One Country Two Camry – 7th Gen Camry Launches in China in Two Flavors

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China is no doubt a strange auto market, in the Eastern Cities you have a GDP which is on par with Western countries but further inland you have cities with a GDP that is on par with many African territories, that is reflected in the auto market where a two tier market exists. Manufacturers are increasingly introducing a two tiered product system into the Chinese market, VW were arguably the pioneers of such a system with multiple generations of the Santana and then the Passat being sold in China, and then later Mazda and Hyundai did a similar trick where the latest and greatest product would be introduced for those with aesthetic and latest technology desires and the older product that caters to those that want the brand, but are not interested in new tech, instead they want to see a record of reliability.

Toyota are just waking up to this game, but instead of doing the old/new combo they are going to offer the Camry in two flavors in China, firstly a ‘regular’ Camry is being offered and then also the Camry ‘Jun Rui’ which will be sold to consumers that are looking for a sexier, sportier, Camry. The old Camry will also be sold in China, likely as the Camry Classic to appeal to those consumers that want the old and reliable face rather than a technicolor wonder car.

The new Camry is being called the Global Camry owing to the models likeness in each market, although in some markets it has had a slight nip and tuck around the front end to cater to local laws and regulations. The Camry Jun Rui costs from just over 190,000rmb for the base 2.0L to 270,000rmb for the top end 2.5S model, but the basic Camry has come in at a 179,800rmb for the base 2.0L and rises to 225,800 for the 2.5L. Clearly the regular Camry is somewhat cheaper, so is the sports model worth the extra few thousand, especially as the 2.5 V6 RWD Toyota Reiz is on the market over at FAW-Toyota dealerships.