Affecting a literary air, I dub this road test: Portrait of a Family Sedan as a Performance Car. The family sedan in this treatise is Toyota’s wholly estimable 2022 Camry, for eight generations the automaker’s de facto four-door passenger car, first as a compact and, for the past few models, a mid-sized vehicle.
The performance aspect is what happens when Toyota takes the V6-powered, front-wheel-drive XSE trim and decides to TRD (Toyota Racing Development) it. The look is definitely Speed Racer-ish, which might appeal to the NASCAR crowd that flock to tracks to see rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered “Camry” race cars go round and round, but there are no actual go-fast bits that boost the TRD’s 3.5-litre six beyond the 301 horsepower it has always pumped out.
Which is not the same as saying there’s nothing special about the TRD, a $3,810 package added to the XSE V6 trim. Indeed, the “sportiest” Camry (Toyota’s words) comes with a host of TRD components, some legit — 19-inch wheels, cat-back exhaust, a lowered and tuned suspension, rear V-brace — and some rather gaudy — the body kit, including a rear diffuser and a Batwing-like rear spoiler. Inside, paddle shifters, aluminum pedals, shift knob and red seatbelts are some of the more distinctive features. Along with the bright Cavalry Blue paint job and black roof, the limited-production Camry TRD is the antithesis of the word “subtle.”
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
But can a 301-hp, front-wheel-drive four-door be a sport sedan? That depends on your priorities, not to mention the fact there’s not much competition out there from which to compare, certainly not at the same price point as the $37,340 tester. Hyundai’s newer Sonata N Line and Kia’s K5 GT sedans come the closest.
The TRD’s straight-line acceleration — a tick more than six seconds to 100 kilometres an hour — is good if not outstanding, with little in the way of torque steer under heavy throttle. Though the silky smoothness of the V6 should not be discounted, a throatier exhaust note through the dual exhaust would be appreciated, at least by older gearheads — I’m holding up my hand — who miss the throaty rumble of a big-displacement V8.
The engine is hooked to an eight-speed automatic, replete with paddle shifters and three drive modes — Eco, Normal and Sport. Using the paddles, the transmission shifts smoothly but not with any great sense of urgency.
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
A more telling example of the TRD’s engineering tweaks is the car’s ride and handling, which is quite impressive for a front-driver wearing P235/40R19 winter tires. The Camry displayed decent grip in a set of S-bends, cornering with little body roll or understeer. Doing so, however, exposed the fact that the seats require a lot more bolster to keep from sliding around. There’s a solid weight to the steering, providing good feedback with the road.
The reworked suspension, which includes thicker anti-roll bars and tuned springs and shocks, along with the previously mentioned additional bracing, results in the TRD riding 15 millimetres lower than regular Camrys. Fortunately, the stiffening doesn’t result in an overly harsh ride — firm, especially over bumpier tarmac, but never punishing. The TRD’s brakes have also been uprated with larger ventilated front brakes with two-piston calipers and a reworked brake booster.
Being the top dog among the Camry’s 13 trim levels (not including the Hybrid versions), the TRD is well contented, with standard features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, push-button start, a 4.2-inch multi-information display, dynamic radar cruise control, and blind-spot monitor system with rear cross-traffic alert. All Camrys feature Connected Services by Toyota Audio, with a seven-inch touchscreen display audio system and integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
That said, this generation of Camry is almost five years old, making it a mature product among today’s crop of family sedans. As such, the cabin, despite the abundant red stitching, the red seatbelts and the embroidered TRD logo on the headrests and floor mats, looks and feels a bit dated, certainly in comparison with the newer forementioned Hyundai/Kia near-twins. For instance, the TRD’s primary instrumentation is lit in retro “jet fighter” red and, when wearing polarized sunglasses, is difficult to read. Also, and maybe I’m being old school here, the fact things such as navigation is a pay-for connected services feature strikes me as cheaping out.
2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD Photo by Brian Harper
Still, the Camry is already the best-selling mid-size sedan in Canada, handily trumping the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and the rest of a depleted bunch, more so since Detroit has all but given up on the segment in favour of crossovers. It’s roomy up front and in the back and has a commodious trunk, making it an ideal family vehicle. In other words, Toyota didn’t have to put together a TRD. So, the effort does not go unappreciated.
Camrys have always been safe, reliable and, more to the point, very middle-of-the-road. The TRD adds a solid measure of fun to the formula. Yes, it is visually over the top and not to everybody’s taste. As to whether it’s a sport sedan, well, the bones are there. Take one out for a drive and decide for yourself.
Keyword: Car Review: 2022 Toyota Camry XSE V6 TRD