2025 Toyota Camry Goes 100% Hybrid

While the Camry is no longer Toyota’s top-selling vehicle in the U.S. (the RAV4 now holds that spot), it’s still very popular, selling roughly 300,000 cars yearly. So, with that in mind, any redesign requires a careful balance between satisfying existing customers who might want to buy the model again and appealing to new buyers. The just-revealed 2025 Camry does a good job by keeping and evolving much of what already works with the sedan. That said, the most notable design change with the 9th-gen Camry is its front end. But it’s also what’s under the hood.

Starting with the 2025 model year, the Camry will only be available as a hybrid. Leveraging Toyots’s 5th-generation hybrid drivetrain, all Camrys will get a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors. While it will come in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants, the power difference is modest, with the FWD producing 225 combined horsepower and the AWD making 232 horses. Those are meaningful improvements over the old 4-cylinder models, but sadly, the 301-horsepower V6 Camry is no longer an option. Expect improvements in AWD power distribution thanks to a new electronic on-demand system instead of mechanical AWD.

Viewed from the side or rear, the new Camry doesn’t look that different than the old model, with the most noticeable change being the revised taillamp design and the addition of an “HEV” badge to indicate that it’s a Hybrid Electric Vehicle. The outgoing Camry Hybrid has excellent fuel economy with a combined 46 MPG. Toyota has yet to reveal fuel economy data for the 2025 model, but they say the new vehicle has lighter and more compact motors, so they likely maintained or improved on MPG.

Perhaps the most significant changes in the new Camry are on the inside. It has a more modern and open look, and the touchscreen is much better integrated into the dashboard. An 8-inch display comes standard, but the 12.3-inch widescreen is shown here. The latest Toyota Multimedia System includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. LE and SE trims get a 7-inch digital instrument cluster alongside analog gauges, while XLE and XSE grades get a 12.3-inch full-digital instrument cluster.

Camry LE buyers get woven fabric seats with a pattern inspired by ocean waves. The SE gets synthetic leather SofTex seats, while the XSE has leather seating. To add to its luxury, the XLE gets a combination of leather and Dinamica microfiber seats. While I’ve not had a chance to sit in them, Toyota says the seat cushions and headrests have been upgraded to improve comfort. Front seat heating and ventilation are available on XSE and XLE cars.

Like the outgoing Camry, the LE/XLE grades are more conservatively styled, while the SE/XSE grades have a more sporty look. This is most obvious in the grille design, which has a horizontal bar design on the LE/XLE and an extruded mesh design on the SE/XSE. Which one you like more is a matter of personal taste, but I’m partial to the look of the XSE with its color-matched grille, dual-tip exhaust, and black and smoke-grey 19-inch alloy wheels. The SE and XSE get a sport-tuned suspension, while the XLE gets acoustic laminated front and side windows for a quieter ride. Toyota will offer the 2025 Camry in two new colors: Ocean Gem and Heavy Metal.

Toyota has yet to announce pricing for the 2025 Camry but says the new car will be available in dealerships starting in the Spring of 2024. While the updated Camry doesn’t appear to be dramatically different than its predecessor, Toyota knows what it’s doing when it comes to customer loyalty. I’m sure they’ll continue to sell plenty of them. The move to an all-hybrid strategy is something Toyota has successfully done with other vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, so it’s not entirely unexpected. Still, I will miss the V6 power and performance of the Camry TRD.