The 2013 Toyota Camry gets a spruced up interior, more technology

Even though the new Toyota Camry was introduced for the 2012 model year, the Japanese automaker has made some interior alterations to the 2013 Camry in response to some of the less than savory reviews of the popular sedan – including more tech goodies in the less expensive trimlines.

When the new Toyota Camry debuted for the 2012 model year, both the media and the consumer sector had some of the typical gripes that come with most new models. It seems like with every new model debut, there are complaints that can be chalked up to nitpicking but Toyota Motor Co has been quick to make adjustments from the complaints about the 2012 Camry.

First of all, the 2013 Toyota Camry L and Camry LE now offer the 6.1” Display Audio screen and for the Camry Hybrid LE – the Display Audio screen also offers fuel economy figures and an system energy display. While these big, bright screens have generally been more common on higher end vehicles, the steady spread of this technology to more and more low priced vehicles has almost made these screens a necessity. The midsized sedan segment is jam packed full of popular models so with every little detail making such a big difference – especially when the competition already offers some of these features – Toyota has moved this technology into the “standard” column for the entry level Camry L and high volume Camry LE to give buyers one more reason to chose Camry.

While the entry level 2013 Toyota Camry L doesn’t receive any finish upgrades for the new model year, the Camry LE packs a host of changes that fix a great many of the complaints about last year’s Camry LE. The hard black plastic on the door panels has been removed to make room for new soft touch panels that should be a great deal more inviting while also providing some cushion on parts of the door panel where the driver or passengers might rest their arm. The contrasting black armrests of the Camry LE Camry Hybrid LE have been replaced with materials that match the rest of the interior trim while those models featuring leather surfaces have new accent stitching.

The sporty 2013 Toyota Camry SE also wears these new soft touch interior panels along with having a standard Blind Spot Monitoring System that now features a cross traffic alert system. Based on the press release on the 2013 Camry, it appears as though the XLE package hasn’t received any upgrades but when you consider the fact that the Camry XLE already has a premium infotainment system, lots of driving aids like the blind spot and cross traffic system and gobs of soft touch materials throughout – there really isn’t much room for improvement.

The changes made to the 2013 Toyota Camry are not elaborate and the addition of the soft touch material seems more like something that many consumers won’t even notice but for those buying an entry level Camry L or the volume model Camry LE – buying a 2013 model comes with a much more luxurious interior than the outgoing model year vehicles. Most importantly, the two less expensive trimlines for the 2013 Camry come with a high end audio control screen that is traditionally found only in higher end trimlines or much more expensive vehicles.