2007 Camry unveiled

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Toyota gets new Camry gussied up

08:40 AM CST on Tuesday, January 10, 2006

By TERRY BOX / The Dallas Morning News

DETROIT – Toyota Motor Corp., already the most feared automaker in the industry, unveiled its 2007 Camry on Monday, promising to add flair to America's favorite vanilla sedan.

The new Camry resembles the current car but will have better handling and more style, power and options when it arrives at dealerships in March, Toyota senior vice president Don Esmond said at the North American International Auto Show.

The Camry, the best-selling car in the U.S., is a vehicle that Mr. Esmond described as the "quintessential American sedan." The company sold 432,000 Camrys last year, leading the midsize sedan segment, the largest category in the industry.
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But the company realizes that some buyers want more than reliable transportation, he said.

Mr. Esmond spoke at the unveiling, which, in terms of potential sales volume, was one of the biggest events at the Detroit show. Toyota has sold 6.5 million Camrys in the U.S. since 1983, and the car has come to symbolize the Japan-based automaker.

"As happy as Camry owners are, some feel that their cars are ordinary," he said. "We chose to move the Camry forward ... to what a Camry can be."

He called the new Camry "the biggest launch in Toyota's 50-year history in the United States."

The new car is about the same size as the current model but has a more prominent grille and chiseled sides. It also gets more power from an optional 3.5-liter V-6 that will produce 268 horsepower and be coupled with a new six-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota will introduce a gas-electric hybrid version a few months after the standard Camry arrives. Mr. Esmond said the hybrid should achieve fuel economy of 43 miles per gallon in city driving and 37 on the highway. The new four-cylinder, 158-horsepower Camry should be rated at 24 mpg city and 34 highway, and the V-6 model should get 22 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway.

In addition, standard Camrys will have cloth seats made from Fraichir, a substance extracted from silkworm cocoons that helps keep the cloth from getting brittle, Mr. Esmond said.

Besides interiors that look more Lexus-like, the Camry SE will have a sport-tuned suspension and bigger tires and wheels.

"The Camry SE is an absolute blast to drive," Mr. Esmond said.

Prices won't be announced until shortly before the Camrys begin arriving.

Some analysts praised the Camry as a bold move for Toyota. The company recognizes that the segment is becoming more competitive and that virtually everyone offers high levels of quality – once a Toyota distinction.

"I think the car is a little bit of a risk," said Todd Turner, president of Car Concepts in Thousand Oaks, Calif. "It's a little polarizing. But I think it's the right thing for Toyota to do now. They can't keep hanging their hats solely on the quality peg."

The new Camry is probably bad news for struggling domestic automakers trying to recover lost market share, particularly in car segments, Mr. Turner said. "I have driven this car, and it is absolutely wonderful," he said.

The car is "a step forward," agreed Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates.

"The segment is extremely competitive," he said. "Ford and GM have become more competitive. The [Ford] Fusion is doing very well. But Toyota is not only replacing a No. 1-selling car with a new car that has more features and options, they will probably price it at or near the current price."

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Picture of the Hybrid version

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10774896...k_TIPDriveTime