Toyota Kirloskar Motors has launched the fourth generation Prius and the new Camry Hybrid in India, priced at Rs 38.96 lakh and Rs 31.98 lakh respectively.
Based on an all-new Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA), the Prius is powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine that churns out 97bhp and 142Nm. The Hybrid Energy Drive system makes it extremely efficient with a claimed fuel consumption figure of 26.27kmpl. It also gets dual driving modes – Drive (combines electric energy and internal combustion) and EV (only electric energy). Available only in the Z8 trim in India, the Prius gets several features such as push start/stop button, 10-speakers, JBL touchscreen infotainment system, heads-up display, wireless charging, heated seats, 7 airbags and ABS+EBD.
The Camry Hybrid was launched in India in 2013 as a CBU but the latest generation car is produced in India from scratch. Powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, the Camry Hybrid makes a total 202bhp of power. The fuel efficiency figure is claimed at 19.16kmpl.
There isn’t much to differentiate the new Camry from the last generation car except for the addition of 15-inch alloys, full LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, LED fog lamps and electrically foldable ORVMs. Features include a 12-speaker JBL infotainment system with navigation, wireless charging, tyre pressure monitoring system, power recline rear seats and 9 airbags.
The Camry Hybrid is eligible for a discount of Rs 70,000 under the FAME (Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Electric cars) scheme. Toyota Motor Corporation claims to have sold over 1 crore hybrid cars across the globe already and Toyota Kirloskar Motors is targeting for a 20 per cent mark-up from hybrid cars out of its net sales figure in India by 2020. With Tesla planning to join the bandwagon, the time is ripe for electric and hybrid cars in India.