Toyota Camry very popular in Australia

TOYOTA CAMRY CROWNS ITS SALES SUCCESS

Toyota’s Camry has crowned its reputation as one of Australia’s most popular and enduring vehicles with total sales in Australia passing the 850,000 mark.

Now in its 32nd year in Australia, the impressive milestone reinforces the position of Camry as part of a powerful group of Toyota vehicle brands that have become household names.

The Toyota favourites – with local sales stretching over more than three decades – are LandCruiser, Corolla, HiLux, HiAce, Coaster, Tarago and Camry.

The Camry nameplate arrived in the first year of Bob Hawke’s Prime Ministership and has been produced here since 1987.

It quickly moved to the top of its class and is now within a few weeks of notching up its 21st consecutive year as Australia’s best-selling mid-size car.

With its name derived from the Japanese kan-muri which means “crown”, Camry has established itself as a true world car with more than 15 million sold around the world.

It was developed in the wake of the oil shocks of the late 1970s, meeting a global need for spacious cars powered by engines designed to beat soaring fuel costs and comply with stricter fuel-efficiency regulations.

Camry was introduced to Australia as an import in liftback guise in 1983, winning several “best car” awards.

It wasn’t until the second generation in 1987 that Camry was built locally with Australia becoming the first Toyota affiliate outside Japan to build it.

In February 1993, the new wide-bodied Camry was launched by Prime Minister Paul Keating, who described the car as “another quantum leap in the history of the Australian automotive industry”.

Larger in every dimension than the previous model, it became classified as “mid-size” and took over the mantle of Australia’s best-selling medium car – a title it has held ever since.

Fourth-generation Camry introduced in 1997 was quieter, lighter and more powerful, with better ride quality and improved handling.

The fifth generation, launched in 2002, was the result of a $350 million program and featured significant local development, including brakes, headlamps, electronics and suspension calibration.

In 2006, the sixth-generation Camry featured major improvements to interior space, performance and driveability while maintaining its fuel economy. It had greater structural rigidity, more active and passive safety features, improved comfort, lower noise levels and reduced emissions.

Camry made history in 2010 with the introduction of Australia’s first locally built hybrid car, which offered seamless power delivery and exceptional fuel economy. It was the first built-in-Australia car to combine electric power steering, electronic brake control, regenerative (electric) braking and electric air-conditioning.

Current-generation Camry was unveiled in 2011, powered by a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission, along with improved driving dynamics, a more spacious cabin, expanded safety features and even better value for money.

It was joined in early 2012 by its hybrid twin with maximum power jumping almost eight per cent to 151kW to make it the stand-out performer in the Camry range. Its already thrifty fuel economy improved by more than 17 per cent1 on the all-important city cycle.