According to Wards Auto, Toyota is busily prepping a suitable replacement, which should arrive in the US this fall. The launch couldn’t come a moment sooner, as the Japanese carmaker is seeing increased pressure from Korean and American rival, and the high-volume model is key to the big T’s survival.
"We haven't announced the next-gen Camry, (but) I will tell you (the current) Camry is very close to the end of its lifecycle, and a fall introduction is a pretty good educated guess," Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager Toyota Division.
“There has been no significant change to our plans. Any adjustments I've made have been a matter of days, not weeks," he adds, denying the recent rumors suggesting the March quake in Japan caused a delay in the schedule.
The figures don’t lie: Toyota did sell 327,084 Camrys last year, making it the king of the hill in the midsize family sedan class, but the result represents the lowest showing since 1994.
The current generation dates back to March 2006, giving it a 5.5-year lifecycle if the new model arrives this fall. That figure falls in line with the gap between the current and previous Honda Accord, the second-best-selling midsize sedan in the US. However, Hyundai and Kia have been churning out new mid-size sedans at a rate of one every 4 years.
The other big piece of news is that Carter believes the Prius will soon replace the Camry as the company’s best-seller.
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