2025 Toyota Camry Ascent Sport Review

It's one of the original family cars and one of the best-selling vehicles that Toyota has ever made, though Camry sales have paled in comparison to its newfound SUV rivals.

For 2025, Toyota has introduced the new and improved ninth-generation Camry range to Australia, showcasing a new styling package for the now-larger body, an updated hybrid powertrain and overhauled equipment levels featuring the company's latest tech.

In the modern landscape, though, family buyers are handing over their hard-earned dollars almost exclusively for an SUV package, but is that the right call when the Camry stands ready for action?

To find out, we got behind the wheel of the mid-range Camry Ascent Sport to see if it's the goldilocks variant of the range and just how well the Camry stands up to the family challenge.

Toyota Camry Competition

How Much Does It Cost?

Toyota offers the MY25 Camry range in three different flavours.

The entry-level Camry Ascent is priced at $39,990 while this mid-range Camry Ascent Sport is priced at $42,990 and the range-topping Camry SL is priced at $53,990.

• Camry Ascent - $39,990

• Camry Ascent Sport - $42,990 (tested)

• Camry SL - $53,990

Keep in mind these prices are subject to change and do not include on-road costs.

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Toyota Camry Ascent Sport Hybrid Specifications

What Features Does the Toyota Camry Have?

The entry-level Camry Ascent comes riding on a set of 17-inch alloys and picks up LED headlights and tail lights, adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera with front front & rear parking sensors, black cloth upholstery with a urethane steering wheel, keyless entry & start, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, power-folding side mirrors and an upgraded safety equipment list.

Stepping up to this Camry Ascent Sport variant adds upgraded LED headlights with LED fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, eight-way power adjustment and lumbar support for the driver's seat, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a wireless charging pad.

Toyota's range-topping Camry SL range picks up 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery with heated and ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display, a power-adjustable and heated steering wheel, front and rear camera washers and a digital rear-view mirror.

Toyota Camry Connectivity & Infotainment Features

While base versions of the Camry come packaged with an 8.0-inch infotainment display, stepping up to this Ascent Sport variant adds a larger 12.3-inch infotainment unit.

It's a much more respectable unit, with the added screen real estate making for a much more competitive offering in the modern, tech-heavy landscape than the somewhat basic 8.0-inch unit packaged into the Ascent.

We found Toyota's infotainment system to be user-friendly to operate, responsive to our inputs and offers great brightness levels, even in the midday sun.

The screen is also high resolution and comes backed by enough processing power to keep you moving through menus without an issue.

As standard, there’s a six-speaker sound system fitted to the Ascent and this Ascent Sport, which gets the job done, but feels undergunned compared to the SL's nine-speaker JBL sound system.

All variants pick up AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio and a 12-month subscription to Toyota's connected services suite, while the Ascent Sport and SL are bundled with built-in satellite navigation on top.

Does the Toyota Camry Have Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto?

Buyers will be pleased to know that Toyota's latest technology overhaul for the Camry has been applied to its wireless smartphone mirroring.

As a result, you'll find both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on offer in everything from the Camry Ascent, Ascent Sport and the SL.

Keep in mind that pairing your phone needs to be done while stationary, even if someone is sitting in the passenger’s seat, though it's quick and simple to pair via Bluetooth and then activate wireless Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto.

Once connected, it’s quick and simple to switch the primary connection between your phone or the co-pilot's device and we enjoyed a stable connection during our time behind the wheel.

Is the Toyota Camry Comfortable to Drive?

The Camry is a fantastic passenger car that confidently ticks all the boxes and offers more driving comfort and versatility than a comparable midsize SUV.

Some say it’s boring… we say it's confident and a package that offers Lexus-levels of refinement without the excessive price tag.

The Camry range comes powered by Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system that pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit with a pair of electric motors, channelling a combined 170kW of power to the front wheel via a CVT automatic.

Unfortunately, the Australian market misses out on more powerful, all-wheel drive variants for now but they're likely to be added in the future.

It's not a particularly sporty engine, though the electrical assistance off the line does give the Camry a nice sense of urgency when poked and offers a smooth, linear power delivery.

Instead, Toyota's fifth-gen hybrid tech excels on a more mundane, everyday drive where it remains refined and works away in the background, near-silently, while maintaining excellent fuel economy figures without needing to feather the throttle whatsoever.

Give it the beans and the petrol engine thrashes up a bit, though in everyday driving, it works away quietly in the background, with an excellent transition between electric and ICE power to the wheels that you'll rarely feel.

Around town, the Camry is a predictable, smooth and user-friendly package that makes light work of the urban grind.

There's a lightweight yet responsive steering rack, excellent forward and side visibility and a suspension package that makes the front end feel nice and nimble.

Toyota's hybrid system offers very minor regenerative braking when lifting off the throttle, with a nice, balanced feel from the brake pedal, with power redirected to a 4Ahr battery pack that offers short stints of electric power.

The ride quality around town is also excellent, with the Camry's suspension package making light work of moderate bumps and even cushioning sharper bumps and potholes with ease.

Pick up the pace and hit a rougher stretch of country road and the Camry is more than happy to oblige.

In fact, the Camry’s versatility on rougher B-roads is actually one of the things that impressed us the most, with Toyota's suspension hardware ironing out bumpy surfaces while keeping body roll very much in check during cornering.

This gives the Camry an undeniable allure as a long distance tourer, especially when you consider its added abilities in the corners thanks to its lower-slung centre of gravity over a comparable SUV package.

On the highway, the Camry is a peach.

You could really fool yourself into thinking you’re driving an EV a lot of the time thanks to Toyota's attention to NVH levels inside the cabin, smoothness of the hybrid powertrain and super capable suspension package underneath.

The Toyota Camry is one of the most impressive all-rounders at this particular price point and matches, if not exceeds the levels of versatility and user-friendliness around town buyers have flocked towards SUVs for.

In short, it's every bit as comfortable around town while offering better handling abilities than a taller and heavier SUV and remains incredibly confident when tackling rougher Aussie roads.

A true Jack of all trades for Australian families, then.

Is it Fuel Efficient?

You bet it is.

The MY25 Camry lineup picks up Toyota's fifth-gen hybrid tech which is designed first and foremost to trim down on your fuel bills.

One of the most liberating things about Toyota’s hybrid powertrains is that you don't need to feather the throttle and adjust your driving style in order to hit some seriously impressive driving figures.

On a combined cycle, the Camry is rated at 4.0L per 100km, the same figures the company lists for its highway and city driving cycles.

During our time behind the wheel, we covered more than 900 kilometres worth of town, country and highway driving while averaging 4.2L per 100km.

This shows that it really is an easy feat to match Toyota’s fuel economy claims, though for reference, we left the drive mode in 'eco' for the entirety of the road test.

The Camry comes fitted with a 50L fuel tank that gives it a maximum theoretical range figure of 1,250kg, while CO2 emission figures stand at 91g per kilometre on a combined cycle.

• Toyota Camry Fuel Economy: 4.0L per 100km (claimed)

• Toyota Camry Fuel Economy: 4.2L per 100km (tested)

Is it Practical and Spacious?

The Camry offers space and practicality levels that take its midsize SUV rivals head-on when it comes to the family test.

While it might not be the most eye-catching interior design on the market, Toyota has clearly paid attention to just how usable a family car's cabin should be and it excels when it comes to both space and storage options.

Climb inside and first impressions of the Camry Ascent Sport's cabin are a little underwhelming on the design front, though generous on the practicality front.

Toyota has carried over its trademark design feature that sees elements of the dashboard flow down in front of the passenger, making its way to the centre console.

There’s a set of horizontal lines stretching from the passenger's air vents to the infotainment display which is flanked by the cloth finishes below that make their way to the door sills.

In terms of aesthetics, then, it's a familiar but more contemporary take on the Camry design.

The driving position is - obviously - lower than you'll find in a similarly-sized SUV package, though forward and side visibility remain strong, while the adjustable driving position allows you to gain a better view over the low-slung dashboard, if needed.

The cloth-upholstered seats are also nice and comfortable, with decent side-bolstering that holds you nice and snug without being constrictive.

Ergonomics are also a strong point, with the Camry’s steering wheel picking up reach and rake adjustment, while this Ascent Sport variant picks up an eight-way power adjustable captain's chair with lumbar support.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel is nice and chunky and there's a soft leatherette finish for your elbows which ticks a very important box on a long haul up the motorway.

The fit and finish of the centre console is a little cheap, however, with more side-to-side wiggle than we've come to expect from Toyota.

The piano black finish that covers a hefty portion of the console itself, air vents and infotainment display surrounds is also a little on the cheap side and remains both easy to scratch and a magnet for fingerprints and specks of dust.

Storage options in the Camry are very, very solid. More plentiful than a number of the best-selling medium SUVs on the market.

The centre console plays host to a pair of cupholders that sit in front of a large, open and rubber-lined storage tray sitting beside the wireless charging pad.

There's also a tonne of space inside the long centre console armrest, a decent-sized glovebox, a sunglasses stash and door bins that can eat up a small bottle and an aluminium can, with added space for some narrow items like papers.

Move to the rear of the cabin and the Camry really throws down the gauntlet to its rivals when it comes to second row accommodation.

Behind a 185cm driving position, my legs weren't even touching the back of the seats.

This means that you're unlikely to hear a peep from kids sitting in the back of the cabin and asserts the latest Camry once again as a people-carrying hero and testament of why you see so many put to work by transport fleets.

Headroom is a little tight for adults in the rear seats, though not prohibitive.

Three-abreast seating is a little tight for adults, though it remains possible thanks to the Camry's decent body width proportions.

Amenities in the Camry's second row include a pair of USB-C charging ports, air vents, coat hooks, map pockets, bottle holders and a folding armrest with two cupholders.

For the parents out there, the Camry comes fitted with a pair of ISOFIX anchors on each side of the cabin as well as three top tether mounts sitting readily accessible on the rear parcel shelf.

The Camry's rear doors open nice and wide, making it reasonably easy to access the second row while installing a child seat.

How Big is the Toyota Camry's Boot?

The Toyota Camry very much holds its own when it comes to boot space.

Pop the boot and you've got a large and wide cargo bay that can eat up a set of golf clubs, a bulky pram, school run or a mammoth run to the shops inside.

Toyota says there's 524L worth of real estate in the boot, putting it amongst the best in the segment while making some comparable SUV packages blush when it comes to outright capacity.

Fold down the Camry's 60/40 split rear seats via one of the two levers in the boot and you can load it up with longer, bulkier cargo.

Arguably, the biggest thing holding the Camry's practicality chops back is the tunnel between the boot and the second row, which limits your ability to load it up with tall or wide objects, because things narrow down in between.

It's not a huge deal but it does showcase one of the key differences between a sedan and an SUV package, with the latter offering taller boot dimensions, especially with the rear seats folded.

Underneath the boot floor you'll find some tools and a space-saver spare tyre.

Is it Safe?

Toyota bundles in a long list of active safety tech in all versions of the Camry, making it very competitive in the modern landscape.

As standard, buyers pick up forward and reverse AEB with pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist and oncoming vehicle detection as well as intersection collision avoidance, emergency steering and wrong-pedal mitigation.

Buyers also pick up adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alerts, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assistance with lane departure alerts, attention monitoring, safe exit alerts, a rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines, a neat top-down view and both front and rear parking sensors.

All things considered, that's a healthy stack of safety tech, with Toyota happy to throw it all into the entry-level Camry Ascent.

Does the Toyota Camry Have an ANCAP Safety Rating?

The Toyota Camry wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating after testing in 2024 saw it score the following marks.

• Adult Occupant Protection: 95%

• Child Occupant Protection: 87%

• Vulnerable Road User Protection: 84%

• Safety Assist: 81%

What Warranty Does the Toyota Camry Come With?

Toyota offers the MY25 Camry range with a five-year/unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty.

This warranty stretches out to seven years in total for the engine and driveline if you keep it serviced on time and within the dealer network.

There's also a separate battery warranty that can stretch out to ten years, once again if you keep it serviced within the network.

Buyers also pick up capped-price servicing for five years, which is priced at $255 a pop, or a total of $1,275 over five years, which makes it a very affordable car to keep maintained.

Service intervals for the Camry range stand at 12 months or 15,000 kilometres.

Our Verdict: Is the Toyota Camry Ascent Sport Worth it?

The latest, ninth-generation Camry charmed our socks off and remains a very compelling reason to step away from the conventional SUV crowd.

It’s a fantastic sedan package that stands strong in the face of a family's needs while providing seriously impressive levels of refinement behind the wheel and far more versatility when you leave smooth city streets in the rear-view, thanks to its hearty suspension package that adds confidence on country roads.

Better yet, Toyota's fifth-gen hybrid system under the bonnet means you can match the official fuel economy claims and average a seriously impressive 4.0L/100km, quite the feat for something that can comfortably accommodate five people and their belongings.

Within the MY25 Camry lineup, we think the mid-range Ascent Sport is actually the pick of the bunch. It offers a healthy range of enhancements, namely the larger display, without upgrading to the range-topping Camry SL which demands a pretty steep premium.

If you’re looking for the best possible price on your next car, don't forget that our team of car-buying experts is ready to help - reach out today.

Five Toyota Camry Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty can extend to seven years

2. Up to ten-years of hybrid battery health checks when serviced in network

3. 4.0L per 100km fuel economy figures

4. 524L boot space with space-saver spare tyre underneath

5. Five-star ANCAP safety rating (tested 2024)