- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5i/88kW Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
248kW (comb), 202Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (95) 4.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid review
Is the Toyota Camry Hybrid your next family car? Senior journalist Justin Narayan seems to think so.
- Fuel efficiency
- Second-row space
- On-road manners and perky driveline
- Dated interior
- Availability (6/12-month wait)
- Missing reverse AEB
2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid
It's true that whenever someone asks me the vague, open-ended and loosely defined question of 'what new car do I buy?', the answer is always a Camry.
Responses vary, but the most common is a screwed-up face with the accompanying verbatim of 'I'm not an Uber driver' and 'My parents have one'. Jokes aside, I use the humble Toyota Camry as a yardstick because it still represents the ideal family car – as it did well over 20 years ago.
I know sedans are no longer 'contemporary chic' and stylish, but remember we're here for the huge second row, massive boot, good driving manners, and as per the past 10 years or so, a really good hybrid driveline.
So, if you're not frowning at the idea of a Toyota sedan, let's discover what else makes the 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid worthy of your consideration.
How much does the Toyota Camry Hybrid cost in Australia?
The Toyota Camry SX Hybrid starts from around $45,500 drive-away depending on your location and the colour you pick (some colours cost $575 extra). That's factoring in Toyota's 2023 price rises.
It sits two levels up from the entry-level 2022 Toyota Camry Ascent, and one step below the expensive and flagship 2022 Toyota Camry SL. For reference, either of those models costs $34,745 or $51,500 drive-away respectively.
That means in theory, our penultimate 2022 Toyota Camry SX model at a pip over $40K drive-away is the sweet spot. However, the market sees otherwise, with the top-spec 2022 Camry SL – at nearly $10,000 more – holding the longest wait time of around 12 months.
A quick call around a few Toyota dealers also revealed shorter wait times on our test car, the 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid.
Key details | 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid |
Price | $43,190 plus on-road costs (Toyota 2023 pricing) |
Colour of test car | Feverish Red |
Options | Metallic paint – $575 |
Price as tested | $43,765 plus on-roads |
Drive-away price | $45,952 (Sydney) |
Rivals | Mazda 6 | Skoda Octavia | Honda Civic |
How much space does the Toyota Camry have inside?
The first row is generous in size, with an unusual, sloped dashboard design that positions the cabin toward the driver. It helps promote the illusion of space. Compared to SUVs, the seating position is far lower and down in the hull, where it honestly ought to be.
If you disagree, however, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. It lifts plenty high to cater for both shorter drivers and for those who prefer sitting up and seeing the car's end points.
There's electric lumbar adjustment on the driver's seat, too, but it only extends outward and is not height-adjustable. On the passenger side, things are manually adjustable and the seat lacks any form of lumbar adjustment too.
With regard to storage, two huge cupholders punctuate the centre console and sit behind a cool lidded cubby. On the lid is a phone holder, and under the lid is a tray for, say, another (work) phone or your keys.
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The Camry's door pockets are stingy compared to an SUVs, but there's still an angular bottle holder for your favourite 650ml bottle of bubbly. Other than the pretty large armrest console, that's about all you need to know about the first row.
The second row is a highlight of the cabin. I'm 183cm tall and pretty lanky, meaning I sit far back when driving. In the back and behind my own driving position, all of my pointy parts were miles clear of any material.
There's heaps of knee and leg room in the back, so feel free to kick your legs out and enjoy the drive. As a father of two young children, I installed one Britax Graphene child seat rearward-facing for the freshy, and another Infasecure Rally forward-facing for the other four-year-old.
Again, the overall spaciousness of the cabin meant that once installed, both seats could turn to – and further than – their last seating position. Try doing that in a medium SUV.
Rounding out the second row are two USB-A ports and two air vents, and a rather annoying tunnel down the centre of the footwell that makes the fifth-and-middle seat not as comfortable as it could be.
Boot space is fantastic on paper at 524L, but in reality it's best suited for multiple small items rather than one large one. As a sedan, its boot opening is quite narrow – albeit wide – which hampers usability.
So consider it fine for suitcases and the like, but not so good for trips to IKEA or if you want to load your mountain bike. That'll have to go on the roof.
2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 524L seats up |
Length | 4904mm |
Width | 1840mm |
Height | 1445mm |
Wheelbase | 2825mm |
Does the Toyota Camry have Apple CarPlay?
Managing infotainment inside is a 9.0-inch touchscreen system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, meaning you need a USB-A cable to hook your phone up.
The Toyota Camry SX does not offer wireless charging, wireless smartphone connectivity or USB-C fast charging ports. Another downside is the software interface Toyota uses still looks generations old compared to its direct competitors on the market.
Still, it features everything you need, including native satellite navigation, FM/AM/DAB+ radio, and six-speaker stereo. Speaking of which, the sound system is acceptable for the price.
Tracks like Muse's Space Dementia required too much volume to bring out Matthew Bellamy's wonderful piano playing, and David Bowie's Heroes suffered from similar low-level clarity issues too.
If you value a good stereo, you'll have to step up to the 2022 Toyota Camry SL for its superior nine-speaker JBL stereo.
Is the Toyota Camry a safe car?
The 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid wears a five-star ANCAP safety badge having been tested under 2017's criteria.
Although now an outdated testing methodology, it performed well in front offset and side impact protection, scoring 15.16 and 16 out of 16 respectively.
Whiplash protection was also deemed good, whereas pedestrian protection was acceptable. Overall, the 2022 Toyota Camry SX scored 36.16 out of a possible 37 points.
2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2017) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Toyota Camry have?
Toyota's Safety Sense package comes as standard on Toyota Camry SX models, which includes adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition, lane-departure warning with steering assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear sensors, and auto high beams.
One omission includes automatic wipers that are amazingly only offered on the flagship Camry SL model. Something else missing is reverse automatic braking – a technology fast becoming the norm across Toyota's competitors.
In terms of calibration, Toyota seems to have this down-pat. None of the safety systems intervened in a way that was intrusive, and overall the suite acts intuitively to keep you safe on the road.
How much does the Toyota Camry cost to maintain?
Servicing a 2022 Toyota Camry costs $220 every year for the first five years, and the brand expects you to bring the car back every 12 months/15,000km, whichever comes first.
That means three years of servicing sets your back $660 and five years $1100. Compared to others on the market, the Toyota is very affordable to maintain.
Insuring one is about average, too, as a quick insurance quote with the NRMA for a metro-dwelling male born in 1987 with a clean record came in at $1217 a year, or $141.74 monthly.
At a glance | 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $660 (3 years) $1100 (5 years) |
Is the Toyota Camry Hybrid fuel-efficient?
Of course it is. Halfway through testing, we saw fuel-efficiency figures hover around the 5.5L/100km mark, some 0.8L/100km over the official combined claim of 4.7L/100km.
After some more time around town and in slower environments, the figure finalised at 5.2L/100km. If you're keen to minimise your fuel bill, then a Toyota hybrid is worth considering.
In terms of diet, it requires a minimum of 95RON fuel.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 4.7L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 5.2L/100km |
Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
Fuel tank size | 50L |
What is the Toyota Camry Hybrid like to drive?
When the powers of Toyota hybrid and Toyota Camry unite in one automobile, the last thing you expect is brisk performance.
However, in reality you get just that, and it's quite surprising how perky Toyota's twin-motor driveline is. In total there's 160kW to play with, as 131kW and 221Nm are provided by a revolutionary 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, and the rest by a small electric motor and battery, via a constantly variable transmission.
It's revolutionary because it was independently verified to operate at a 40 per cent Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) – higher than the engines in cars from Ferrari, Porsche, and in fact most others on the market. Why this matters is that the engine extracts as much power from all of its heat and explosions as possible, meaning it's as potent-slash-efficient as it possibly can be.
The electric motor is also fantastic at assisting on-roll acceleration efforts with an initial shove. It makes the car feel brisk, and even during 100km/h+ overtakes – typically the last place you'd expect a Toyota Camry to perform.
On a daily metro grind, however, you'll be mostly cruising around in silence. It's around town where they typically shine most, as stop-start traffic is where Toyota hybrids seem to be most efficient.
The transition between electric and petrol engines is smooth but still detectable, which is a good thing. It saves you having to stare at the dashboard if you're ever wondering which engine is doing what.
Testing roads included a drive loop through the north-west of Sydney (Arcadia via Dural), and a leg down south through the Southern Highlands district of New South Wales.
On both metro and rural roads, the Toyota Camry SX Hybrid rides better than the average SUV. There's a clear sense of comfort tuned into the vehicle's suspension, but enough control and firmness to make a country road pleasant at pace.
It feels confident despite being comfortable, and strikes the right balance for our roads and conditions. Road noise is probably its worst trait, as some coarse-chip motorway surfaces do see tyre roar resonate throughout the cabin.
Considering the price point, it feels like a mature and well-sorted product.
Key details | 2022 Toyota Camry SX Hybrid |
Engine | 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol |
Power | 131W @ 5700rpm petrol 88kW electric 160kW combined |
Torque | 221Nm @ 3600–5200rpm petrol 202kW electric |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | CVT automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 97kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1645kg |
Spare tyre type | Temporary |
Tow rating | 400kg braked 400kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 12.4m |
Should I buy a Toyota Camry Hybrid?
If you're not hung up on first impressions, fitting in with your neighbours or an elevated seating position, then deeply consider a 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Our particular SX Hybrid trim level is the value pick of the range, too, as the step up to the flagship Camry SL model – at nearly $10,000 more – brings extras the car is just fine without. Aside from the stereo, that is.
Costing $45,000 drive-away, there's space, frugality, competent road manners, and an ownership proposition that's better than others in the same class.
There's a reason it's one of the only mainstream sedans left in the Australian marketplace that still sells in good numbers.