Indian Autos blog

The next generation Toyota Camry is a star attraction on IAB. Spyshots, renderings, leaked footage from the dealer unveiling, tease by Mr Akio Toyoda..we’ve shown it all. As we near the official unveiling, Autoblog.com’s spy snappers caught the 2012 Camry undergoing testing wearing a production-ready body.

There are big things are in store for the redesigned Camry and there should be because Hyundai is running rings around Toyota with the new Sonata. The “best Camry so far” is almost ready to show its face to the world and it will take place during September-October 2011. Seen here is the new Camry making its way around the desert in some last minute testing.

As Autoblog points out, the nose look much sharper than recent generations, but the camouflage is doing a good job to hide what lies beneath. We don’t have to wait much longer now before we see the camou-free product. As for India, Toyota will begin selling the Camry in July-August 2012, brought through the CBU route.

The next generation Camry scheduled for a fall debut in North America will arrive in India in mid-2012 according to a Toyota official with direct knowledge on the matter. The D-segment market is inviting all players to participate. Hyundai i45, Ford Mondeo and perhaps a locally made Teana are making preparations before departing to India.

The Superb is the current bestseller and we see Volkswagen go to great lengths to promote the Passat Bluemotion though only a few hundred units are there for the taking. But Toyota is not willing to do two things at once.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor official to Indian Autos Blog -

We are not going to be very aggressive in premium segment as of now strategically as unless you produce cars in India they are not competitive. Our focus as of now is to establish Etios brand and make a good, respectable position in B Segment. We don’t do two things together. The next two years, 2011, 2012, will be dedicated on Etios. We will continue to import when the new model comes in. When the model changes we cannot import the old Camry. We will start getting new Camry from second quarter of next year. If we place the order in April, we will get it (in India) in the middle of 2012.

The Toyota official’s remark confirms that there are no plans to assemble the Camry in India and hence prices will not fall. It will hang on to the CBU route.

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WardsAuto reports that Toyota will debut the next generation Camry in North America by the time Autumn kicks in. The current generation Camry (after a mild cosmetic facelift two years ago) has been finding life hard in the Superb-dominated segment for five years now. It’s time Toyota did something different with the Camry that will revive interest in the product.

During the launch of the facelifted Camry back in 2009, TKM officials said 70% of Camry buyers in India have used it before overseas. The company played down possibilities of a diesel engine, but with the next generation model merely months away, Toyota should have asked the HQ to look into how Volkswagen and Skoda have tapped the potential of this segment with diesel models. TKM officials added there was no pressure from their Japanese counterparts to push more Camrys into the market. They said the call on local assembly is for TMC (Toyota Motor Corporation) to take and not theirs.

Camry sales have been poor overseas. In 2010, Toyota managed to sell 327,084 Camrys, the lowest in that segment since 1994.

To stay on the same page as competitors here in India, TKM must look at assembling the Camry in India and fitting it with a diesel engine.

Discussing on Toyota’s India’s operation, Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), TKM and Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) gave us an idea of the what the future has in store for Indians.

Toyota iQ –

I asked Mr.Nakagawa the prospect of the iQ. It is small, beautiful, fuel efficient and could be the apt city car. Yes, it may not satisfy all the requirement of an Indian small car, and with that in mind, I asked him if a watered down variant, without the airbags and gizmos could have a future in India. He replied it would not happen, and he did not have any plans for introducing the iQ in India. He praised the iQ for its innovation, but sadly it won’t happen in India.

Toyota Hilux/ Commercial Vehicles –

When I launched this question, Mr.Nakagawa was quick to reply. As the Hilux pickup truck is based on the same platform as the Innova and the Fortuner, I asked if it would be manufactured in our country in the coming years. I also asked him if they would introduce other commercial vehicles. He said he had no intentions of seeing Toyota CVs in India including the Hilux. The focus of TKM was now only on the small car, which would their next big launch, apart from the Fortuner next month .

Lexus brand –

Mr.Nakagawa smiled. I even asked him why he did not launch the Land Cruiser 200 as a Lexus. It could have marked the entry of the luxury brand in India. He looked me in the eye and said he wanted to see the LC only as a Toyota and as of now, Lexus in India is not on his agenda. He said the feasibility study has to be completed, and what the customer wants has to be addressed fully since the competition is tough. Don’t expect to see Lexus in India for two years.

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The new upgraded Toyota Camry was launched a few minutes ago in Bangalore. Below are the details from the launch

• Launched in four variants W1, W2, W3 & W4
• Price range from Rs.21.26 – Rs.23.43 lakh
• 2.4L VVT-i petrol engine to remain
• Bookings and deliveries to start on 1st August 2009

Exterior

• new Chrome Grille
• new front bumper
• Multi-reflector headlamps
• Chrome Ringed fog-lamps
• LED turn lamps
• Aero wiper blades
• Moon roof
• New 10 spoke 16″ alloy wheels
• New colours
• Printed antenna on rear glass

Interior

• New instrument panel
• Optitron meter with Multi information display
• 60/40 split rear seats
• 6 CD changer stereo
• ipod connectivity with AUX in ports

click here to view new Toyota Camry’s Interactive Dashboard

The new Toyota Camry although looks much better than the older generation, is in need of a facelift as there is company in the form of new cars from VW and Skoda. The face-lift is minor- new grille, headlight, fog lamps, bumpers, mirrors and wheels. Expect the new car by the last week of July in India.

These are photographs of a Toyota Camry with exterior changes, testing in China. This car is meant for markets such as China, Australia and the probably India and will debut, judging by the severity of the changes, during the course of this year.

IAB in November 2008 “Revealed the Facelifted Hyundai Sonata” Now, Hyundai has officially launched its flagship sedan model Sonata (”Ling Xiang”) in the Chinese market yesterday. Hyundai Motors, said in a statement that the move is part of an effort to woo customers in China. The launch of the China-made Sonata sedan comes early as many analysts expect Hyundai to miss this year’s sales target there.