TORRANCE, CA – Toyota announced that its new 2012-MY Camry Hybrid is arriving at dealers across the U.S. The Camry Hybrid features an updated version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive that allows a driver to operate the vehicle in EV mode for up to one mile at speeds below 25 mph. The new model gets EPA MPG ratings of 43 city/39 highway and 41 mpg combined.

Toyota said the revised hybrid-electric powertrain also includes features designed to improve electric motor-voltage control, optimize regenerative braking, and reduce parasitic losses in the transaxle. The vehicle comes with a newly developed 2.5L four-cylinder engine.

In terms of safety, the Camry offers an available blind spot monitor, which alerts a driver using indicators on the vehicle’s side mirrors. If the turn signal is on when the system shows there is another vehicle in the lane the driver wants to move into, the indicator on the corresponding mirror will flash.

Standard equipment on the vehicle includes beam headlamps, dual-zone auto A/C, a smart key system with push-button start, audio and Blue Logic steering wheel controls, metallic tech-grained interior trim, and tone-on-tone fabric seats.

The Camry Hybrid features Toyota’s Star Safety System, which includes vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TRAC), anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), and smart stop technology (SST) as standard.

The 2012 Camry Hybrid is available in two models, the LE and XLE. The automaker also dropped the price on the 2012-MY Camry Hybrid, with MSRP for the LE model starting at $25,900, which is a $1,150 price drop when compared with the 2011-MY model.