2018 Toyota Camry Drivetrains Buck the Trends - No turbos, no diesel

Toyota's all-new 2018 Camry rides on a new lower and wider platform with a longer wheelbase. This new larger footprint and lower center of gravity will be coupled with all-new powertrains to offer better performance and driving enjoyment.

Those who know the Camry may be surprised to hear that the engine lineup still includes a V6, a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and a new generation hybrid. Many expected that this would be the year that Toyota would move the Camry away from V6 power to a 2.0-liter turbo, like so many of its peers have. Most who know the Toyota brand will not be surprised that Toyota has ignored the diesel fad of late and will offer class-leading fuel economy with its newest hybrid.

Toyota's 3.5-liter V6 will feature D-4S Fuel Injection and a new 8-Speed automatic transmission. Expect peak power to be about 275 hp and combined fuel economy of around 26 MPG on regular unleaded fuel. The all-new "Dynamic Force Engine" 2.5-liter four cylinder will offer more power and torque across its full range of operation, while improving fuel economy. Toyota claims a world-leading 40-percent thermal efficiency. Toyota says the engine's top-level performance comes from "... its long-stroke and high compression ratio, multi-hole direct fuel injectors, variable cooling system and the latest version of Toyota’s Variable Valve-Timing-intelligent Electric (VVT-iE)." The four-cylinder also gets the 8-speed. Look for a combined fuel efficiency of about 30 MPG and roughly 190 hp.

Although fuel efficiency will bump up a bit for the new Camry Hybrid, the real news is a sport model. The Camry Hybrid Sport will use an electric boost of power to increase performance. The Hybrid Sports' battery has been moved to the trunk for better balance. The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) features a new Sport Mode setting which allows it mimic the operation of a sequential 6-speed paddle shifted transmission for better control and more driver involvement.