Last year Toyota introduced a new model to the Camry Hybrid lineup, based on the sporty-minded Camry SE. Like with the rest

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of the Camry range, the Hybrid SE has been significantly restyled for 2015, with a big, bold new grille and all-new front fascia being the most prominent features. The changes don’t stop there, however, and the rest of the bodywork has also been sculpted and refined to present a much more sophisticated overall look – only the roof remains unmodified, and you could be forgiven for mistaking this new Camry for a Lexus.

As in the past, the Hybrid SE shares various distinctive exterior pieces with the conventionally powered Camry SE, and for 2015 this means it has a dark mesh grille instead of a slatted grille, unique 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and a sport-tuned suspension. To my eye the SE models remain the best looking cars in the Camry range, although the difference is somewhat less pronounced with this latest styling update (past SE models got side skirt packages, which the 2015 SE doesn’t get).

Inside,

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the changes are subtler but no less comprehensive. Compared to the 2014 Camry Hybrid SE, the new car has a restyled centre stack and console, a better-looking three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more restrained seat styling (gone are the contrasting stripes on the back of the SE’s unique black fabric sport seats, and instead the 2015 SE gets red contrasting stitching). Also gone is the fluorescent clock that Toyota favoured for so long. I’ve joked in the past that I’d almost come around to liking the old glowing green clock for its retro appeal, but now the time of day is displayed on the infotainment display instead.

The interior is well fitted out, with plenty of soft-surface materials and nicely surfaced rigid plastics where appropriate. In addition to its unique sport seats, the SE also gets unique scuff plates on the doorsills for a more finished look. There’s certainly a lot of interior space, not only up front but also in the back seats (which boast better than average legroom) and the trunk. The latter will hold 370 litres of luggage,

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which is a little less than a regular Camry because the 1.6 kWh nickel-metal hydride motive battery is mounted in the rear bulkhead. There is a back-seat pass-through, but it’s necessarily small and restricted to one side of the trunk only.

Under the hood the Camry Hybrid SE carries on with the same mechanical bits as before, and these are identical to what’s in the Hybrid LE and XLE: A 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine paired with an electric traction motor and CVT transmission to produce a net total of 200 horsepower. Supporting Toyota’s claim of "V6 power with four-cylinder efficiency," this is somewhat more output than the regular four-cylinder Camry, which generates 178 horsepower from its 2.5-cylinder engine. The Hybrid has the further advantage that 44 of its horsepower come from the torquey electric traction motor, which helps launch it off the line with real authority. Plant you foot to the floor and the Camry Hybrid SE

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will easily squeal its front tires and then accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in about 7.8 seconds flat.

Mind you, it lets you know its working hard when you do this, with the CVT transmission keeping the engine revs high and steady as the car gains speed. Most of the time, however, the Camry Hybrid encourages a restrained, economical driving style and in return rewards you with exceptionally quiet operation and excellent fuel economy. City/highway fuel consumption is rated at 5.7 / 6.1 L/100km using the new 2015 five-cycle test, and I got very close to this myself in real-world conditions, consuming as little as 5.1 L/100km in light suburban traffic, and averaging 6.9 L/100km even when including some heavily congested trips through town.

A button on the console allows you to select Eco mode for even more efficient driving

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(this dulls the throttle response and gives the car a very laid-back feel) and you can also force the car into EV (electric only) mode when there’s sufficient battery power, although this only works for short runs at low speeds. Beyond that, driving the Camry Hybrid SE feels little different from driving a conventionally powered Camry. Toyota has vast experience building hybrid cars, and it shows in the seamless transitions between electric and gasoline power, and in the natural-feeling regenerative brakes.

With its sport-tuned suspension, the Camry Hybrid SE offers competent, buttoned-down handling, although the ride is definitely on the firm side, especially over sharp irregularities such as bridge expansion joints. The car also has a fairly wide turning circle.

In

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base LE form, the Toyota Camry Hybrid starts at $30,030 (including the $1,620 destination fee) and comes equipped with dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, a backup camera, cruise control, power locks and windows, a unique hybrid instrument package, a six-speaker audio system with 6.1-inch display screen, USB connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, and plenty more.

The SE starts at $31,255 destination in, and adds the unique SE styling details, larger alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, sport seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel plus aluminum scuff plates. Notably missing from this list are heated front seats – an omission that really does feel like a bit of a hardship in this segment – and a sunroof. Again, this latter item is something that’s often high on the list for

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sport-minded drivers, but it’s not even an option in the Camry SE.

If you want either of these popular options, or the navigation system, you’ll need to step up the more conservatively styled, softer-sprung Camry Hybrid XLE, which starts at $32,780 with destination.

For those who can live without heated seats and a sunroof, the Camry Hybrid SE offers something just a little different, a hybrid family sedan that boasts a sporty attitude to go along with its efficient green streak. With the same excellent space, comfort and fuel economy as other Camry Hybrids it’s clearly a practical car, but its crisper handling and more aggressive styling ensures that practical doesn’t have to mean dull.
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