The global automobile industry has witnessed some serious trends and transitions in the recent past. With the SUV and Crossover avalanche taking up the market, manufacturers have been fighting nail and tooth to sustain their smaller products like sedans and hatchbacks, especially the popular ones. While the sustainable strategy has pushed companies to find in as much value as possible in their products, there also have been other methodologies on the rise. One such popular move recently has been the evolution of “sport-specked” versions of cars in order to woo a wider audience. Today, the market is filled with spirited models of vehicles across every segment and the 2020 Toyota Camry is the latest entrant to the league.
The eighth edition of the Camry launched in 2018 is already the best it has been, but Toyota had some more inclusive ideas. Apart from the regular, hybrid and Nightshade Camry, Toyota was mulling to increase the Camry’s bandwidth with a sporty avatar of the same. As a result of the aforementioned strategy, the new 2020 Toyota Camry TRD slots into the prestigious line-up. Previously, all one could do looking for a sportier Camry was to get one with the V6 engine. Now, the notion turns around with Toyota introducing the first-ever TRD variant of its “long-standing mainstream sedan”. With a whole lot of mechanical changes, the TRD is an altogether different machine that will make you re-think about the Camry’s potential and character.
At first glance, the TRD is instantly recognizable as a Camry, but get up close and you will notice the race-inspired body kit. The 0.6 inches lower body than the XSE is enveloped with “gloss black lower-body add-ons with run-through red-stripe”. The rear end is distinguished by a strut-held spoiler and large chrome-treated twin-exhaust tips instead of the XSE’s quad exhausts. On the inside, the almost-everywhere red-accents remind you that you are inside a Camry TRD. The seats have black and red contrast with red TRD logo, there is red stitching on the doors and the dashboard and even the floor mats get sincere red treatment.
On the mechanical front, the powertrain remains sadly the same 3.5-liter V6 with 301 horses, as in the XSE. We would have surely loved to see the Camry TRD with a bumped up power figure along with the severe makeover. The tweaks that give the TRd all its sportiness include shorter and stiffer springs along with stiffer underbody braces and a V-brace behind the rear seats. The anti-roll bars are also 1.6 mm larger than those in the XSE that reduce the body roll by 44 percent in front and 67 percent in the rear. The updated dampers also get internal return springs and revised valving, while the 0.9 inches larger front brake rotors are now assisted by two-piston capers instead of the single-piston unit. All this revised mathematics is further enhanced by 3.1 pounds lighter TRD-specific rims that are half-an-inch wider and are wrapped with summer tires.
With all the restructuring, the Camry TRD does get some strong induced spirit but is not as potent as more “finely-injected” members of a class above. On the move, power feels adequate enough as usual, and the enhanced liveliness is instantly noticeable. The steering wheel doesn't have a better steering ratio, but the revised aerodynamics, thicker anti-roll bars, and tires make the front axle twist and turn at the slightest movement of the steering wheel. Though the ride quality is a bit on the stiffer side with more direct communication with potholes, the TRD is surprisingly stable in all conditions. Twisty sections of the streets are now negotiated with more grip and confidence with very low body roll. The revised exhausts are grumbly enough, but the orchestra is only enjoyable at lower speeds. At higher speeds, the seeping noise from the wider tires overtakes the exhaust tune. The revised brakes are also more responsive and efficient in their operation. The brake pedal has no signs of early brake-fade like its regular sibling and it bites hard enough to halt the TRD’s momentum from 70-0 mph in just 156 feet.
Overall the 2020 Camry TRD completely changes the notion in our minds about the capabilities of this gentle and popular sedan. It presents a never seen before dimension of the Camry, even if it's construed as an experiment. It's much easier around corners and invokes a driving fun that the Camry nameplate had never been attributed with. Most importantly though, it delivers all its pulse and enthusiasm at a just price of $31,170. At this tag, the desire of a Camry loyalist to get a “sport-bred Camry”, couldn't get any more closer.
