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Posted

mmm chances are good this is it lol? head lamps remind me of the new Liberty and the side panals remind me off the new i45 lol?

Posted

I was just reading the article at

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/17A49BED7C743960CA257893001CB701

Imported engines to power all-new Camry while Toyota rebuilds engine plant

17 May 2011

By RON HAMMERTON

TOYOTA Australia will import four-cylinder engines from Japan for up to a year for its crucial new-generation Camry as it completes its massive $331 million engine plant rejuvenation in Victoria.

The new Camry engine plant, partly funded by a $63 million federal Green Car Innovation Fund grant, will not ramp up to full speed until October 2012 – about 12 months after the new seventh-generation Camry is due to start rolling down the Altona production line.

The company says the new model remains on track for a fourth-quarter launch this year, although Toyota planners appear not to have ruled out an early 2012 debut if the timing gets tight around Christmas.

The Camry Hybrid variant, which again will be built alongside the standard petrol range, is expected to follow several months later, with the new V6 Aurion – based on the new Camry – arriving in the second quarter.

The Altona assembly plant has been running on half shifts since May 9 due to a shortage of parts in the wake of the Japanese earthquake in March, but is set to resume normal production of the current Camry and Aurion on June 6 at the rate of about 9000 units a month.

In the meantime, Toyota is putting the finishing touches to its redesigned models, which have been designed overseas for global markets, but with local product-planning and engineering input.

Sketches surfacing in Japan indicate the new-generation Camry will get a bolder face in a relatively conservative makeover that appears evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

From top: Toyota AR 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, Altona production line, Altona plant overhead shot.

The images indicate a heavier grille and sharper headlight treatment for the all-important volume-selling Camry that will be tasked with retaining Toyota’s mid-size car crown against a raft of newcomers such as General Motors’ Malibu.

Over the past week, Hyundai has also revealed its all-new i40 medium-sized sedan, which is under consideration for release in Australia to form a two-pronged attack – with the i45 – against the Camry.

VFACTS figures show Camry sales are down 18.6 per cent year to date, although it still holds a commanding 32.8 per cent share of the mid-sized car market, well ahead of the Ford Mondeo (13.3 per cent), Mazda6 (10.6), Subaru Liberty (9.1), Honda Accord Euro (8.2) and the i45 (7.8).

Last year, Toyota sold just over 25,000 Camrys for a 40.2 per cent share of the medium-car market segment.

The new ‘AR’ 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine – including an Atkinson-cycle variant for the Camry Hybrid – is not scheduled to go into full production locally until late 2012, meaning Toyota Australia will have to carry a heavy import bill for drivetrains initially.

Work on the 100,000-unit a year engine plant is due to start in August this year, with the so-called commissioning stage running from late January to March.

But the plant is not scheduled to ramp up to full speed until October 2012, with Toyota’s official project overview pamphlet saying the factory will conduct low-volume engine production trials to finetune the new engine production line until the end of September 2012.

Toyota Australia has this week confirmed to GoAuto that more than 300 engine plant employees will be redeployed into other areas of the Altona factory for several months while the new production machinery is installed – a process that will require excavation for new foundations for some machines.

Although the local engines will not arrive until 2012, production of the new Camry using the same AR four-cylinder engines from Japan will start late this year for local launch in either December or January.

The hybrid version will go into production a few months later, with the new V6 Aurion next in line from about April.

The new engines to be built at Altona will be the same AR powerplants that will be imported from Japan to fill the production gap once the all-new Camry model – the seventh generation in Australia – starts rolling down the Altona production line late this year.

The 2.5-litre AR replaces the 2.4-litre AZ engine in the local Camry, although the newer engine has done duty in the American version since 2009. In the US, the engine comes in two states of tune – a 126kW/226Nm for base models and a 133kW/230Nm version for the Camry SE.

This compares with 117kW/218Nm for the current engine in the Australian Camry.

Toyota says fuel consumption will improve by 4.5 per cent, cutting the current Camry combined fuel consumption from 8.8 litres per 100km to about 8.5L/100km.

CO2 emissions are also expected to be cut by about five per cent, from 208 grams per kilometre to below 200g/km.

The Camry is expected to get a six-speed automatic transmission – up from the current five-speed – while the hybrid will continue to match its petrol-electric second-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive drivetrain with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The current Camry Hybrid combines a 110kW petrol engine – which is imported – with a 30kW electric motor for a combined output of 140kW.

Ultimately, the 2.5-litre petrol engine for the new Hybrid Camry will be made alongside the standard engine at Altona, while the remainder of the hybrid powertrain will continue to be imported.

The engine plant was the subject of much debate within Toyota until last year, when the federal government, Victorian government and Toyota Australia convinced TMC to invest in a much-needed revamp for the plant.

The alternative for Toyota was to make the four-cylinder engines in Thailand and ship them to Australia.

Now, Toyota Australia will export some of the engines to Thailand and Vietnam, as well as continuing to export completely built up Camrys to the Middle East.

Announcing the intention of the company to return to normal production levels in June, Toyota Australia president and CEO Max Yasuda said last week that the company had confirmed it had sufficient parts to support a return to full vehicle production.

“Toyota Australia and our suppliers have worked closely with Toyota Motor Corporation to secure the parts needed to resume normal vehicle production levels in early June,” Mr Yasuda said.

“This has involved studying and confirming the supply of critical parts from the earthquake-affected areas and identifying interim alternate suppliers.

“Mr Yasuda praised the efforts of the Toyota Australia family in helping the company to resume full production earlier than anticipated.

“The past two months have been challenging for Toyota Australia employees, dealers and suppliers, but their flexibility and support has been critical in helping the company get back on its feet quickly,” he said.

-----------------------------------------

I quite like the look of the blue car above.

Posted

yerpp all true, whilst the power train plant under go's its refit both the 4 cyl engine and updated 6 cyl will holy be sourced from Japan and already the 2GR is being completed built and sourced from Japan as opposed to final assembly being completed at Altona like what was going on for a few years up until just recently. Once the plant under goes its major overhaul both the new 2.5 2AR-FE 4cyl and updated 2GR V6 Aurion Power plant will be cast completely built here in Australia. Camry starts being built in around October i think they said with Hybrid and Aurion to start early in the New Year.

When we was at Altona the other day we was told that if we see a bunch of people surrounding a car could we please not look... "Why" we asked, Oh it's just that it will be either the new Camry or Aurion... "right so we shouldn’t look whilst looking the most we can then?" but no matter where i looked i couldn’t see one anywhere :( apparently they were a little hesitant about having other Toyota staff about in the facilities with the new cars "kicking about" so the either hid the cars orrrr they were just having us on trying to get us a bit excited lol.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

the one in the drawing looks nicer than the one in the photo/cg

the accord v6 look alike has been around and I hope thats not it lol

  • 1 month later...
Posted

ooo there is a tease out...http://paultan.org/2011/07/02/2012-toyota-camry-to-get-fall-debut-gets-teased-in-a-video-featuring-akio-toyota-himself/

Posted (edited)
Edited by u54mot
Posted

Hmmm the percussion was bloody great! car doesnt look to ground breaking. Looks like a big ZRE sedan... still waiting for more pics.

Thanks for putting it up tho Thomas.

Posted

Hold on! That's it?! I will be holding onto my 2010 model for some time, at least until a completely new model arrives. Actually, if the new model Grande has real wood trim I'll be ordering one asap. Then again, a run-out bargin priced Aurion Pressara might do nicely...

The front end is too much like an Accord Euro.

BTW have you seen the new Accord - it's front end looks like the current Camry.

I guess Toyota and Honda have been swapping designers!

Posted

Actually, if the new model Grande has real wood trim I'll be ordering one asap.

Bahaha, Camry and real wood trim. I'm pretty sure that even in the lux. German brands, only the top spec'd cars come with real wood?

Posted

I never really understood having a wood trim (real or not) in a modern car. Something just doesn't seem right.

As for the Camry, once could only hope that it is somewhat improved. I like how Akio Toyoda mentions "we have listened to our customers" etc etc. If they mate a manual gearbox to the 2GR-FE, then I would say they have listened.

Posted

I never really understood having a wood trim (real or not) in a modern car. Something just doesn't seem right.

As for the Camry, once could only hope that it is somewhat improved. I like how Akio Toyoda mentions "we have listened to our customers" etc etc. If they mate a manual gearbox to the 2GR-FE, then I would say they have listened.

+1 to this, although all the articles/rumours of late suggest that the manual gearbox is essentially dead in Toyota's eyes when it comes to the majority of their cars :( I don't understand how they can market it/progress with both an Aurion and a Camry, sure one is 4 cyl and the other a V6 but if they are both automatic only then there's not a great deal of point of difference other than the engine, wouldn't you just bring back a V6 Camry and drop the Aurion moniker? Or vice versa. I suppose though it is an easy way for customers to tell the difference in engine.

It looks pretty nice at the moment anyway for a start, I quite like the new headlights. Will be interesting to see what the new Aurion looks like in comparison.

Posted

definetely something for the sales guys to booster!

"made in japan" will be their beginning and end of their spiel

lols

Posted

The gen 3 Camry had real wood trim in the Grande. Real wood justifies a price premium. Does it really cost more for 'wood effect' plastic over silver plastic?

Posted

01.jpg

02.jpg

Since the pictures have Chinese watermarks all over it, it may be pictures of the Aurion as opposed to the Camry.

Posted

Does it really cost more for 'wood effect' plastic over silver plastic?

Good point. I guess it comes down to its perceived value.

  • 2 weeks later...

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