Toyota Camry Hybrid Is Comfortable But Slow On The Moose Test

The Camry is Toyota’s largest model on sale in Europe where the current generation of the sedan replaced the Avensis a few years ago. Featuring similar characteristics to the US Camry, the vehicle for the Old continent is sold as a hybrid with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gas engine. It’s not the most dynamic machine on the market but it surely does its job of comfortably taking you from point A to point B. But how does it perform in the moose test? It’s time to find out.

The team at km77.com has a new episode of its YouTube series in which modern vehicles are tested on the famous moose test. The European specification of the Camry is the latest guest with its hybridized four-cylinder mill producing 215 horsepower (158 kilowatts) and 163 pound-feet (221 Newton-meters) of torque.

At 4.9 meters long, the Camry Hybrid is not exactly compact especially measured by Europe’s standards. This easily explains why the sedan is not nimble around the cones in the test, despite staying relatively stable on the ground. At 48 miles per hour (77 kilometers per hour), the Camry didn’t manage to finish the maneuver without hitting the cones and it seems that the late intervention of the electronic stability system was to blame. It’s important to note the vehicle was riding on Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 tires in 235/45 R18 94 size.

The highest speed at which the test was successfully passed was 45 mph (73 kph), which may not be a record but is still decent considering the size and weight of the hybrid sedan. The test pilot found the reactions of the car were very predictive at this velocity, though all attempts at a higher speed weren’t successful. Overall, even not quite fast, the car felt comfortable and safe in the moose test.

The situation was identical in the slalom. The Camry Hybrid showed a good reaction when going around the cones, though it never felt quite like a nimble or performance vehicle. Thanks to its quick-reacting hybrid powertrain, the final slalom time was more than adequate putting the Camry Hybrid next to the BMW iX xDrive40 and Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI.