Words by: Adam Allen
Here’s a hot take: The all-new 2025 Toyota Camry is basically the same car as the all-new 2025 Lamborghini Revuelto. Sure, there are some slight differences; one is a four-door sedan, the other a wedge-shaped supercar. One will be built to the tune of hundreds of thousands while the other will be screwed together in much smaller numbers. Both feature edgy styling and can be painted in some wild hues; both feature hybrid drivetrains and all-wheel drive.
We’ll concede that the Lambo is much faster and thanks to its razor-sharp handling would be a better conveyance to lapping a racetrack in the least amount of time, leaving the humble Camry for dead in the process. But when the conversation shifts to efficiency, the Camry has the Pride of Sant’Agata soundly licked. It also offers a more spacious, comfortable interior that will hold up better over time thanks to Toyota’s legendary build quality. Another bonus is you can park the Camry anywhere you please and not worry about looky-loos drooling all over the paint. Do we even have to mention it’s cheaper?
Frankly, after all that, we’re surprised they aren’t cross shopped more. With all these virtues swinging in the Toyota’s favor, we took to calling it the Cam-borghini.
What you see here is the 9th generation of Camry that dates back to 1983. Toyota realized early on that they had a legitimate sales hit on their hands and strove to carefully evolve the recipe over the years that paid off with the company enjoying steady torrent of dollars flowing into their coffers over the last 40 model years. That strategy has not changed for 2025; if you park a 2024 example next to our tester, you’ll have to look closely to see what’s new. The biggest giveaways can be found at the bows and stern where new lighting elements do much of the heavy lifting distinguishing one generation to the next. There is also a new grille that wears a trick digital-esque design that should go a long way at sprucing up one of Toyota’s more pedestrian models, especially in XSE trim.
There’s another big change afoot in Camryville and it can be found on the drivetrain. The standalone naturally aspirated 4-cylinder is a thing of the past and pour one out for the V6 mill that made the Camry somewhat of a hot rod. Now, there are two different hybrid only options to choose from. If you want to keep the front wheel drive architecture that has remained constant with this model since 1983, you get an Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder that pushes out 225 horsepower. Opt for the newly minted all-wheel drive system- a Camry first- and that power jumps slightly to 232 ponies. The Revuelto makes considerably more from its howling 6.5 litre V12, but Camry faithful should expect a much livelier step off from rest and when calling on the suds necessary to make a pass or dispatch a favorite on-ramp quicker than before. The new drivetrain makes the Camry a force to be reckoned with from a efficiency standpoint- we achieved a sparkling 6.1L/100km in mixed driving conditions.
Now that we’re in the thick of autumn, we saw all kinds of driving conditions and most of them weren’t great while we had the Camry in our care. Thanks to daylight savings time, most trips we made with the Camry were in suffocating darkness punctuated by rain squalls and unforgiving winds. Those conditions contributed to a huge number of fallen leaves slicking up road surfaces, but we didn’t mind a bit. The Camry might be new to all-wheel drive, but it provided us with surefooted traction throughout.
Overall, the car served as a comforting salve to bad weather and generally lived up to its reputation of smooth, comfortable motoring. Its interior has been snazzed up accordingly too, and is immaculately assembled using materials that are not quite Lexus grade but plenty nice enough. The seats are comfortable and allow for a great driving position and are both ventilated and heated- the steering wheel will likewise get nice and toasty, the perfect antidote for cold hands.
As our week progressed driving the Camry, we gained a deeper understanding of what has made this car so popular over the 40 years it has been plying local highways and byways. Its relaxed demeanor and pillowy ride quality make it easy to drive, it has accommodations for both people and their stuff is generous, and its fuel sipping abilities are a boon for those who hate filling up at gas stations- you’ll still have to endure that, but with much less frequency. It also comes equipped with Toyota’s Safey Sense suite of driver assistance technologies which will surely delight those motorists who like to have the feeling that someone (or something) is always looking out for them, a vigilance that never stops unless you ask it to.
The Camry used to wear the sales crown for Toyota, but as the market’s preference from sedans to crossovers swung a long time ago, the RAV4 now holds the honor of MVT (most valuable Toyota.) For those would be Reveulto buyers who may have missed the chance to put a flagship Lambo in their driveway- the prediction run is sold out as you read this- they needn’t worry, as their local Toyota dealer will happily sell them a Camry with many different trims and colours to choose from. After all, they are kind of the same car anyway. Sort of.
2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid XSE AWD – Specifications
- Price as tested: $46,801.08
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/all-wheel drive
- Engine: 2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder, DOHC, 16-valves
- Transmission: Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
- Horsepower, Combined: 232
- Torque (lb-ft.), Combined: 163
- Curb weight: 1,712 kg (3,774 lbs)
- Observed Fuel Economy: 6.1/100km (39 mpg)