Toyota Camry (XV10)
The Toyota Camry is a mid-size car that was produced by Toyota between 1991 and 1996 in Japan and North America, and 1993 and 1997 in Australia. The XV10 series represented the third generation of the Toyota Camry in all markets outside Japan, which followed a different generational lineage. The XV10 Camry range is split into different model codes indicative of the engine. Four-cylinder models use the SXV10/SDV10 codes, with VCV10 designating the six-cylinder versions, and MCV10 the later six-cylinder cars in North America only.
In its home market of Japan, the XV10 Camry iteration was known as the Toyota Scepter. The previous series of narrow body compact-sized cars continued on using the Camry name in Japan. Both sized cars were available at Toyota Corolla Store dealers.
In Australia, the third generation Camry was sold under three names. Along with the Camry itself, a version badged as the Holden Apollo was also sold as a result of a model sharing arrangement between GM Holden and Toyota at the time. Toyota from 1995 onwards, also began badging the six-cylinder versions of the Camry as the Toyota Vienta in the Australian-market.
Exports from Australia to Thailand commenced in August 1993; Middle Eastern models began export from Australia in February 1996.
Development
The SXV10's smooth and curvaceous shape, lacking of any hard angles seen on previous Camry models, was not what Toyota product planners originally envisioned for the car. In typical style of Japanese designers and engineers of the time, the concept of the SXV10 originally presented by Japanese executives would be an angular sedan, with a fairly narrow body, which would bear a strong resemblance in design to the V20 it was set to replace. However, it would be up-scaled to a mid-size classification. The concept would look much like the MX83 Cressida, but feature a FWD platform with a transverse mounted engine.However, Dave Illingworth, Lexus' first general manager, had expressed genuine anxiety and concerns that the Lexus ES250 would not be well perceived. Similarly, the ES250 later had difficulty appealing to customers in Lexus showrooms against the LS400, which had set standards that revolutionized the entire industry. Accordingly, executives of Toyota's North American division in Torrance, California, argued that the SXV10 Camry should be completely redesigned and that the engineering be updated and modified to better suit American tastes. Toyota's headquarters at the time in Torrance was in close proximity to Laguna Beach and Orange County, where the LS400 was conceived. American Toyota executives in Los Angeles including Jim Press, Robert McCurry, Chris Hostetter, and Dave Illingworth all argued that American landscapes, even in a metropolis setting like Los Angeles, had wider roads, big lawns and landscapes, and thus cars needed a different appearance to appeal to American tastes. McCurry also argued that Americans typically travel longer distances on highways, and so a smooth quiet ride and a wide spacious cabin were important. The Japanese executives in Toyoda City reluctantly agreed, and within a few weeks, Osamu Shikado would pen the design for the new concept, which, as McCurry had argued, needed to resemble the curved shape of the Lexus LS400, particularly in the roofline and flush, curved windows, which also aided to reduce wind noise.
The SXV10 Camry was developed after the ES300, which only featured the 3.0 Liter V6 option. The 4 cylinder option in the Camry was the 5S-FE. Insulation in the firewall, fluid-filled engine sub-mounts and cradling, as well as hydraulic fan technology were shared between the ES300 and Camry. Other developments pioneered for the LS400 such as sandwiching layers of asphalt resin composites and sheets of steel were carried into the SXV10 platform, contributing to a quiet, isolated cabin. Particular areas of challenge in engineering was that the Japanese-variant was several inches narrower, and the entire cradle had to be re-designed and widened. Additionally, CMM requirements were challenging in achieving high levels of accuracy and lack of deviation in the gap between the curved hood and the curved headlamp housings, where the LS400 featured rectangular lamps that were more traditional. Toyota also felt it was important to blend the bumper into the metal fenders with minimal gaps and differentiation in visual cohesion. Engineers also adopted many influences from the LS400 and Lexus ES300 such as alloy lattices and metallurgical eutectic techniques that led to engines with low thermal expansion coefficient, better fuel atomization, rust corrosion, and flusher body panels. The development of reducing NVH levels in the cabin was the result of hundreds of engineers, which was revealed by Chris Goffey during a Top Gear review.
Such high levels of over-engineering was a point of disagreement in product development philosophies within Toyota; where many believed that the vehicle should have been developed closely with the new Lexus brand to help establish the new nameplate and develop buyer interest into upgrading to a Lexus model, some felt the Camry had offered too many features such that it was inappropriate in a car competing for the mid-size segment.
Classification
In development since 1986, Toyota replaced the compact V20 Camry with an all-new V30 series exclusive to Japan in 1990. While marginally larger than the V20, the V30 had to comply with Japanese tax legislation. To meet the "number five" compact car tax bracket, the Camry V30 had to adhere to the width and length limit. Particularly in the United States, this narrower model would not generate enough sales, as proved by its V20 Camry forerunner. Concurrently, the "wide-body" Camry was developed from 1988 and the final design frozen in late 1988. Design patents were filed at the Japan Patent Office on 28 February 1989 for the sedan and for the wagon on 18 July 1989 under patent numbers 820638 and 820654. Introduced to North America on 9 September 1991, the XV10 Camry was sold alongside the V30 in Japan, badged as the Toyota Scepter. Toyota chose the name "Scepter" as a reference to the Camry/Crown naming tradition, as a "scepter" is a symbolic ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of royal regalia.The smaller V30 Camry varied in other areas besides the size. Although the underpinnings, doors and fenders, and overall basic design cues were common between the two cars, the smaller Camry sported harder, more angular front- and rear-end styling treatment, with the wide-body model presenting a more curvaceous silhouette. This was a departure from the V20 generation Camry which, although had many more rounded panels than the V10 series, was nevertheless generally slab-sided in shape.
The XV10 is regarded as the first Camry to break into the mid-size car market, the market Toyota billed as "world-sized". At the same time, the once subcompact Corolla was moved to the compact class, and the Camry moved to the mid-size class. This Scepter model marked the transition away from a smaller vehicle into a larger, more luxurious family car. The first US-built XV10 Camry rolled off the Georgetown, Kentucky plant on Tuesday, 3 September 1991 and the last in June 1996.
The Japanese market received a new V40 series Camry in 1994, yet the XV10 lived on until 1996, before being replaced by the XV20 Camry. Once the Japan-only V40 Camry ended production in 1998, this marked the cessation of separate Camrys—a global Camry—and a smaller Japanese domestic market version. In Japan after 1998, the smaller Vista V50 took up the former V40 Camry.
Powertrains
The XV10, at its most basic level, offered a 2.2-liter 5S-FE four-cylinder engine, up from 2.0 liters in the V20 and V30 Camrys. This unit produced of power and of torque, although the exact figures varied slightly depending on the market. Power and displacement increases were also received for the V6 engine. The 3.0-liter 3VZ-FE unit was rated at and. An all-new aluminium 1MZ-FE V6 debuted in North American models from 1994, with other markets retaining the 3VZ-FE V6. Power and torque rose to and, respectively.Safety
Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety published crash information for the Camry. The Camry was tested for only frontal and frontal offset crashes. NHTSA gave the 1994–1996 Camry four stars for the driver and three stars for the passenger. The IIHS scored the same car "acceptable" overall, with three out of six categories listed as "acceptable" and the other three listed as "good".The Used Car Safety Ratings, published in 2008 by the Monash University Accident Research Centre in Australia found that 1993–1997 Scepter-based Camrys and Holden Apollos provide an "average" level of occupant safety protection in the event of an accident.
Markets
Japan
Toyota in Japan originally released the Scepter as a station wagon imported from the United States in September 1992. Japanese manufacture of the sedan occurred soon after, coming to the market in November 1992. From November 1993, Toyota began importing the coupe model from the United States. Scepters were phased out in 1996, starting with the coupe, wagon, and sedan. The large and spacious wagon, when fitted with third row seating that stowed away under the cargo floor, could accommodate seven passengers. All three body variants were available with either the 2.2- and 3.0-liter engines.North America
For the North American market, Camrys were produced in Georgetown, Kentucky by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky. Introduced in October 1991 as a 1992 model year, automatic transmission became the only option on all but the base and sport model Camrys, whereas previously, a manual transmission was available on the majority of trim levels. In addition to the DX and LE trims, 1992 saw the addition of an XLE luxury trim and the SE sport trim. The SE model differs from the LE and XLE in appearance with the addition of a standard V6 engine, alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and black side mirrors as well as the sports suspension from the Lexus ES 300. The range-topping XLE was equipped with leather upholstery along with an electric sunroof and power adjustable driver's seat. The station wagon body styles were offered in a new seven-seat guise starting with March 1992 production, compared to five in the regular wagon and sedan. These station wagon body variants were also made in right-hand drive configuration for export to Japan, badged as Scepter. Wagons were also produced in Australia. This generation of Camry was featured on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1992 and 1993.Differences between the North American Camry and the Scepter were few. While the North American versions received a revised V6 engine in 1993, the Scepter used the same 3VZ-FE V6 over the entire model cycle. The Scepter headlamps were a wraparound design, using a dual-filament bulb along with integrated fog lights. Unlike the North American Camry, the 1992–1994 model tail lamps did not include red reflectors or side markers. The Scepter also included an updated climate control unit with an LCD display in some models. Other differences include the "Scepter" trunk garnish, fender marker lights, some options, and interior trim.
Toyota released a coupé version of the Camry in 1993, for the 1994 model year with styling very similar to the four-door version, stimulating modest sales. This vehicle would be dropped for the next generation and replaced by the Camry Solara. Also in this year, the 3VZ-FE V6 departed in favour of the new aluminium 1MZ-FE V6. This new engine coincided with the standard fitment of dual front airbags, whereas the 1991 to 1993 Camrys only has driver's air bag.
The Camry was given a facelift in the third quarter of 1994 for the 1995 model year, which design patents were filed for on 8 May 1993 at the Japan Patent Office under patent number 820638-002. Minor exterior changes included a revised front fascia with different front turn signals and reshaped headlamps. Additionally, the rear fascia was updated, now with body-coloured plastic between the tail lamps where the model name "Camry" was printed. This was instead of the red plastic on higher trim levels and black plastic on lower trim levels of the 1992 to 1994 models. The tail lamps themselves were also slightly different. Another change, this time mechanical came in 1996; the 2.2-liter engine was detuned slightly to to meet stricter emissions standards. Additionally, in 1996 the cam angle sensor in the distributor was also replaced with a crank angle sensor to achieve a smoother idle.