2010 Toyota Hybrid Camry Fuel Consumption Confirmed: 6.0 l/100km

TOYOTA AUSTRALIA HAS confirmed its own expectations of the 2010 Hybrid Camry this week, with ADR testing returning official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures of 6.0 l/100km and 142g/km.

Speaking at the Hybrid Camry's press launch last month, Toyota Australia's Peter Evans said that, based on the company's own internal testing, numbers in the low 6.0 l/100km range were expected.

Based on those numbers, Toyota claims commuters could potentially save as much at least 1100 litres of fuel each year by driving a Hybrid Camry.

Compared to its competitors, the Hybrid Camry's fuel consumption is promising. The 2010 Holden Commodore - with Holden's new SIDI engine - returns around 9.3 l/100km. The Ford Falcon offers figures of about 9.9 l/100km (although a four-cylinder EcoBoost Falcon is expected this year).

The Hybrid Camry also betters the likes of the Honda Accord Euro's 8.9 l/100km and the petrol-engined Mazda6's 8.4 l/100km.

In fact, the Hybrid Camry's fuel consumption is on par with the carmaker's smallest offering in Australia, the Toyota Yaris.

Against diesel models of a similar size, the Hybrid Camry is outclassed by a few badges. Try the manual Skoda Octavia with 5.7 l/100km, the Volkswagen Jetta 77TDI with 4.9 l/100km and the 5.9 l/100km of the Mazda6 Diesel.

Although it is still awaiting official testing, Toyota expects that the Hybrid Camry will achieve a 5-Star rating in the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide.

With the question of fuel economy answered, the main concern now becomes purchase price.

While final pricing details will be announced closer to the car’s launch next month, sources say the price differential between the Hybrid Camry and a similarly-specced Camry Ateva will be under $4000, putting the Hybrid Camry’s price tag around the $35,000 mark.