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2021 Toyota Camry AWD vs. midsize all-wheel-drive sedans | How they compare on paper

Just as crossovers have become the dominant body style in the car market, the all-wheel drive they frequently feature has become more popular. In fact, all-wheel drive is so popular that automakers are increasingly putting it in traditional cars. The latest car to add driven wheels is the 2021 Toyota Camry. It will offer all-wheel drive on most of its trim levels, though only with the four-cylinder engine. It isn't alone in this market, though. So we've compiled the Camry's specifications, along with those of a couple of its competitors for comparison. For the purposes of this analysis, we're sticking with the AWD veteran 2020 Subaru Legacy equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine and the relative newcomer 2020 Nissan Altima. Both are similar in pricing and power to Camry. We've skipped the turbocharged Legacy and the turbocharged Ford Fusion with all-wheel drive as both have higher base prices and significantly more power. We'll take a look at these three sedans engine output, fuel economy, pricing and space. Below is a chart with all the raw numbers, and below that is more in-depth discussion of the cars. Performance and Fuel Economy These sedans are very closely matched, but one area where a clear winner emerges is in output. The Camry has a solid 21 horsepower and roughly 10 pound-feet of torque over the Subaru and Nissan. This, despite all of the engines having the same displacement. That power should make it quicker than the approximately 50-pound-heavier Subaru, though the Nissan Altima may stay with it thanks to its curb weight being about 100 pounds less than the Toyota. Also worth noting is that only the Toyota offers a traditional automatic transmission, whereas the Subaru and Nissan rely on CVTs. Subaru and Nissan have both dramatically improved their CVTs to the point they're quite unobtrusive, but if you strongly prefer the feel of softly shifting gears, the Toyota is your choice. In our experience, all three of these sedans are pleasant to drive with suspension and handling clearly tuned in favor of comfort over quickness. Fuel economy is close to a dead heat. Toyota hasn't announced official fuel economy numbers for the all-wheel-drive model, but we can estimate that, as with most all-wheel-drive variants, mileage will be slightly lower than normal models. We're betting it will only about 1 mpg worse than front-drive variants. That puts it in the same 29 to 30 mpg overall range as the Subaru and Nissan.

Toyota to end Australian production by 2017

There is more bad news for the Australian auto industry today, as Toyota has just announced that it will follow General Motors and Ford in shuttering its manufacturing operations on the continent. Production and assembly will cease by the end of 2017, but Toyota will remain in Australia as a sales and distribution company.
"We did everything that we could to transform our business, but the reality is that there are too many factors beyond our control that make it unviable to build cars in Australia," said Toyota Australia President and CEO Max Yasuda.
In an official statement, Yasuda said that the closure would directly affect 2,500 manufacturing employees and an unknown number of corporate workers. However, a report in the Australian newspaper The Age suggests that the jobs of 24,000 workers at Australian auto suppliers could also be in jeopardy. Toyota currently builds its Camry, Camry Hybrid, Aurion sedans in Australia, along with four-cylinder engines, and it plans to begin importing the Camry and Aurion after production stops.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8 Futurism Edition, Tesla picks Hankook for Model 3

BMW Italia has created a special edition BMW i8 to celebrate 50 years of the German automaker in Italy. The BMW i8 Futurism Edition, made in partnership with Garage Italia Customs, replicates artist Giacomo Balla's "Lampada ad Arco" on the car. The special edition i8 will take part in the 2016 Mille Miglia, following a BMW 328 driven by BMW Italia President and CEO Sergio Solero. The car "represents the pairing of a sports car of the future with Italian creativity and art," says Solero. See how it was made in the video above, and read more in the press release below. The Toyota Mobility Foundation has joined the New Cities Foundation (NCF) as a Global Strategic Member. The organizations will work together on research and initiatives to improve lives through better mobility. Toyota Group Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton will serve on the NCF's Board of Trustees. "Our expanded partnership with New Cities Foundation will allow us to advance our work by joining a global network of leaders who are focused on solving the most pressing challenges to cities around the world," says Newton. Read more from Toyota. Electric bus manufacturer Proterra has created a simulator to help fleet managers assess the benefits of using EVs. The Proterra EV Simulator allows for a comparison of its electric buses alongside diesel, CNG, and hybrid buses on specific routes within a transit system. It uses Google Maps plus data and algorithms from two million miles of real-world driving to compare costs, performance, and environmental benefits, taking into account variables like routes, local temperatures, and passenger loads. Proterra will display the simulator at the American Public Transportation Association Bus and Paratransit Conference on May 17. Read more from Proterra. Tesla has chosen Hankook as the tire supplier for its upcoming Model 3 EV. According to Korean network Arirang News, Tesla chose Hankook after sampling various offerings from companies around the globe. Hankook will build the tires specifically for the Model 3 with the goal of minimizing driving range losses. The value of the contract has not been disclosed. See more from Arirang News, and read more at Teslarati. BMW Italia and Garage Italia Customs present the BMW i8 Futurism Edition. The initiative is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of BMW history in Italy.