THE 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID NAMED CANADIAN CAR OF THE YEAR


Automobile Journalists Association of Canada members pick the Toyota Camry Hybrid as its top passenger car for 2007

Toyota Canada Inc. is pleased to thank the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), which today named the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid as its Canadian Car of the Year. AJAC - the association of professional journalists, writers and photographers who cover Canada's automotive industry - made the announcement earlier today at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.
The Toyota Camry Hybrid reached the finals after being selected late last year as the best vehicle in the Family Car (over $30k) category, over four competitive models.

"We are thrilled that AJAC's members have endorsed the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid with this important award, and would like to thank the membership for their support," said Tony Wearing, Managing Director for Toyota in Canada."Toyota had a clear goal in mind when creating this vehicle. We wanted to bring the benefits of hybrid technology - fewer emissions, increased fuel efficiency, and improved performance - into the heart of the mid-size passenger car market, which is the most popular market segment in Canada," Mr. Wearing continued. "We realized the way to do that was to take the Toyota Camry, which is one of North America's most popular vehicles, and make things better."

The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is very different from its conventionally powered cousin, even though it remains true to the qualities that make the Toyota Camry a perennial strong seller.

The two vehicles share the same bold new look, driven by Toyota's exclusive Vibrant Clarity design language, which gives the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid a fresh appearance and a sense of modern style. The benefits are many. The Toyota Camry Hybrid's gasoline-electric full-hybrid system is engineered to exceed the world's most stringent emissions standards, and achieves fuel efficiency comparable to that of a subcompact automobile. At the same time, the 2.4-litre four-cylinder Atkinson Cycle gasoline engine and high-torque, permanent magnet electric motor work together to generate up to 187 HP, giving the Toyota Camry Hybrid the power and performance of a V6-equipped mid-size. What's more, the electric motor, rated at 105 kilowatts, is able to deliver maximum torque instantly. This, coupled to a continuously variable transmission, allows the Toyota Camry Hybrid to accelerate seamlessly and smoothly from any speed, with just a touch of the throttle. Whether it's puling away from a stop line or passing on the highway, the Toyota Camry Hybrid delivers driving confidence.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid also features Toyota's state of the art Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system, which continuously monitors driver commands, compares them to the vehicle's behaviour on the road, then makes subtle adjustments to braking, engine output and steering, as required, to maintain stable operation. And it does this in a manner that's all-but-invisible to the driver.

"With the Camry Hybrid, Toyota has combined outstanding driving peformance and style with impressive fuel efficiency and exceptionally low emissions," Mr. Wearing explained. "In the process, we believe we have provided Canadian drivers with an important choice: this hybrid vehicle builds upon the qualities that have made the Camry one of North America's best selling cars, by making hybrid technology affordable and accessible to a broader range of Canadian drivers."

Since the Toyota Camry Hybrid went on sale in May, 2006, it has accounted for about 10 per cent of all Camrys sold in Canada. "The Toyota Camry Hybrid is an extremely important vehicle in Toyota's vision for the future of personal transportation in Canada," Mr. Wearing concluded. "Therefore, we're pleased that it has been recognized by AJAC's members as the Canadian Car of the Year."

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