It’s a trip to the dark side for our next Quick Spin, working on our night moves in this 2021 Toyota Camry sporting SE Nightshade Edition trim.  

Nightshade doesn’t exactly take the Camry into uncharted territory, but it does build upon SE trim with trendy 18-inch black alloy wheels, blacked out grille, black mirror caps, black door handles, black window trim, black rocker panels, and even black badges. Black clearly being the key word here. 

Inside, there are SofTex seats with fabric inserts, a 7-inch touchscreen, and automatic climate control.  

Nightshade is available in front or all-wheel-drive Camrys, but only with the base 203-horsepower 2.5–liter I4. The 301–horsepower V6 is reserved for XLE, XSE, and TRD trims. But you do also get a sport-tuned suspension. 

Now, that doesn’t exactly turn this Camry into a sport sedan; but if you find yourself on a twisty back road after dropping off the kids at grandma’s, the experience is a whole lot more rewarding than Camrys past.  

But not less comforting; not to worry, the Camry is still one of the most comfortable sedans this side of luxury cars.  

Toyota has also recently expanded hybrid offerings throughout the Camry lineup; and with the addition of available all-wheel-drive, not to mention a fairly aggressive TRD model, the Camry lineup is more complete than ever.  

Stepping out of the Nightshade, all ’21 Camrys get a revised front end with more unique elements for each trim grade.  

Updates inside include new accents on the dash and console, as well as upgraded 7 and 9-inch floating multimedia displays depending on trim level. Standard safety is now Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which means all Camrys come with Automatic Emergency Braking.  

Finally, Toyota has done away with the Camry L, leaving the LE, which starts around $25,000 as your new base model. SE Nightshade editions start at just over $27,000.

 

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.5L I4
  • Horsepower: 203