Toyota Camry Hybrid Takes Dreaded Moose Test and Let's Just Say It Could Have Done Better

The first and second runs, which featured entry speeds of 76 and 73 kilometers per hour (47.2 and 45.3 miles per hour), concluded badly for a few cones. The third run was also taken at 73 kph, yet the vehicle cleared the course without any sort of carnage thanks to more aggressive steering.

“It’s not a high speed,” notes the gentleman behind the wheel of the Camry, “far from it. The upside to this attempt is that the car’s reactions were easy to control. Overall, I felt comfortable with the car’s reactions.” The Camry is exclusively offered with hybrid assistance in the Old Continent, be it mainland Europe or the United Kingdom.

Priced at 41,000 euros (make that 40,830 dollars) in Spain, where km77.com is based, the Japanese sedan tips the scales at 1,670 kilograms (3,682 pounds) and needs 8.3 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). Somewhat of a rarity on European roads, the Camry left much to be desired in the slalom as well. “It never felt particularly nimbler or fast,” crossing the finish line in precisely 25 seconds. That puts it on par with the 1.0-liter SEAT Ibiza supermini and under the likes of the BMW iX xDrive40 (24.8 seconds). Even the Aiways U5, which is a Chinese sport utility vehicle with electric propulsion, was a little quicker (24.7 seconds).

The undisputed leader in the slalom test is the Polestar 2 with 22.8 seconds under its belt, followed by the Audi RS 3 Sportback (five-door hatchback) with 23.1 seconds and MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 (23.3 seconds). The worst-performing models come in the guise of the Toyota Aygo X Cross (26.1 seconds), Peugeot e-2008 (25.3 seconds), and the SEAT Ibiza’s sibling from the Volkswagen Group’s most popular brand (25.2 seconds).