrao, Rama IX, Ekamai, Sukhumvit and then Rama IV Road once again for refuelling.
The purpose of the test drive route was to display the Camry Hybrid's excellent fuel economy. For most of the distance they were driven in stop-and-go traffic conditions and they ran on electric power.
Starting with a full fuel tank, by the time I returned to the Rama IV Esso fuel station, five hours and 49.8 kilometres after setting out, the Camry Hybrid had used only 4.32 litres of 95-octane gasohol.
This translates into a fuel-economy figure of 11.5km per litre, which was 42.4 per cent lower than the petrol-engine version Camry 2.4V that drove the same route that day. But it should be borne in mind this figure may not be precisely accurate, because of the small amount of fuel involved. However, you can get the overall picture of a substantial difference.
Also remember that at higher speeds, such as highway cruising, savings from fuel consumption will be much smaller than those in the city because the car is powered by the petrol engine rather than the electric motor. Perhaps Toyota could have followed the city driving with a cruise down to Pattaya on the Expressway, so that average fuel consumption could be recorded. With more fuel consumed, the accuracy would also have improved.
Another point to be aware of is when you get stuck in really bad traffic, such as inbound on Sukhumvit Road during rush hour (an ironic term considering no one is moving), it is easy to use up the battery, especially with the air-conditioner running, and surely no one turns off the air-con in Bangkok, Under normal city driving conditions, the battery power is used up and charged again in quick cycles as you decelerate or brake.
However, it took me more than an hour to crawl from the top of Sukhumvit Soi 55 to Soi 26, and there was not much opportunity for the battery to be recharged. The engine started automatically while the car was stationary, and since it was still not moving. I was informed by an onboard warning to shift the transmission from N to P. I wa told later that recharging only happens in D or P. This is something of which Camry Hybrid drivers must be aware.
Although many Camry sales will come from 2-litre baseline models (priced at Bt1.26 million for the 2.0G and Bt1.21 million fro the 2.OE), the hybrid models, which come with higher equipment levels, will still represent the majority of sales.
In general, the Camry Hybrid is a great everyday car. There's plenty of space, even in the trunk, which can accommadate four golf bags despite the compact battery unit, located behind the rear-seat cushion. The petrol-electric power train, mated to a continuously variable transmission, offers great performance.
There is loads of torque for acceleration when both the 2.4-litre engine and the electric motor rev up, and the cabin is really quiet when the car runs in electric mode.
In terms of envionmental issues, the Camry Hybrid not only passes the Euro 4 emission standards that will be implemented in Thailand in 2012, but also the Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (ATPZEV) rating from the United States, marking it one of the cleanest vehicles you can buy.
As for battery disposal(Toyota claims the battery will last for the lifespan of the car), this will be carried out by Toyota. Safety is also endured, with an Electronic Control Unit that cuts the electricity supply if there are any irregularities. There is also cable insulation and a service plug for safety.
Apart from representing a big step for the local auto industry in the production of higher-technology vehicles, the Camry Hybrid is also a midsized sedan offering great value, with attractive pricing as well as low running costs, thanks to its excellent fuel economy.
Toyota Camry 2.4 Hybrid
Engine: 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve
Displacement: 2,362cc
Bore and stroke: 88.5 x 96
Compression ration: 12.5:1
Max power: 150hp at 6,000rpm
Max torque: 187Nm at 4,400rpm
Electric Motor: Permanent magnetic synchronous motor
Voltage: 650 volts
Max power: 142hp
Max torque: 270Nm
Battery: Nickel-metal hydride
Voltage: 244.8 volts
Modules: 34 modules/204 cells
Capacity: 6.5A(3 hours)
Transmission: Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission
Suspension(f/r): McPherson struts, stabiliser/dual-link strut
Steering: Electrically powered rack and pinion
Turning circle: 11 metres
Braker(f/r): Vented discs/discs
Dimensions(mm)
Length: 4,825
Width: 1,820
Height: 1,470
Wheelbase: 2,775
Track(f/r): 1,575/1,565
Weight: 1,600kgs
Wheels: 16-inch alloys
Tyres: 215/60R16
Fuel-tank capacity: 65 litres
Price: Bt1.779 million
Distributor: Toyota Motor Thailand
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