Sheer power may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think about the Toyota Camry—until now. Sure, it’s been America’s best-selling passenger car for the past 17 years. But in general, Camrys usually sell because of their reliability, looks, well-rounded performance, and value.
Enter the 2020 Toyota Camry TRD. While still offering exceptional value, this new model puts the Camry in the conversation as a real sports car. With more aggressive looks and performance, it might reach a new market of buyers—those who are looking for a sleek sports car that’s safe, doesn’t guzzle gas, and will still run like new in 20 years.
Let’s get into some of the features offered by the 2020 Toyota Camry TRD:
Driving and Performance
The Camry TRD still provides the comfortable drive that Camry fans have grown to love. However, the modified chassis dynamics make for a midsize sedan with more precise steering and superb body control, especially around corners.
All current Camrys are based on the TNGA-K platform, which provides sufficient torsional rigidity in its own right. Add the TRD treatment of extra underbody bracing, stiffer coil springs, thicker anti-roll bars, specially-tuned shocks, and bigger front brakes, and performance goes to another level. The Camry TRD also gets 19-inch summer performance tires and reduced ride height (0.6 inches), both of which help the car stick to the road around turns.
Buyers of the Camry TRD will get a 3.5-liter V6 engine that’s good for 301 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Toyota’s D-4S dual fuel injection is present, which means that both multiport and direct injectors are used. The engine is matched with a Direct Shift eight-speed automatic transmission.
Exterior Design
The Camry TRD’s exterior styling is, in a word, aggressive. The subtlety usually present in the family versions of the sedan is gone. Riding with a flashy, pedestal-mounted rear wing, the car rocks a body kit that emphasizes aerodynamics—complete with ground-effect rockers, dynamic front and rear fascias, a mean-looking dual exhaust, and flat-black 19-inch alloy wheels that are exclusive to the TRD. And the airfoils found on the front and back of each wheel opening add a nice touch.
More black adorns the front grille and badging and is offset by red brake calipers. Moreover, buyers who opt for the Barcelona Red Metallic paint job will get blacked-out window trim and mirror caps, along with a gloss-black roof. Simply put, the Camry TRD’s exterior looks fast. Even when parked, it’s easy to imagine it speeding down the highway.
The same aggressiveness is found in the Camry TRD’s interior. In place of the family-friendly features that other trims offer are aluminum race-style foot pedals, red seatbelts, and Toyota’s comfortable Softex-covered seats, which combine the trademark black leather-like material with a red-black cloth scheme. TRD logos adorn the floor mats, leather gear shifter, and seatbacks, while red stitching runs along several areas of the cabin.
The sportiness of the Camry TRD doesn’t sacrifice the comfort that drivers love about the mainstream Camry models. Though the cockpit is more driver-centric than the more traditional trims, high-quality soft-touch materials make for a cabin that feels much more upscale than the price reflects.
There is also ample headroom, legroom and cargo room throughout. Along with a 15.1 cubic-foot trunk, the Camry TRD’s back seat folds down for hauling longer items, and there is plenty of storage offered by the glovebox and center console bin, among several other compartments that hold miscellaneous items.
Safety and Technology
Even given the beefed-up performance and appearance of the 2020 Camry TRD, the sedan is still one of the safer vehicles on the market. As with all the other Camry trims, the TRD comes stocked with Toyota Safety Sense, a safety package that includes several high-tech features, including:
- Lane departure warning with gentle steering assist
- Forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection
- Automatic emergency braking
- Automatic high-beam control
- Backup camera with trajectory lines
- Three years of Toyota Safety Connect (emergency roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, and stolen vehicle locator).
Toyota is breaking new ground with the 2020 Camry TRD. Rather than simply being a family midsize sedan with an optional sport package, this model brings all the power and toughness that Toyota Racing Development can throw at it. So, if you’re looking for a legitimate sports car that still provides the comfort, reliability, safety, and all the other qualities Toyota is known for, then the Camry TRD could be the perfect vehicle for you.
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