Will global warming change the seasons? Cliche as it may sound, its time to play our part and help heal the world.

Photos: Low Fai Ming

Location: Courtesy of Hort Park 

Ask for what end the heavenly bodies shine,

Earth for whose use, --- Pride answers, "'Tis for mine":

For me kind Nature wakes her genial power,

Suckles each herb, and spreads out every flower;

Annual for me the grape, the rose, renew

The juice nectareous and the balmy dew; (Alexander Pope)

Automotive technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the years, branching out into various disciplines all in the name of progress. Some manufacturers choose to outdo the competition in the performance stakes while others diligently plod on in search of a greener conscience, just like Toyota... After having spent some time with Toyota’s new 2.4 litre Camry Hybrid, a car Toyota claims is its most important model in 50 years, the verdict is pretty clear. This car is just as good to drive as its petrol-powered sibling, and in some other aspects, even better, but can it justify the price tag of an extra few thousand quid over its sibling?

For starters let us take a visual tour round the car's exterior. At first glance, the car looks no different from its petrol-powered sibling, unless you are comparing it with the parallel imported JDM one. However, if you peer intently at the car, there are indeed some changes albeit subtle made to differentiate the Camry Hybrid from the petrol variant such as the blue trimmed head and tail lights as well as the Hybrid Synergy Drive badges that adorn the bodywork. Other visual features that set the Camry Hybrid apart would be an all-new chromed out front grille and a more aerodynamically styled bumper. The test car that we drove is a Light Blue Mica colour option that is available only for the Hybrid. However, even with these changes, I reckon our Camry Hybrid would have been more appealing if it was infused with the styling of the Camry Hybrids from Australia and/or America.

Moving inside, the trend of subtly doesn't buck as the Camry Hybrid similarly sports an interior that is an almost exact mimicry of the normal Camry and the 'spot-the-difference' contest begins once again. As you plonk yourself down on the very comfortable and fully electric driver's seat, staring in front of you is the Camry Hybrid's dashboard, notice anything that is missing yet? What is now present in place of a tachometer in the Optitron instrument cluster is a fuel economy gauge that tells you how eco-friendly you have been when driving, with the multi-informational display under the speedometer rating your fuel efficiency. What's lacking however, is a human voice on the TomTom navigation system that would direct you to the nearest hospital to amputate that lead foot of yours and replace it with a carbon-fibre prosthetic leg should you be driving this Camry like a Kyle Busch #18 Toyota Camry from NASCAR.

Apart from the above mentioned, the Camry Hybrid gets a more luxurious treatment in terms of amenities like keyless entry, ventilated front seats that blows cold air out, a motorised sun shade for the rear windscreen and manual blinds for the rear passenger windows. Other than that, the Camry Hybrid gets the usual bells and whistles of classy wood trimmings, leather upholstery and generous rear legroom just like its petrol-powered sibling.

On the roads, the Camry Hybrid performs ably despite its earth saving moniker. Featuring a 2.4 litre that churns out 150 horses on its own and a total of 190 when combined with its electric motor, the Camry Hybrid is no slouch compared to its sibling which only has 167 horsepower in stock form. As for the pulling prowess of this car, coupled with the electric motor, a grand total of 270 Nm worth is torque is available, and coupled with a CVT transmission, the car goes from zero to 100 in a respectable nine seconds with typical Camry comfort. In addition, the Camry Hybrid receives the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system, a feature that was once found only in Lexus. With the VDIM, all aspects of the car's handling such as traction, stability and braking are managed by the system, should the car ever find itself in a situation that needs bailing out.

In summary, the Camry Hybrid is making the right splashes in the market as an affordable alternative to the other hybrids offered on the market. Though more expensive than the 2.4 litre petrol-powered Camry, the Camry Hybrid in comparison, is a car on par with its sibling in comfort and at the same time outshines it in performance and fuel efficiency, especially in stop and go situations where the car stays in its electric mode. This in turn helps you play your part in saving Gaia by conserving that extra bit of fuel as well as reduce your carbon dioxide emissions. Its time for you to make your peers go green with envy from your reduced petrol expenditure.