Camry with convention

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TEST DRIVE

Thailand's best-selling mid-size saloon is now better on the move, but...

Published: 2 Apr 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: Life

The fact that Toyota has managed to shift more than 1,000 Camrys of the outgoing model out of Thai showrooms every month isn't surprising at all.

Firstly, the Camry comes from Thailand's most popular and biggest-selling brand, meaning that buyers are guaranteed peace of mind because of its widely available servicing facilities and strong residuals.

Secondly, the Camry exemplifies the typical Japanese mid-size saloon that so many Thais have come to love: comfort, spaciousness and opulence (for a mass-market brand).

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oranda
Post : 5
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Discussion 6 : 08 Apr 2012 at 07.526
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2 air bags are something you get from cars made in the late 90's. Latest Camry in developed countries would come with 7 airbags even in the cheapest model. Most car manufacturers here think Thai people's lives are not important enough but are dumb enough to buy them anyway. Some car models only still have only driver side air bag.
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moody
Post : 48
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Discussion 5 : 07 Apr 2012 at 13.115
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There was a time when four-door pickup trucks were taxed the same as cars like the Corolla and Camry and nobody bothered about them. Four-door pickups only managed to sell when Ford lobbied for a special excise tax. As #4 correctly said, pickups are cheap. Try giving it the same tax as cars and Thais will buy cars any day instead
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christianl
Post : 114
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Discussion 4 : 07 Apr 2012 at 11.344
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#3

It's called taxes. The US taxes cars extremely lightly, and the same goes for fuel. In most of the world cars are much more expensive than in the US. In Asia especially, this is the norm. Pick-ups are cheaper because of the perverse tax system here, even though they have big diesel engines and weigh much more and so should be taxed MORE and not less if you look at emissions. Most middle and upper class thais associate pick-ups with dirt, farming and Lo-So people and so won't touch them. I somehow agree, who the hell wants to bounce around in a stupid diesel tractor, when i don't plan on hauling garlic any day soon? The only reason is that it's cheap. In the US and Europe it can be quite cool with a big truck, never so in Asia.
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roy2310
Post : 19
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Discussion 3 : 06 Apr 2012 at 00.493
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Can someone explain to me, how a V6,3.5 fully loaded Camry in the USA, only cost $30.000, about one million baht, 2.5 fully loaded camry about $26,0000, standard 2.5 about $22.000. they must be a lot of tax added on here, not sure just wondering, nice car, but still not worth $48,000. I go for the hulix any day
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moody
Post : 48
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Discussion 2 : 02 Apr 2012 at 18.312
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That what happens when brands have a big market share. At least the Camry Hybrid looks better value with its tech and spec.
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1morething
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Discussion 1 : 02 Apr 2012 at 10.121
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I saw the the new Camry at a shopping plaza last week and it was very bland looking when parked next to other non Toyota cars. I had to look carefully to see that "oh it is the new one". The front kinda looks like the Teana, insert Nissan logo and presto Nissan. The exclusion of side impact air bags and stability control in the non hybrid Thailand version is a sad comment on safety for such a major brand. The Camry in other markets get the stability control on all models, a proven and important safety devise. Why not Thailand.
The reviewers note on the look of the Camry from the side view is especially true....looks like the old model.
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Camry with convention | Bangkok Post: auto