Toyota debuts new Camry amid tough competition

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DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Toyota plans to unveil its first redesign

of the Camry in five years on Tuesday. While it promises new

technology and other upgrades, America’s best-selling car faces a

fight to stay on top.

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Toyota has released few details about the new car, which will be

shown at simultaneous events in California, Michigan and at the

Georgetown, Ky., plant where the Camry is made. The Camry will

carry an entertainment system called Entune, which lets drivers

connect to mobile applications such as Pandora.

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Analysts say competition from rivals has never been stronger. The

Hyundai Sonata has been praised for its sharp styling, fuel economy

and price tag – it starts at $500 less than the 2011 Camry – while

General Motors will soon release a redesigned Chevrolet Malibu. The

Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord are also closing in on

Camry’s lead.

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“The Camry is not a slam-dunk by itself anymore,” said Jesse

Toprak, vice president of industry trends and insights for car

pricing site TrueCar.com.

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Through July of this year, Toyota has sold 174,485 Camrys, down 8

percent from the same period in 2010. That’s still 20,000 more than

its closest rival, the Nissan Altima, even with supply shortages

this spring and summer caused by the earthquake in

Japan.

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Toyota introduced the Camry in the U.S. in 1983 to compete with the

Honda Accord. It quickly became a big seller because of its

reputation for reliability and good gas mileage. The Camry outsold

the Ford Taurus in 1997. It has been the best-selling car in

America ever since, except for 2001, when it was outsold by the

Accord.

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Even the safety recalls of 2010 – in which Toyota recalled hundreds

of thousands of Camrys because of sticky accelerator pedals and

floor mats – didn’t knock it down from No. 1. But the car’s sales

fell 8 percent that year, while sales of the Hyundai Sonata rose 64

percent.

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Toprak said the new Camry will satisfy current owners who want to

trade in their cars. But it could have a tough time attracting new

customers. Toprak said the Camry and the Accord have lost sales to

competitors in part because they stuck with bland styling while

other automakers took chances with their designs.

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“They are safe vehicles that have nothing fundamentally wrong with

them, but they don’t promote excitement,” he said. “That is one of

those elements you need to attract younger buyers.”

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