Remember when the Toyota Camry was the poster child for sensible car buying? It was the one your accountant uncle drove to the office, the one your parents bought because “it’ll last forever,” and the one you forgot was even parked in your driveway because it blended into the background like a beige filing cabinet.

Well, that same Camry is still alive and kicking, despite SUVs having eaten everyone’s lunch over the past decade. In fact, Toyota flogged nearly 600,000 of them in 2024. That’s more cars than most brands manage across their entire lineup. Clearly, the Camry is still the default setting for the world’s middle managers.

But in India, Toyota thinks the Camry could do with a little more… spice. Enter the Camry Sprint Edition, a car that looks like it’s just binge-watched Fast & Furious and ordered a matte-black wrap at 2am.

The Sprint Edition takes the regular hybrid Camry and slaps on a Matte Black hood, roof, pillars, and bootlid, so the thing suddenly looks like it’s trying out for the role of “mildly intimidating Uber Black.” You can pair this stealthy two-tone with one of five rather dramatic paint jobs—think Emotional Red (that’s actually the name, not a Tinder bio), Cement Grey, or a very moody Dark Blue Metallic.

To complete the transformation, Toyota’s local arm—Toyota Kirloskar Motor—has bolted on a new set of black alloys, added a lip spoiler, and given it bumper extensions that make it look angrier than it really is. From some angles, it’s almost convincing. From others, you’re reminded this is still a Camry—a car whose wildest party trick is offering ventilated seats.

And here’s the rub: while it looks friskier, the mechanical bits are completely unchanged. Underneath, it’s the same 2.5-litre hybrid, churning out a respectable but hardly thrilling 227hp and sending it all to the front wheels only. So, despite the “Sprint” badge, don’t expect Nürburgring lap times—this Camry’s idea of a sprint is probably just overtaking a tuk-tuk.

Still, the equipment list is nothing to sneeze at. Dual 12.3-inch screens? Check. 360-degree cameras? Check. Head-up display, wireless charging, ventilated thrones, and the full Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 nanny system? All present and accounted for. Basically, you’re getting a luxury car dressed up as a sporty one.

The kicker? The Sprint Edition costs ₹48.50 lakh (around $55k)—the exact same as the boringly named Hybrid Elegant trim. Which means you can pick: do you want your Camry to look like it’s sipping tea at the golf club, or like it’s sneaking out at night to race a Honda City? Either way, your wallet takes the same hit.

So, is the Sprint Edition revolutionary? Of course not. But it does prove that even the most sensible, beige, dad-spec sedan can have a go at dressing up for the party. The Camry may never be a Supra, but at least now, it’s not just your uncle’s car—it could be your uncle’s car with a matte-black hood and a secret Instagram account.

Source: Toyota Kirloskar Motor