First Look: Should You Wait for the 2025 Toyota Camry?
Toyota finally pulls back the covers on the 2025 Toyota Camry, and immediately there’s a problem. This was touted as the ninth-generation Camry, but in reality, it feels more like a facelifted eighth-gen. However, there are some new powertrain features and a new face to talk about. So, should you wait for the 2025 Toyota Camry? Eh.
What the 2025 Camry gets right
We have nothing but Toyota’s claims to go on, but it has addressed some of the most commonly reported cons of the 2024 Camry. For one, Toyota says the seats will be longer with a revised cushion density to improve driving comfort. That’s a welcome sight, as the current seats are too short and stiff for my long-legged frame, and I’m not especially tall.
Furthermore, Toyota states the 2025 Camry gets a “re-engineered suspension and braking system for balanced handling and comfort.” I have no gripes with the 2024 Camry brakes, but the wallowy suspension makes the car feel lazy and numb, so fingers crossed that the new suspension lets you know what the tires are up to. Moreover, Toyota’s sport-class variants (SE, XSE) get “specific, sport-tuned suspension” that we’re excited to experience.
The 2025 Toyota Camry doesn’t fix all of the 2024 Camry’s flaws
Toyota provided us with a host of photos showing off the 2025 Toyota Camry, and it feels like an evolution of the current model rather than an all-new design. Though, for what it’s worth, the current Camry doesn’t have many big flaws.
I’ve driven thousands of miles in my partner’s eighth-gen Camry, both as a driver and passenger. Two minor, but ultimately irritating problems are a coarse engine note from the four-cylinder and frankly miniscule cupholders. Otherwise, the current Toyota Camry does Camry things incredibly well.
We already know that the 2025 Camry is getting an all-hybrid engine lineup, though that may or may not solve the coarse nature of that four-cylinder engine. However, these early photos don’t show any big improvements to the cupholder space in the 2025 Camry.
That’s an issue, as even a fairly standard travel mug doesn’t fit in the center console or door pockets. For a daily-driven commuter car, such an oversight is a real issue. Moreover, it’s one that the newest Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata, the Camry’s closest competitors, have addressed.
An all-hybrid lineup promises more power, and efficiency in the ‘25 Camry
The ninth-generation Camry hits showrooms for the 2025 model year with an all-hybrid lineup for the first time. The base setup combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors to deliver 225 total horsepower for front-drive models and 232 horsepower for all-wheel drive variants. However, a more powerful version doesn’t make the cut, and the TRD Camry dies with it.
It’s possible that a turbocharged Hybrid MAX Camry will arrive for 2026, and with another year of development, a TRD suspension and brake setup could return with it. But for now, Toyota seems happy to deliver a more punchy base Camry with improved comfort and a new-ish face.
About that face
From a design standpoint, not much is different between the current and future Toyota Camry. For 2025, Toyota’s midsize sedan gets the C-shaped LED headlights like the new Prius and a more cohesive, curvaceous grille than the angular outgoing version.
Other than that, the roofline, door designs, and even trunk lid look largely the same. Though the taillights and body-colored rear diffuser get slight updates, the 2025 Camry is immediately identifiable as a Camry, even at first glance.
Will the 2025 Toyota Camry be worth the wait?
The powerful hybrid powertrain is a considerable upgrade over the current base-model Camry. And once we get into one for a test drive we can tell you for sure if those new seats are really as comfortable as Toyota claims. From a distance, though, if you’re considering a 2024 Camry today, you probably won’t feel terrible about picking it up now instead of waiting another seven months for the 2025 to arrive.
