2015 Toyota Camry facelift previewed in the States...and the beast becomes slightly beautiful, and salable again.

I think Toyota Malaysia can breathe a sigh of relief again soon. The current Toyota Camry is a horrid, horrid looking thing. It looks like a piece brick with the front of a steam locomotive installed on it. But now, over in America, Toyota has just previewed the 2015 Toyota Camry at the 2015 New York Motor Show. The new Camry looks good, even almost good looking with all of Toyota's latest styling language.

Now as the Malaysian Toyota Camry styling is actually based on the Toyota Camry sold in Russia and the Toyota Camry Aurion 3.5liter sold in Australia. This isn't completely different from the ones sold over in the States as it only requires slightly different bumpers, grille and maybe a fender change up front and at the rear. And if I were Toyota Malaysia (UMW Toyota Motors) I would be begging Toyota Global to supply us with this new facelift as soon as possible.

You folks should be aware that you actually see less new Camrys on the road compared to the previous model. No, it is not because Malaysians suddenly realised that they are just buying it for the badge or that it drives like a boat instead of a car. It is simply because the Camry looks like crap. There is no simple way of putting it. It looks so bad that Toyota Malaysia had recently launched something called the 2.0G X (pictured above - note the X is not GX but G X. NOT that it makes any difference lah) which has goodies from the 2.5G variant thrown in at a more attractive price. Price attractive, looks slightly less so.

But the thing with this version is that 17inch wheels and tyres look tiny underneath the huge wheelarches. And its offset is so narrow that it looks undernourished too. It needs expensive 19inch wheels and a modelista bodykit. Now who wants ridiculously expensive wheels on an unclemobile?

What this new facelift does it cloth the Camry in something less bulky looking. It works. The interior is the same as the pre-facelift ones with some minor trim details added as are the engines. I hope Toyota brings this facelift for the Malaysian version very very soon. At least a dull driving car does not have to look dull too....like it does today. This may bring the fight back to Toyota against the current Accord which is the better all-rounder at the moment.