The 2025 Toyota Camry made a splash when the four-door sedan received its latest redesign which also coincided with a gamble on an all-hybrid powertrain lineup for all models. With the 2025 model shaking up the iconic nameplate, Toyota has chosen to apply a lighter touch for 2026 with the Camry being the latest Toyota to gain a Nightshade model for the new model year.
Camry is largely unchanged for the new model year
The Camry enters 2026 mostly unchanged with the exterior styling continuing to flaunt some of the updated lines that made their debut for 2025. The main change is the aforementioned Nightshade trim and like other Nightshade models that have made their way through the Toyota lineup over the years, this one takes the Camry straight to the dark side with the model getting more blacked-out trim and other accents. They include unique wheels with the Camry nightshade getting 19-inch blacked-out five-spoke wheels.
The Nightshade will come in three colors: Ice Cap, Supersonic Red, and Midnight Black Metallic but the color updates are not exclusive to the Nightshade with the SE, XLE, and the XSE trims getting a new color called Dark Cosmos. The Nightshade will continue to be powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that’s paired with electric motors. Front-wheel drive is standard but buyers can go for an optional all-wheel drive system that adds a third electric motor to boost power to 232 hp.
Still delivering the goods, for now
Toyota didn’t reveal any pricing information for the 2026 model year (we suspect partly due to the uncertain environment created by tariffs) but look for any potential changes to be minimal with some trims potentially seeing a bump in price when compared to others in the Camry lineup. Toyota needs to preserve the high value that the Camry brings to the table and minimal changes like this one will allow Toyota to maintain the core mission of the pricing ladder.
Look for more comprehensive updates to come during the next few years with the few four-door sedans left in the market using design and technology to make their presence felt in showrooms with year-to-year updates rapidly becoming an opportunity for automakers to use these vehicles as style-focused entries with the updates bringing new features to help them stay fresh in the minds of buyers.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.