Introduction: The Toyota Camry, a paragon of reliability and about as exciting as a pair of beige slacks, yet crucially integral to the global automotive ballet, owes part of its infamous drivability to its turning circle - a feature often overshadowed by horsepower and torque curves. Pivoting with the finesse of a ballet dancer, the current Camry model boasts a turning circle worthy of tight urban skirmishes and suburban driveways alike. Now let's not dally and dissect how this number, quite literally, measures up against its ancestors and contemporaries.
How has the Turning circle changed over the generations? Starting off like a spiffy young upstart with a 10.60m turning circle in the V10 to V20 (1983-1996), the Camry, as it grew up and possibly wider around the hips, saw this figure bulge to 11.00m come the XV20 (1996-2000). Post millennium models seem coy about disclosing their rotational diameters, but as soon as we leap forward to the XV70 (2019-2021), the Camry seems to have stuffed itself with pudding, puffing up to a rather portly 12.20m, much to the mystery of sedan aerodynamics and urban parking conundrums.
| Generation year | Turning circle |
|---|---|
| Camry, Model year 1983 (V10) | 10 m |
| Camry, Model year 1987 (V20) | 10 m |
| Camry, Model year 1991 (XV10) | 10 m |
| Camry, Model year 1996 (XV20) | 11 m |
| Camry, Model year 2000 (XV20 (1. Facelift)) | 0 m |
| Camry, Model year 2001 (XV30) | 0 m |
| Camry, Model year 2019 (XV70) | 12 m |
| Camry, Model year 2021 (Camry XV70 (1. Facelift)) | 12 m |
The Turning circle size compared to other Toyota models: Dwarfed by the likes of the minuscule Aygo X's 9.40m and its brethren Aygo at an equally adorable 10.00m, the Camry stands at the opposite aisle like a chunky relative at a family gathering. It does, however, wear a smug grin when parked next to the lofty Land Cruiser and its mirror-image turning radius. Even the superhero-ly GR Supra swoops in with a tighter 11.00m figure, validating that size isn't everything. Cleverly positioned, the Camry's turning circle does serve as a middle ground amongst the Toyota family, with the bulk of its siblings flexing tighter torsi and others stretching out a tad more generously.
| Variant name | Turning circle |
|---|---|
| Aygo X | 9 m |
| GR Yaris | 10 m |
| Yaris | 10 m |
| Corolla | 10 m |
| Corolla Touring Sports | 10 m |
| Proace City Electric {VAN} | 10 m |
| Proace City {VAN} | 10 m |
| Proace City Verso | 10 m |
| GR Supra | 11 m |
| RAV4 | 11 m |
| RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid | 11 m |
| C-HR | 11 m |
| Prius Plug-In | 11 m |
| bZ4X | 11 m |
| Proace City Electric Verso | 11 m |
| Hilux | 12 m |
| Mirai | 12 m |
| Proace Verso | 12 m |
| Proace {VAN} | 12 m |
The Turning circle size compared to its nearest competitors: When gatecrashing the rival party, the Camry with its 12.20m spin finds the likes of the Genesis G70's 11.00m or Lancia's Trevi at 10.90m as peculiarly agile by comparison. Even the sprightly Volvo 340/360 ties for the throne of rotation with a modest 9.40m circumference. However, if we're brutally honest, for the sedan archetype, the Camry nestles quite snugly in the segment; not ballerina-level litheness, nor geriatric at the wheel. It finds an artful balance in giving you just enough clearance to miss that maliciously placed shopping cart in the supermarket car park.
| Car model | Turning circle |
|---|---|
| Volvo 940/960 1994 | 9 m |
| Lexus IS 1999 | 10 m |
| Jaguar X-Type 2001 | 10 m |
| Daewoo Evanda 2002 | 10 m |
| Jaguar XE 2019 | 11 m |
| Genesis G70 2021 | 11 m |
| Genesis G80 2021 | 11 m |
| Lexus GS 1993 | 11 m |
| Infiniti Q50 2013 | 11 m |
| Renault Talisman 2016 | 11 m |
| Opel Diplomat 1964 | 11 m |
| Infiniti M 2010 | 11 m |
| Volvo S60/V60 2000 | 11 m |
| Infiniti Q70 2014 | 11 m |
| Cadillac CT6 2016 | 11 m |
| Lexus LS 1990 | 12 m |
| Jaguar XJ 1968 | 12 m |
| Bentley Flying Spur 2005 | 12 m |
| Toyota Camry 2021 | 12 m |
| Jaguar Daimler 1985 | 13 m |