2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid India-Spec Review: Is It Worth the Price Tag?

The new Toyota Camry. A global bestseller with a massive legacy. This is the India-spec car. But it is almost exactly the same car I showed you just weeks ago. That was the US spec. Here's the kicker, that car is very very similar to the version we have got. Except, ours is better. Yes, how’s that for a change? Ours is better specced and is more luxuriously appointed on the inside. Same tech, and the same safety equipment for the most part. But a bit more of the glitz and glam. It is kind of edgy and very different to previous Camrys. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say, possibly the sexiest, best-looking Camry ever. And this is the ninth generation. In India, there will be two variants – the Elegant and the Sprint. The latter is on the screen but will launch around March at a higher price than the Elegant, which debuted earlier this month at a whopping ₹48 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Yes, you read it right. 48 lakhs for a Camry. And that’s the base version. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Design 

A big visual draw is the Camry’s exterior. Now the back is where you pick up a little cue that this is a Camry. It's kind of recognisable as a Camry, but otherwise, nothing about this is like any of the previous models. It was the sixth generation before this that I used to think was good-looking. The last two, are not very inspired. But I will say that it is built on the same platform as the last car. and globally, the Camry has always used the same platform, of course, for its different market versions. But in those versions, there's almost chameleon-like car because they looked very different to each other at times, not quite the case with this generation. 

Now you get this car, and in fact, it's very similar to the car I showed you from the US very recently. Now that sedan was the XSE, the sporty variant in the US, but it also had this two-tone roof and the black mirrors, the black alloy wheels and a little bit of that black skirting in that bumper. So, it looks even edgier, even sharper, even sexier, but this variant, the Sprint will only be launched around March. We've got the Elegant that's been launched. Those are the prices that have been announced. This one will be higher. 

Now, you've also got this interesting diamond pattern here of sorts, but unlike the US spec, where you see a mesh, which goes all through that bumper insert, here, you've got it only on the ends, this pattern and otherwise you've got these horizontal stripes with this diamond-shaped pattern on the side, finished off in a sort of a gunmetal finish. It looks nice, but it also looks very Lexus-like, that's what I said about that car, but you decide which one looks better. 

The good news is that it does still retain all the other nice things about this new generation, including the very sharp LED DRL and the overall styling with the DRLs kind of pushed inwards and then you've got the actual headlamp cluster on the absolute edge here. You've also got that hammerhead shark-like styling, which is now going on to all Toyota's worldwide, which means that the bumper really sort of comes out at a quite a sharp angle and then you've got this midsection, which is really flat and really forward. That's a distinct design language mark now. 

And then, of course, you've got the fog lamps down there, overall, the integrity of this design, even the way the little bit of the ADAS sensors and equipment has been tucked in there. It's really coming together. It's very, very nice looking. You, of course, have to tell me if you agree with me on this design language, working for Toyota and whether you'd like to see it, on other Toyotas in India too. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Interior 

Even the cabin comes together really well, everything seems well thought out and well finished. Can't do a launch these days without a sunroof, so you've got one on the Camry. It's not panoramic, though. Nice chunky steering wheel and you've got a whole lot of functionality because there are lots of buttons here. 

The overall feel of this cabin is pretty upmarket, pretty high end and well-finished. You've got buttons, even on the seat here to move this one forward to make more space at the rear. Perforated leatherette and a nice leather feel on the dash as well. The quality of materials is pretty good, the two-tone with the beige or rather tan does increase that luxury quotient a little bit than the all-black that you've seen on the US spec. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Tech & Features

There's also a lot of tech here because you've got the virtual cluster and this big 12.3-inch screen, which includes things like the ADAS functionality, the adjustments for all of the features and smartphone wireless connectivity. So, again, nicely done, it's well laid out, with a few buttons here for the climate control system. We've also got seat ventilation for the front seats. Again, a bit of a must-have these days. or so we are told. And wireless phone charger, two. So, lots of things that I would like to take you through in terms of some of the functions here and then, of course, the rear seat and what you get there. 

But a quick detail on the design, you see these horizontal stripes might be a bit of a nightmare from a dusting point of view, but otherwise it compliments, what you see in the front grille. Also, this little design detail is on the AC vent controller. Again, a little bit like the diamond pattern you see in the front. So, these little details are nicely finished. It does add a little bit to the cabin. 

Overall, I'd say people are going to like how this looks. Imagine how much of a smash hit this would be as a more affordable yet premium enough car to make you feel special. But again – let me remind you, it’s now a luxury car kissing that ₹50 lakh mark!

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Comfort

Pretty decent on leg room and you've got a plush carpeting over here, rear AC vents, which for some reason look like they're from 1980, then there's this seat. If I'm sitting on the left side, well, you've got these little buttons, you can change the recline if no one's sitting up front and also send it forward to create even more leg room. Always welcome. 

Manual sunshades, are a little noisy, but always welcome. And pretty decent on fit and finish and comfort, but you can manipulate this seat further, the drop-down armrest which comes down also has the in-built cup holders but has a little bit of a screen which lets you recline or put forward your seat. It's always nice in this segment to have reclining seats. You can do that for this side as well. 

Of course, you can manipulate the music controls, you can put this rear sunshade up and down, electrically, which is nice, and you can also play around with the climate control and change the AC temperature. 

There are also manual sunshades on the windows. It all looks and feels pretty nice. The seats feel upmarket, and this cabin will impress as one of the better ones in the segment. The 9-speaker JBL sound system helps. Also, I like how the rear windscreen’s sunblind retracts when you put the car in reverse and returns to its original position once you start driving. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Powertrain & Performance

Under the hood is Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system, which combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with battery assist. It’s not all-new but works just fine. And Toyota’s dropped the less powerful Camry engines globally. 

227 horses, electronic CVT and 25.49 kmpl. Is that compelling enough? The electric motor makes 208 Nm of torque while the engine gives you 221 Nm. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Ride & Handling

With the previous generation car, we had already seen a little bit of that driver-focus returning to the Camry. It was nicer to drive, but this one, gets even more so. I said that a few weeks ago when I first drove this car, this generation I should say, because yes, with the Indian variant, the setup for the suspension is different. It's a lot softer, and more comfort-oriented. But the engine remains a little bit sharper and focused on just nicer driving. You don't get an instant response. The CVT does feel a little sluggish if you try and slam it. I said that earlier too. I'll say that’s pretty much the case with this one, but the steering is just so much nicer and on the whole, the car doesn’t feel heavy. 

With the new generation, you expect a little bit of that extra tech to really surprise you. It's still the same conventional system. I would have expected pure EV driving to be just a little bit more, but in ideal conditions, you still get about ten kilometres at a stretch, not at high speeds, obviously, of pure EV mode. You can turn it on or off. There are three drive modes for what it's worth. There's Eco, Normal, and would you believe it? Sport!. The animations on the instrument cluster, though, are pretty cool.

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Comfort

Now, I spent some time sitting at the back as well and I endorse that view that it remains comfortable. It would have been nice if they had added just that little extra like rear seat ventilation, for example, which would have really sort of sealed the deal at this price point. But on the whole can't complain about comfort for sure, especially with those reclining seats. 

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Safety

You do get plenty of safety equipment though, which is great. 9 Airbags, 360-degree camera, ABS with EBD, 3-Point Seat Belts with pre-tensioners, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 ADAS suite with features like Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning/Alert, Collision avoidance and Adaptive Cruise Control of course.

2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid: The Bottom Line

So, in a nutshell, the new Camry is a great package, with just the right blend of comfort, tech, luxury, efficiency and yes even performance. But the deal breaker is the atrocious pricing. Nearly ₹50 lakh is just not cool for a Camry. And imagine – this one is locally assembled, not a direct import. 

The only thing it has going for itself is that’s still a lot cheaper than the compact luxury sedans, and there is no real rival if a full-size sedan is what your heart desires.

Photography By: Jitendra