One-time allies (or axes?) Japan and Germany have geared up for a battle with their sedans. As strange as it sounds in 2025, this segment of premium sedans has all but vanished. Back in the early 2000s, cars like the Skoda Superb, the Hyundai Sonata, the Honda Accord, and the Toyota Camry were all the rage. Today, only one torchbearer remains — the Toyota Camry. On the other hand, a new breed of entry level luxury sedans is now emerging, causing a bit of a conundrum.
The Camry’s legacy is built on a simple promise. It launched globally in 1982, and while it never became a blockbuster in India after its 2002 CBU arrival, it didn’t need to. It was a car that simply worked, earning a bulletproof reputation for its comfort and reliability. The real genius, though, was its 2013 transformation into the Camry Hybrid, India’s first ever locally manufactured one. That savvy pivot didn’t just give it green credentials; it gave it the edge to survive the SUV wave that took out its competitors, securing its throne as the last premium sedan standing.
And then came the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, ready to play an entirely different game. This wasn’t a car built on history or heritage; it was an ambitious upstart that arrived in 2020 to create a new category altogether. With its sporty roofline, frameless doors, and that magnetic BMW badge, it spoke directly to younger buyers, offering the coveted German prestige without the bigger price tag of a 3 Series. In a market saturated with SUVs, it was a jolt that proved that the entry-level luxury sedan still had a place.
If I’m being honest, no matter what people say about the Camry, I love the way it looks, especially for a non-sports Toyota. The new grille, headlamps, and cheese-grater elements around the foglamps all inject a fair bit of sportiness and aggression. Slashes and creases run across the bonnet like a slightly inebriated samurai had been invited to sculpt it with his katana. The Camry’s design works from every angle. The Gran Coupé’s new front end, by contrast, is surprisingly mild, as if BMW dialled it down to appeal to a wider audience. The result is a front that feels a bit generic, even reminiscent of some Kia sedans.
The blacked-out kidney grille, thankfully not billboard-sized, sits neatly between sharp LED headlamps. Below, a cleaner bumper and sleeker fog lamps complete the front. Along the profile, the Hofmeister kink carries discreet ‘2’ logos, while larger 18-inch wheels fill the arches with purpose. The rear, however, steals the show, with an aggressive apron mimicking a quad-exhaust setup and adding real menace. The 2 Series certainly has road presence, but it lacks the cohesiveness of its elder siblings, and placed next to it, the Camry’s bold, aggressive design still takes the win for me.
All Camrys are hybrids now, and this new one keeps the familiar 2.5-litre four-pot petrol engine, but with more power and a 5th-gen hybrid system. With a combined 227 bhp and 22.5 kgm, it feels noticeably quicker off the line; 0-100 kph in 7 seconds is impressive for a vehicle of this size, and acceleration is buttery smooth, with a seamless transition between electric and petrol power. The e-CVT has also been improved; the rubber-band effect is still present, but less noticeable. Yes, there are paddle shifters, a manual mode, and three drive settings, but really, this car’s all about effortless cruising. It’s no hooligan, but if you fancy a bit of cheeky fun, it’ll happily oblige — just make sure the tyres can keep up.
But while the driver’s seat of the Camry might seem like a fun place to be, the real tricks are in the back. For starters, its legroom can rival that of any business class seat, and the seat itself is so cushiony and comfortable that you’ll be tempted to doze off while the Camry effortlessly floats over potholes and speed breakers. Recline a bit, stretch out, and it almost feels like someone pressed a ‘pause’ button on the madness outside. Cupholders are perfectly placed, the armrest is forgiving, and even the subtle vibrations from the road are somehow civilised, you won’t even notice them unless you try. It’s the kind of rear-seat experience where you start imagining long drives just so you can luxuriate back there while someone else does the hard work.
The Gran Coupé is a car that wears its character lightly but confidently. Its 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo engine might seem modest on paper, but it gets the job done with 154 bhp and 23.4 kgm, delivering smooth, linear acceleration and a 0-100 kph sprint in 8.6 seconds. The dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox is precise, and the paddle shifters add just enough sportiness when you feel like reminding everyone it’s a BMW. Sport mode provides a slight extra boost for highway overtakes or spirited stretches, while the driving position is spot-on as are the seats.
The reworked suspension and larger tyres make it feel confident, and the strong brakes add to that composure. The front-wheel-drive chassis is surprisingly agile which makes its nose stay planted through corners, and while the steering could offer a touch more feedback, it still keeps you in conversation with the road. Ride quality strikes a delicate balance; bumps are absorbed with ease, corners are handled gracefully, and only the biggest ruts make themselves felt. It’s not an all-out sports car, but it’s playful and poised, yet comfortable around town, and always happy to let its hair down on an open road.
Despite SUVs dominating the Indian market, it’s genuinely refreshing to see both Toyota and BMW double down with these sedans, albeit from two completely different directions. The fact that you can still choose between the quiet, established comfort of a hybrid family-hauler and the ambitious, youthful thrill of an entry-level German luxury sedan says a lot about the enduring appeal of the three-box automobile. They may occupy a similar price bracket, but they target two starkly different mindsets — and for the enthusiast, that choice is a luxury in itself.
The 2 Series Gran Coupé is the car you buy when you want to feel like a high-powered executive on a joyride. It’s a beautifully-styled fun-to-drive statement that tells the world you’ve arrived. But the Camry? It’s the car you buy when you’ve had a long day and you just want to sink into that back seat, put your feet up, and have the road handled for you. It’s the closest thing to a business-class flight you’ll find in this space. In a world full of noise and rush, the Camry provides a blissful escape. And that, in my book, makes it the undisputed winner.
