2007 Toyota Camry

Since introducing the Camry sedan in Japan in 1980, Toyota has sold more than 10 million worldwide, with over 6.5 million snapped up in the United States, the world's single largest market for the model. Last year, alone, Toyota sold more than 400,000 of the family freighter, making it the best-selling passenger car in the U.S. for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Never an automaker to rest on its laurels, Toyota will attempt to make 2006 another best-selling year for the Camry, and it'll likely succeed due to the introduction of the all-new iteration you see on these pages. Now in its sixth generation, the 2007 Camry line includes the most powerful version ever as well as the most fuel-efficient example to date. Plus, the new family comes with more standard equipment than ever before and offers the most trim levels yet, now totaling five.

Despite being roughly the same size as the outgoing Camry--the 2007 is an inch wider, an inch lower, and, at 189.2 inches, identical in length to the 2006--the new car appears more compact and more athletic, thanks to tauter sheetmetal draped over a 2.2-inch-longer wheelbase, which now spans 109.3 inches. The sexier styling addresses the major complaint voiced by current Camry owners--too vanilla. Inside, passenger volume is down 0.4 to 2.1 cubic feet, but rear legroom is up half an inch. Toyota engineers have added room where it'll be appreciated and deleted space where it won't be missed. Moreover, cargo volume is up to 16.7 cubic feet, an increase of 1.7 to 2.2 cubic feet.

Similar to the fifth generation, the new gen is offered in four gasoline-powered trims--CE, LE, SE, and XLE--but adds a fuel-thrifty newcomer, a gas/electric hybrid (see sidebar) that's expected to account for roughly eight percent of Camry sales in calendar year 2006.

The entry-level CE, a low-volume variant at five percent of the mix, is no longer the bare-bones penalty box it once was. Standard features on the CE now include 16-inch wheels, a tire-pressure warning system, a six-speaker CD audio system, power windows and door locks, cruise control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic throttle control, and seven airbags. Available only with a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder mated to either a standard five-speed manual or an optional five-speed automatic, the CE will be priced to start under $20,000.

The big-volume LE, projected to account for 60 percent of sales, adds an eight-way power driver's seat and keyless entry as well as the option of a 268-horse, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a six-speed automatic. LE prices will open at about $21,000 for a four-banger with an automatic (no manual tranny for the LE, XLE, or SE V-6), with V-6 versions adding about $2500.

For driving enthusiasts, the SE, the so-called sporty version, offers 17-inch wheels, a black grille, foglamps, front and rear spoilers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, metallic interior trim, and a stiffer suspension. Prices are expected to open at around $22,000 for an SE four-cylinder/five-speed manual and top out at roughly $28,000 for a loaded V-6.

The flagship XLE, which luxuriates with heated mirrors, a premium 440-watt eight-speaker audio system with Bluetooth, dual-zone automatic climate control, faux wood trim, a power moonroof, a four-way-power passenger seat, and leather interior on V-6 versions, will command $24,000 or so for a four-cylinder and about $29,000 for an optioned-up V-6.