Driving the all-new 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid is pretty much like driving the all-new gas powered 2012 Camry. Now I don’t expect you to take my word on this so, I would like to throw out a challenge. When the 2012 Toyota Camry rolls into dealerships in November, take both cars out for a test drive. But, when you slip behind the steering wheels, you can’t know which version of the car you are testing.

After you’ve driven both cars I’m willing to bet—not large sums, well, a few pennies to be exact—that unless you’re among the most perceptive of drivers, you found little if any difference in the driving experience between the two cars.

Camry has been America’s top-selling car nine out of the last 10 years, but competition is brutal with Ford, Hyundai, Kia and even Volkswagen making significant inroads with their midsize entries. As for the Camry Hybrid, it has taken a beating. Introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model, it quickly became the second best-selling hybrid behind the Prius. By the end of 2010, it dropped to fourth best selling hybrid. For the first six-months of this year, it has slipped to eighth, with the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid the big gainers.

Toyota is confident the seventh-generation Camry will continue its streak of being the best seller. It is equally confident the 2012 Camry Hybrid will double its sales in its first year to around 50,000 to reclaim its sales ranking. Here’s why.

More Power And More MPG

The 2012 Camry Hybrid boasts the latest incarnation of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive. The hybrid system again teams a four-cylinder engine, a small high torque electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Power continues to be directed to the front wheels through the transaxle’s continuously variable transmission.

The first half of the Camry Hybrid drivetrain is a new Atkinson-cycle version of the base Camry’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. (An Atkinson-cycle engine gives up a little power output in exchange for improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.) The engine produces 156 horsepower, nine more than the 2.4-liter in the 2011 Camry Hybrid. The larger displacement and more efficient combustion boosts torque to 156 pound-feet, 16 more than the outgoing model.

The second half is a 105-kW electric motor and a revised 245-volt battery pack. The battery pack consists of 34 nickel-metal hydride modules, each of which contains six 1.2-volt cells. Although smaller in size, the battery pack stores and delivers more power.

Combined power output of the hybrid powertrain is 200 horsepower, a gain of 13 horsepower compared to the previous version. (Toyota does not publish a net hybrid torque figure, though it states the electric motor alone spins out 199 pounds-feet.)

Fuel economy for the previous generation Camry Hybrid—31 mpg city/35 highway/33 combined—was first eclipsed by the Ford Fusion Hybrid and then Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid. But the 2012 model demonstrates Toyota’s expertise in gasoline-electric hybrid technology, delivering a 43/39 mpg EPA fuel economy rating with a combined average of 41 mpg. That’s a whopping 12 mpg increase in city driving and an impressive gain of 8 mpg for combined driving cycles, numbers that elevate the Camry Hybrid to again claim the title of most fuel-efficient midsize sedan.

So, how did the automaker produce a car with more power and more miles per gallon?

Weight is a major nemesis of fuel economy, and engineers cut around 250 pounds from the new hybrid. This includes trimming the size and weight of the battery pack.

Aerodynamics plays an important role in fuel economy and the 2012 Camry Hybrid achieves a notable 0.27 coefficient of drag (Cd) wind resistance. (The Toyota Prius registers 0.25 Cd.) To reach that number, underbody aerodynamic cladding was strategically placed and, the side-view mirrors and taillight lenses have integrated small fins that create a buffer around the car, helping the vehicle to slip through the air. This aero design trick was culled from Toyota’s Formula One days.

Under the hood, the engine features a roller-rocker type valvetrain and a variable-output oil pump that help reduce internal friction, boosting economy. Another fuel-saving strategy is a water-cooled exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) system. This feature boosts fuel economy by reducing engine pumping losses. Also, accessory drive belts have been eliminated, replaced by electric driven accessories, including the air conditioning compressor, water pump and power steering pump.

Software engineers are credited for helping to increase the mpg numbers by enhancing the hybrid system’s power management; the Hybrid’s electronic sensors precisely determine what blend of gas and electric propulsion best balances power and fuel economy. And finally, Toyota says lower rolling resistance tires also help boost fuel economy.

Exterior

Like the gasoline models, the 2012 Camry Hybrid rides on an all-new platform, though wheelbase, length, width and height are carried-over dimensions. The result is a familiar looking vehicle, even though designers clad the sedan in all-new sheetmetal from bumper to bumper.

Except for those who work at a Toyota dealership, most people when they see the new car won’t say, “Wow, that’s the new Camry.” And surely there will be a host of auto critics who will berate Toyota for its conservative redesign, pointing to the Hyundai Sonata with its swoopy lines and sharp creases. But their livelihood isn’t dependent on Camry sales.

Toyota says that 50 percent of new Camry buyers will be current Camry owners. With a projected 360,000 first year sales—50,000 hybrids—the automaker wisely won’t risk alienating that many loyal customers with polarizing styling.

Granted, this seventh-generation Camry’s sheetmetal clothing bears more than just a little kinship to the previous model, the styling, while not stirring or striking, is clean, handsome and safe.

The most noteworthy change is up front where a new chrome grille sweeps upward to a refreshed headlight design. Below, an expansive air inlet is flanked by trapezoidal chrome fog light recesses. The design fools the eye and gives the impression of greater width. In the rear, chrome taillight accents were discarded and replaced by a more curved design that wraps into the rear side panels and extends into the trunk.

There is little to distinguish the Camry Hybrid from the gasoline models. Small hybrid badges adorn the front fenders and trunk. The front Toyota emblem has a blue background rather than black, borrowing a design element from the Prius.

Interior

Toyota heeded remarks about the hard, cheap looking interior plastics of the previous Camry. The 2012 Camry’s cabin is nicely furnished and is now on par with competitors. Soft-touch plastic on the upper dash is given an upscale appearance with genuine cloth stitching. Soft textures are also used on the upper door trim, door and center console armrests as well as kneepads on either side of the console.

Exclusive interior design touches differentiate the 2012 Camry Hybrid from other Camry models. The Hybrid’s “metallic-tech grain” trim is a combination of a black dashboard with brushed-aluminum highlights and light gray or ivory seat fabrics. Unique to the Hybrid is a three-gauge instrument cluster with an analog fuel economy gauge plus, a power-flow display graphically shows energy flow, cruising range and real-time fuel economy.

Seating is all-day comfortable, and not just in the front row. Camry seats are kind to the gluteal portions of the anatomy, important in a car with a fuel range of 650-plus miles. Designers reshaped interior components to make it more spacious, with big gains in rear seat leg and hip room.

There’s also more trunk space. The trunk mounted battery pack was reduced in size and the DC-to-DC converter was moved from the trunk area to under the hood. That increased cargo room to 13.1 cubic feet, a 2.5 cubic feet gain. For long items, the right rear seatback folds forward.

On The Road

Toyota’s press introduction was held on the eastern slopes of Washington state’s Cascade Mountains, about three miles from the tiny town of Rosyln, the setting for the somewhat outré 1990’s TV series, Northern Exposure. There were several drive routes offered that included some marvelous two-lane black top roads that encouraged back road two-stepping, nearby Interstate 5 and a drive through the small town of Cle Elum.

The 2012 Camry Hybrid feels more like V-6 power than inline four. Toyota says the scoot from 0 to 60 mph is 7.6 seconds—halfway between the gas V-6’s time of 6.8 seconds and the four cylinder’s 8.6 seconds. Throttle response is near perfect; ideal for highway on-ramps as I found out when an 18-wheeler was motivating faster than I first thought. At the same time, the car is smooth as silk in low speed conditions.

Transition from gas engine to electric motor and back again is no longer “almost seamless,” it is seamless—no shuddering, no shimmying; none, nada. As for the quirky, almost brick-like feel of the regenerative brake system of the previous Hybrid, it doesn’t exist anymore. Brake pedal feel is equal to gas-powered Camrys and very linear.

In terms of handling, the Camry is more than competent and is devoid of vices and totally predictable. It corners well and the electric power steering has good on-center feel and offers decent driver feedback.

But Camry’s are best known for their ride quality. A more rigid body structure and tweaks to the all-independent suspension provide a smooth and compliant feel that makes it ideal for long trips and daily commuting.

Cabin noise intrusion plays a role in perceived ride quality. Toyota has made wind noise almost nonexistent in the Hybrid with stronger door and rocker area seals; optimized placement of sound insulating materials; foam the roof, pillars and door openings; and acoustic glass used for the windshield.

All this adds up to a controlled, balanced and comfortable four-door family sedan.

And then there’s fuel economy, what the Camry Hybrid is really all about. I drove three stints on a route that was a near duplicate of my wife’s daily 15 mile commute—a tad over two miles on the freeway and the balance on city and rural roads with speed limits of 25 to 40 mph. In the 2011 Hybrid, the instrument panel readout was 44.5 mpg, the 2012 Hybrid LE model yielded 49.7 mpg.

My third trip was in the Hybrid XLE model, yes there are two Hybrid versions for 2012 (see below). By employing the Eco mode, which maximizes fuel economy across all driving conditions, and the new EV mode that keeps the vehicle in electric drive only up to 25 mph, the readout was 58.5 mpg. A longer 54-mile drive in the XLE that included a little over 40 miles on the Interstate registered 48.2 mpg.

All of these fuel economy numbers far exceed the EPA estimates, and for a couple of reasons. First, I’m quite sure I was more judicious in managing fuel economy than the EPA’s protocols. Second, the EPA does not factor the Eco and EV modes in their fuel economy estimates. Or, as the EPA says, “Your fuel economy may vary.”

More Car For Less Money

For the first time, the Camry Hybrid will be offered in trim levels, LE and XLE. The Camry Hybrid LE has a sticker price of $25,900, that’s $1,150 less than the outgoing model. And, this is no stripper model. Standard features include: keyless access with push-button start; power windows, locks and outside mirrors; cruise control; dual-zone automatic climate control, tilt/telescoping steering-wheel; and an audio system with Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity.

Step-up to the XLE and the base price of $27,400 is a decrease of $800 compared to last year’s model with upgrade package. The additional $1,500 for the XLE adds a power driver’s seat, a touch-screen stereo display and 17-inch alloy wheels.

A blind-spot warning system is an option on the XLE as is a JBL audio system, two separate navigation systems and Toyota’s Entune multimedia system. Entune includes apps like OpenTable, and Movietickets.com so you can book a restaurant or buy movie tickets, as well as iheartradio that offers different streaming radio stations from across the country.

The average age of Camry Hybrid owners is 64 and it would seem they would be more likely to own a Jitterbug cell phone than a smart phone, which is required for Entune. For the hip baby boomers, the apps are free but the smart phone data time will cost you.

Completing the Camry Hybrid’s resume are all the biggies when it comes to standard safety systems. For active safety, Toyota’s Star Safety System integrates stability control, anti-lock disc braking system and traction control. Passive safety features 10 passenger airbags that include, in addition to head-protecting curtain side airbags, driver and passenger front knee airbags and torso-protecting rear-seat-mounted outboard-side airbags.

The Competition

Comparing the Camry Hybrid with the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid reveals the competition between the three is fierce. The Camry’s base price is $25,900, the Sonata stickers for $25,795 and the Fusion is priced at $28,600. But at the pump, the Camry is the clear winner, besting the Sonata’s city fuel economy by 8 mpg and the Fusion by 2 mpg.

New hybrid car buyers with no attachments to a brand will have to spend some time to determine which of the above three is right for them. For Toyota devotees, however, it is pretty much a no brainer: The 2012 Camry Hybrid offers plenty of power, an excellent interior, loads of features, enough room for five adult and then there’s that fuel economy.

The 2012 Camry will most likely again be the top selling car in the U.S. But when the numbers are tallied, don’t be surprised if the Camry Hybrid racks up a total way beyond the 50,000 the automaker is projecting.

Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of writing and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

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Today Toyota released most details about its redesigned-for-2012 Camry models, including the highly competent Camry Hybrid.

As the best-selling car in America for nine years straight, the line of mid-size sedans have been so competent, it’s almost a hum-drum story – unless you happen to be one who prizes their near-appliance-like functionality.

As is the case for its siblings, the Hybrid retains the same dimensions as the outgoing Camry, but sheds weight – about 220 pounds in the Hybrid’s case, the most weight reduced of them all.

The Hybrid sees improvements throughout, particularly in its all-important fuel economy ratings. The current model was dethroned as mpg champ by the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, but Toyota incorporated an easy fix first seen on the generation-3 Prius.

Namely, the 2012 Camry Hybrid gets a larger four-cylinder gasoline engine displacing – in the Camry’s case – 2.5 liters boasting superior power, thus allowing it to lope along more often in its optimal operating range.

Paired with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the new Camry Hybrid now promises a best-in-class 43/39-mpg fuel economy rating, with an average of 41-mpg.

This represents a comparatively massive improvement of 12 mpg in the city, beating the Sonata hybrid by 7 mpg.

The Hybrid’s gasoline-electric drivetrain is anything but anemic too, serving up 200 horsepower for respectable acceleration.

As mentioned, while the 2012 Camry models share the same basic dimensions of their predecessors, they are re-engineered throughout, sharing few parts in the chassis and interior.

On the exterior, newly sculpted lines front and back eliminate some of the bulbous humps of the old model adding up to an attractive presence. The grille is redesigned wider presenting a purposeful new face for the car.

Inside, materials and design have all been tweaked too, with most Camry models – except the entry level and LE Hybrid – getting a new display audio system in the center of the dash.

For models so equipped, the 6.1-inch display audio screen is uncluttered without too many buttons surrounding it, yet is functional while drawing the eye to it for a high-tech and useful touch.

Hybrid buyers may wish to upgrade to include it, as it can be mated with satellite radio with helpful features including XM Fuel Prices to route the driver to the lowest price gasoline.

Safety-wise, in addition to ABS brakes with over-ride system, traction control and stability control, the Camry now comes with 10 airbags, has seats designed to (further) minimize whiplash, and makes available an optional blind spot monitoring system, back-up camera, and more.

In all, Toyota has expressed a lot of enthusiasm for the significantly upgraded and fuel efficient Camry Hybrid. Given new auto sales have been driven by economical models, the company said it expects sales for the Hybrid to nearly double from 28,000 units to around 50,000.

According to the New York Times, the base 2012 LE starts at $22,500, the SE at $23,000, the XLE at $24,725, the Hybrid LE at $25,900, and the Hybrid XLE at $27,400. Destination charges are extra.

Reviewers and customers have come to expect the car to simply perform, and while not as viscerally alluring as some other models, the upgrades give it good prospects to continue on as a top seller for the tenth year in a row.

AutoGuide, NYTWheelsBlog.

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What is a better way to transport Toyota hybrids from Japan? A hybrid ship, of course – at least that is the hope of those endeavoring to cut costs, pollution and fuel consumption from an otherwise wasteful process.

This month, Toyota will begin shipping its hybrid vehicles via a floating experiment examining the viability of innovative technologies in shipping called the Auriga Leader.

Since 2009, the ship has received a healthy trickle of juice from 328 solar cells. Now it has been fitted with large nickel-hydrogen batteries to offset the massive energy consumption of its diesel engines.

According to Gas 2.0, an average car carrying ship requires 120 gallons of diesel fuel per mile (28,225 litres/100km). Yep, forget about “mpg” familiar to the automotive world. We’re talking 120 gpm – on one level, it makes the offset fuel savings by efficient cars seem rather paltry when you think about it.

The shipping expenses also represent a cost of doing business, and Toyota and the shipping industry as a whole would like to whittle that down any way feasible.

The initial installation of the Auriga Leader’s 328 solar cells did shave slivers from its annual fuel requirement by 13 tons, and they cut annual CO2 emissions by 40 tons. This is about one percent of the energy required by the ship’s electric equipment and .05 percent of its propulsion power.

To date, the ship’s new updated efficiency rating as a result of the massive nickel-hydrogen batteries has not been reported but it is expected to be a fair amount better.

The ship’s generator has also been retrofitted to run on low-sulfur diesel fuel.

The cost-for-benefit analysis for the solar panels have proven them a win, and now the battery-diesel system will also be evaluated.

If the hybrid ship is deemed cost effective, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the NYK shipping line intend to make the technology commercially available for more ocean-going vessels.

Source: caradvice.com

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The safety recall would be the largest ever US recall for Toyota. The recall will cover recent versions of the Prius, as well as Camry and Avalon sedans, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and luxury Lexus models, the IS250 and the IS350 as well as the ES350.

More details on the safety advisory are available at the Toyota website www.toyota.com. Drivers can also call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

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After more than a year of effort, Toyota received approval from NASCAR to use its Camry Hybrid as an official pace car. The Camry Hybrid will make its debut in next month’s Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina. This is the first time a hybrid will be used as an official pace car. NASCAR used a Ford Fusion hybrid for the parade laps before the start of last year’s season finale at Homestead in Miami—but it was replaced by a Ford Fusion Sport with an internal combustion engine for the rest of the race.

In order to get approval from NASCAR, the Camry hybrid had to take off from a standstill position on pit road and reach 100 miles per hour by the time it got to the second turn of the racetrack. The car was able to hit the magic number and averaged about 105 miles per hour over multiple laps. “That’s pretty impressive, considering that we’re talking about a hybrid here. It’s going to help dispel the notion that hybrid cars are synonymous with being slow and underpowered,” said Ben Davis, a track test driver and road test producer for PBS’ MotorWeek.

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin gave people rides around Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord to demonstrate the Camry Hybrid’s track prowess. The Camry, including the hybrid version, is known for its steady—some would call it sedate—ride. “A couple times I found myself just puttering around there because it was so smooth,” Hamlin said. “You’ve almost got to force it to get out of shape.”

The Camry Hybrid is slated to run as a pace car in several more NASCAR races this year. Its appearance is merely one sign of a larger trend of motorsport becoming more eco-friendly.

Planting Trees for Speed

Last week, Champ Car driver Nelson Philippe announced that he will enter the first carbon neutral team to compete at the Indianapolis 500. Philippe is working with the National Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees to offset the team’s carbon output—but his vision goes beyond the track. He is partnering with EcoDrivingUSA—an educational organization backed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg—to hold a series of events to educate people on how they can drive the cars they currently own in a more efficient manner. He told Fox News, “You don’t have to have a hybrid car to get better mileage. You can have a big pickup and if you learn how to become an eco driver, you can increase your fuel mileage by up to 33 percent and drastically reduce your future emissions right now.”

Philippe will go flat out on the track, but to achieve his carbon-reduction goals, he is asking his team to drive with fuel efficiency in mind. “All the crew members and all of the mechanics, they’re not happy about it but they have all had to become eco drivers, the truck driver has become an eco driver as well,” he said. “The goal is to make sure that we can offset our carbon footprint.” Philippe hopes this year’s efforts—starting with his own team—will pave the way for the entire 2010 Indy 500 event to become carbon-neutral next year. The goal is to have one tree planted for every one of the 350,000 spectators who attends the event.

F1 Goes Hybrid

In Formula One, this is the first year than an energy-saving device known as Kinetic Energy Recover Systems, or KERS, is being put to use. KERS is a form of regenerative braking commonly used in hybrid cars. The idea is to reclaim energy lost during braking, capture it in a capacitor, and use it for a burst of speed at a strategic moment. Unfortunately, no KERS car has won an F1 race. Nonetheless, many believe KERS equipment will continue to improve to eventually become a key advantage—making the sport more exciting while educating the auto industry about the benefits of green auto technologies.

Vegetarian Racecar

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Warwick in England are trying to build a Formula Three racecar entirely from sustainable products. Formula Three is like the farm league of Formula One racing.

The so-called WorldFirst F3 racer uses composite materials traced back to carrots, potatoes, flax fiber, soybean oil and other natural products. It also uses recycled carbon fiber and composite body panels, and runs on biodiesel made from vegetable oil. The WorldFirst F3, designed to take corners at 125 miles an hour, will make its debut on May 7 in Belgium.

Ethanol-Burning Hybrid Racing in Le Mans

The American Le Mans Series is perhaps the greenest of motorsport leagues. It’s the only major race series in the world in which all cars race on street legal alternative fuels, using clean low sulfur diesel, E85 ethanol or E10 gas-electric hybrid powerplants.

At the next race, at the Utah Grand Prix on May 17, Corsa Motorsports and the Zytek Group will unveil the Corsa Zytek hybrid. The car is powered by a 625-horsepower ethanol-burning V8 with an electric motor powered by a lithium ion energy storage system with KERS. The car’s top speed is more than 200 miles per hour. Zytek and Corsa hope the vehicle will eventually become the first gas-electric hybrid to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Last year, Scott Atherton, chief executive of American Le Mans, told the Wall Street Journal that the Corsa team’s effort is the beginning of widespread acceptance of hybrids. “I think hybrid power will soon be part of the automotive fabric across the board.”

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The chances of the CNG Camry moving forward are unknown—but not very likely. Currently, Honda’s Civic GX is the only mass-produced CNG vehicle available today. Honda is planning to double its production to 2,000 units for 2009.

“With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn, low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy source for the future,” said Irv Miller, Toyota group vice president, corporate communications.

Toyota introduced a CNG vehicle in the form of a conventional four-cylinder Camry in the late 1990s, but discovered that consumers disliked its shorter driving range and limited cargo capacity due to the large fuel tanks taking up trunk space—as well as a lack of access to CNG refueling stations. The concept CNG Camry Hybrid will give Toyota a chance to gauge consumer response during the current era of high gas prices and widespread interest in reducing dependency to foreign oil.

There are approximately 1,000 natural gas fueling stations in the US today, compared to about 180,000 gasoline filling stations.

The gasoline-electric Camry Hybrid, the second most popular hybrid in 2008, offers 33 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. Using natural gas instead of gasoline would reduce the vehicle’s carbon footprint—but it’s uncertain how significant the reduction would be. “It’s hard to say exactly how much better the fuel economy will be when you combine natural gas and hybrid technology into the same equation,” said Bruce Yokum, an engineer with Chesapeake Energy, a leading US natural gas producer, in an interview with Hybridcars.com. “It’s a two-pronged approach.”

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The Camry Hybrid is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 147 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. It’s also equipped with a 40-horsepower electric motor, bringing the total output to 187 horsepower, which is more than enough for virtually all traffic and driving conditions. The Camry Hybrid never feels short on power, and grants near-perfect throttle response. This is ideal for highway on-ramps, and launches from zero when you really need to get going. At the same time, the Camry is smooth as silk in low speed conditions. It’s a controlled and balanced four-door vehicle, slotting comfortably between family sedan and sports sedan.

Government fuel economy for the new Camry is 33 in the city and 34 on the highway. To test its real world efficiency, we took the Camry Hybrid on a 122-mile round-trip journey from Aberdeen, Maryland to York, Pennsylvania and back. The mixed driving route was comprised of small town roads, two-lane byways and country roads, and approximately 40 miles on Interstate 83. We achieved combined gas mileage of 35.2 miles per gallon, slightly exceeding government estimates.

The Camry offers a well-placed center console screen found within the gauge cluster, and directly behind the steering wheel, allowing the driver to easily keep track of how the hybrid powertrain is operating. (It’s not like the Prius’s touch-screen monitor in the middle of the dashboard, which some drivers believe is distracting and misplaced.)

The Camry’s monitor uses animation to represent the gas engine, the electric power, and the regenerative braking, as well as an arrow indicating the flow of energy—two arrows when the gas engine and electric motor are working in conjunction. To the left of this display is an analog-style consumption meter displaying the instantaneous miles per gallon reading. (These instantaneous readings are rarely useful in any hybrid because the quickly dart from low numbers to high numbers and back again.)

In terms of handling, the Camry is more than competent. It corners well and offers plenty of driver feedback—as we experienced on the switchback roads of northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. But the Camry is best known for its ride quality. It offers a smooth and compliant feel that makes it ideal for long trips and daily commuting. Furthermore, the transition from gas engine to electric motor and back again, is one of the most seamless we’ve seen in any hybrid to date.

All in all, the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid hasn’t changed much from last year’s model. And that’s a good thing.

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Sales of Toyota vehicles were indicative of specific trends. There was a continuation of the major shift toward smaller vehicles and smaller engines. Cars outsold trucks for the first time since May 2007. The Toyota Yaris reported all-time best-ever sales of 12,953 units, up 83.2 percent over the year-ago month—while the company had difficulty selling its trucks. The company slowed production of its full-size Tundra pickup, assembled at plants in Texas and Indiana. Toyota officials reported that its new Sequoia full-size SUV spends more than 100 days, on average, on dealer lots.

Hybrid sales in March were a ray of light for Toyota. The Prius posted best-ever March sales of 20,635, an increase of 16 percent from last March. Camry Hybrid reported sales of 6,930 units in March, up 45 percent over March 2007.

The most striking fact: The Camry Hybrid outsold the Camry powered by a V6 gas engine.

HybridCars.com will publish a full report on March 2008 sales and new registrations in our Hybrid Market Dashboard.

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