Toyota Camry 2012 Review: Family values

Ask the Taxi drivers in Dubai, and 7 out of 10 will swear by the comfort and reliability of a Camry that see them past half a million km. Having built this larger-than-life reputation for reliability across six generations and for the ultimate resale value in this part of the world, the Camry 2012 takes a new avatar in its 7th generation.

A four-cylinder Camry with a six-cylinder burble. A 2.5L Camry that can do 0-100 in less than 9 sec. A Camry that doesn’t budge while going about bends and roundabouts with a steering prowess that borders on pleasurable. Pleasurable? Is it a Camry we are talking about here? Wasn’t the P word supposed to be ‘Practical’? I guess this is exactly why Al Futtaim chose the Dubai Autodrome to launch the 2012 Camry with even a mini Autocross of sorts. An unconventional venue for an unconventional Camry! The car might not be a GT-R or Quattro, but it holds its place well, the way it gripped the tarmac during hard braking and swift swerves.

Toyota has pitched their hopes and prices higher than usual this time around. Keeping with the growing trend, the new Camry 2012 has been redesigned to claim a place in the union of the sporty and luxury subsets.

First Drive

What transpires on the tarmac needn’t get translated into a sturdy drive on the road. I was hell-bent on putting to test its audacity to claim an all-new sportiness – The 2012 Camry even has a manual S mode for the first time. Throwing it around bends, going far from easy at roundabouts, pumping the pedal almost in a drag race manner – yet the calm of the Camry remained. Most importantly, I ended up in the lane I was supposed to after each of these tricky maneuvers. With the slightest of wheel spin, the Camry 2012 took off from standstill to cross the 100 mark in 9.04 seconds. Not bad at all, but I should admit that the 6-speed automatic isn’t as fast as it sounds. Throttle out on the S mode and the initial velocity gets more appealing.

Starting from AED 88000 for the Camry S and AED 93,000 for the SE, the prices go up to 101,000 for the SE Plus and 102,000 for the Sport version. The base version of Dubai Taxi fame won’t have much of the new sharp looks, so as to allow individual owners of the higher versions a premium signature for the extra they dish out – makes sense.

The Camry 2012 will immensely please its loyalists with its move from the functional to the fashionable and impress skeptics in a way it has not done before: with a well-handled drive.

Read the full story here: http://drivemeonline.com/toyota-camry-2012-first-drive-report/

Hyundai Azera 2012 Review: Premium value for money

Hyundai Azera did always have an identity. Always the flagship mainstream model from Hyundai, it has traveled the motorway of evolution, steering clear of all accusations of plagiary that traced the path of the Sonata; the only charge against the Azera being a tame drive within a dated design. Well, welcome to the times of desirable Hyundais. 

The drive quality of Azera 2012 is elegant and composed with 247 bhp on call, and an excellent mid and high range torque component to tide over a laidback start. Even at high speeds, the car is steady and the ride feels secure. Lane changing is a breeze, though there is a negligible feeling of “play” of the steering with which the Azera just stops shy of attaining the precision and pleasure that demarcates a Jaguar or an Audi of similar size. Yes, size is another thing that gets the Azera to stand out in the porch and lets your rear passengers to stretch their legs comfortably.

Getting ready for your first drive, quit fumbling around the seat-side. Electric seat adjustments are on the doors, shaped to suggest the anatomy of the seat itself. The electronic parking brake is a lift-up button on the transmission console that comes on as you stop. It automatically disengages when you safely shift to “Drive” mode with a foot on the brake. A little less bicep-training there but no more absent-minded drives with the park brake on.

Warning signs are everywhere – from the park brake ding to the speed limit dong. Navigator assisted local speed limit alert nudges you every time you step above the 60 or 80 mark, as the case may be. For those who find this irritating after a while, there is an option to shut it out by muting the sound on the navigator screen – at the risk of a radar ambush. On Jumeirah road, where the speed limit is an unusual 70, the system saved me twice!

One way to achieve greatness is by emulating greatness. The Azera not only offers much of what the guardians of luxury offer, but at times beats them at their own game too. The brand manages to carve out a character even as it is reminiscent of those revered icons. However, what it is yet to achieve is the unequivocal distinctiveness as a premium marque. But the Hyundai Azera 2012 appears to be on the right course to the lofty destination.

Get the full review at http://drivemeonline.com/hyundai-azera-review-the-car-that-has-everything…-almost/