The Toyota Camry was once, in the early- to mid-nineties, one of South Africa's favourite cars. Subsequent iterations of this large, comfy family saloon were nowhere near as popular, however, partly because they didn't strike the same design/value balance as the first (in SA) model, but also because the market had started to swing towards entry-level German executive saloons and crossovers.
Now, with these German vehicles becoming increasingly expensive (and offering little specification), and crossovers also moving up the pricing ladder and offering less for more, a gap seems to be opening for the traditional large family saloon once more. Rumours have been doing the rounds for months that Toyota SA has again been investigating the possibility of introducing such a model in the South African market.
Why not Avensis?
Late last year CAR magazine received photographs of a new-generation Avensis in Johannesburg. It has subsequently come to light that Avensis had been evaluated for the South African market. The previous-generation of the Avensis was however never as popular in South Africa as its Camry predecessor, and this European-targeted model is likely to be too pricey, so the arrival of Avensis in SA is unlikely.
Far more likely is the re-entry of the Camry. "We are currently studying the viability of reintroducing the Camry to South Africa," said a Toyota spokesperson. He was quick to point out, however, that no final decision had been made, not even on the source country. There are two possibilities, Australia and India.
Australia or India?
The sleek Australian model is powered by a 2,5-litre, four-cylinder engine, mated with a new six-speed automatic transmission. It is priced, in Australia, from the equivalent of R260 000 (excluding all import duties etc.) For the South African market Toyota would obviously like to target the likes of the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata, both with starting prices around the R300 000 mark.
Though we believe the Australian-market model is the most likely candidate for local introduction, Toyota also has another option. The Camry goes into production in India in two months' time, and with the recent introduction of the Indian-sourced Etios, it could make financial sense to also consider the Indian model, though this may differ markedly from the Australian version, which in turn is likely to be more in tune with the tastes of the South African car buyer.
Whichever way Toyota SA decides to go, we would not be surprised to see the new Camry in South Africa by around mid-2013.
