The Motor Report Auto News Blog

Toyota has taken the wraps off its latest Hybrid Camry prior to its official unveiling at the upcoming Los Angeles Motor Show. Not to be confused with the Hybrid Camry shown in Sydney, which is a ‘conventional’ petrol-electric hybrid, this hybrid utilises Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as its alternate fuel source.

While only a concept (there’s no plans for production at this stage), the CNG Hybrid Camry returns some solid figures. The gas equivalent of 30-odd litres of petrol will see the Camry travel around 400 kilometres which averages out to about 7.5L/100kms. The low cost of gas and adequate range mean the CNG Camry would be perfect for daily driving duties and the odd out-of-towner.

Toyota chose to mount the gas tanks in the spare wheel well and, as a result, the concept receives run flat tyres. To further push the concept theme and to give the Camry a little more impact in LA, Toyota fitted a mild body-kit (most notable for its closed-in grille) and added larger wheels.

Lower emissions and lower running costs sounds like just what the public and the environment need right about now. An answer may be in the CNG Camry. So long as the fueling infrastructure was in place and the performance acceptable, the CNG Camry could quite easily find a place on Australian roads.