Are we excited? No, but this isn’t meant to be an exciting car. Toyota has once again very quickly redesigned the Camry midsize family sedan to appeal to everyone and to offend no one. The resulting design is beige and reminiscent of Camries predating the previous incarnation. The massive grille up front ekes out all of the personality of a food blender and the entire package looks like a very slightly scaled down Avalon. That though, is certainly nothing to frown upon. Engine choices will not likely stray too much from the four and the six in years past and of course a politically correct hybrid powertrain is in the mix.
The only transmission offered will be an automatic, and this makes sense given the recent proclivity to uninvolving and self driving cars. The interior has seen a slight jump in quality, but overall, this looks like a very well produced facsimile of the old car on the inside. Want a flat, stitched dash that looks 90 percent the same as the old one? Check. Want the option of beige cloth everywhere? Check. Want the same switches seen in Toyotas for the past 10 years? Check. The formula may be hatefully boring, but the cars are not only reliable, but have proven as a reliable source of income for the Japanese automaker, which has sold 10.2 million copies in the US alone since its inception in 1983. For a bit of poignant marketing fluff, check out the press release after the jump.
-By: Sawyer Sutton
2014 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) – 2015 Toyota Camry Reveal
April 16, 2014
2014 New York International Auto Show
2015 Toyota Camry Reveal
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Bill Fay, Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc
Good morning.
Toyota is Going Places.
We’re on the move as a company and a brand…and our new products are leading the way.
In the past 18 months we have introduced six new products that represent the “new” Toyota…a Toyota that embraces the concept of “Waku Doki” …or heart-racing excitement.
It started with the bold new Avalon and continued with the vibrant RAV4.
The powerful new Tundra hit the market last year along with an aggressive new 4Runner.
The sporty new Corolla is a hit …it’s leading the US compact segment year-to-date and was the world’s best-selling car in 2013.
And just two months ago … we launched the luxurious family-friendly new Highlander and it’s off to a great start with sales up almost 25% over last year …well-ahead of our sales plan.
At the Detroit show this year …we shocked the industry with the reveal of the FT-1 sports car concept.
It doesn’t get more “waku doki” than that.
And we’re just getting started.
Our president Akio Toyoda has challenged us to create “ever better cars”… not just cars
that our customers feel they SHOULD own … but cars that they WANT to own…and the new Camry we’re about to reveal will connect even better with American families on both a rational and emotional level.
Camry is not only our best-selling model.
It has long been an indicator of where our brand …and the industry … are headed.
When you break down the numbers … they are a bit staggering.
Please indulge me for a minute here.
Did you know that:
Since it first went on sale in 1983…we have sold more than 10.2 MILLION Camrys here in the U.S.
Of these …an incredible 6.6 MILLION are still on the road today.
We sold 408,000 Camrys last year. That equates to about 50 American families coming home with a new Camry …EVERY HOUR!
To add a little more perspective … if Camry were its own manufacturer … it would rank in the TOP 10 in the INDUSTRY!
Every Camry we sell in North America is built right here in the US …the handiwork of more than 7,000 skilled American workers …and it’s made with 75% North American content.
Our team members at the plant in Georgetown, Kentucky are able to produce a Camry every 65 SECONDS.
While we take a lot of pride in these numbers …we know that the only number that really matters is ONE …the ONE Camry in your driveway …the ONE Camry that gets you to work every day … the ONE Camry that brought your newborn daughter home from the hospital … AND off to college … the ONE Camry that you trust to help keep your family safe.
Seems everyone has a story about their Camry.
Let me tell you mine …
I was working in our Boston region in 1997 when I got a call that no one wants to get.
My wife and three small children had been in a serious accident in our Camry wagon about a mile from my office.
I rushed to the scene fearing the worst.
As I approached …my heart sank when I saw the flashing red lights from three police cars and two ambulances.
Someone had run a red light and hit my family hard in the front part of the car.
Thanks to the dedication and incredibly high standards of our design, engineering, and manufacturing teams…the safety systems did their job … and while the car was totaled … and my family was bruised and shaken …eveything worked out OK.
I can’t imagine how my life might be different today.
For me … that Camry was the most important car in the world.
We know that every single Camry matters.
This customer-first approach is why we went to such great lengths to make THIS the best Camry we have ever built … and why each of our team members puts so much pride, craftsmanship and personal touch into each and every Camry that rolls off the line.
Let’s hear from the team responsible for the ONE Camry in your driveway…
Camry has been the best-selling car in America for 12 straight years.
We’ve sold almost a million of the current generation Camry in the last two and a half years …making it far and away the most popular car in the industry.
It’s also the car of choice across multi-cultural markets … making it truly a “Camry for Everyone.”
From the beginning … Camry set the industry standard for quality, durability and reliability at a great value …and the same holds true today.
Earlier this year …US News and World Report named Camry the “Best Midsize Car for the Money” for 2014.
And recently … it proved its initial quality and long-term durability by taking home top honors in its segment in the JD Power and Associates IQS and VDS studies … and the accolades go on and on.
So … when you have a proven winner like Camry … why change it?
Well … because our customers expect more …and we will give them more.
This customer-first approach drives us to redesign the best-selling car in the industry …only three years into its model cycle.
It drives us to dedicate engineering hours at a level typically reserved for a major model change.
It drives us to start nearly from scratch …with the addition of almost 2,000 new parts.
It drives us to make America’s best-selling car … even better.
Here’s how we did it …we stripped the current Camry down to the chassis and started almost from scratch…
Now … before we bring the new Camry out to center stage …take a look at the video screen and let me show you what we did.
Starting with the Camry’s core …
We reinforced the body and added spot welds to increase torsional rigidity.
A new, two-stage brake booster offers smoother and more confident braking.
We retuned the suspension to deliver more responsive handling while maintaining the comfort our owners expect.
Our customers asked for a more refined and upscale interior … and we listened …changing almost every surface that the driver or passengers can touch.
Our CALTY designers re-imagined almost every exterior surface of the car… only the roof remains unchanged.
Ladies and gentlemen … the NEW 2015 Toyota Camry.
America’s favorite car just got better!
Craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident … inside and out.
Starting with the exterior…
The front end is all about attitude … with a new bumper cover and a prominent grille…
Brighter, best-in-class LED low and high-beam headlights feature sleek housings.
We gave it a new hood … paired with a more prominent character line that spans from its muscular fender flares …across its new doors and rear quarter panel … and into a freshly styled trunk … giving it a clear sense of motion.
New tail lamps sweep into the freshly tapered bumper cover.
And the wider track gives the car a more athletic stance and confident curb appeal.
Throughout the redesigned interior …
We used soft-touch materials for a more refined look and feel…
French stitching, satin chrome, and metallic black trim …dress up our premium models.
Customers will recognize the … seats, door panel and steering wheel have been improved.
And we gave it a new center stack with simplified and intuitive controls.
We also added top-flight electronics …
A 4.2-inch multi-information display… conveniently located in the meter cluster … helps keep the driver’s attention on the road.
Working with JBL … we custom-tuned the audio system for superior sound …
Audio screens up to 7-inches display the latest and greatest Entune system.
And the Camry even offers a segment-first wireless charging system for your phone.
To improve NVH and make this the quietest Camry ever ..we added almost 30% more carpet insulation …while moving the side mirrors out further away from the cabin to reduce wind-noise.
Camry has never skimped on safety … so we’re offering advanced safety features, like:
Our pre-collision system
Lane Departure Alert
Adaptive Cruise Control
Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
And Auto High Beams.
With the Star Safety system standard across all grades … we expect Camry to achieve a NHTSA 5-Star safety rating …and an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus.
A few years ago … we launched the sporty SE grade on the current Camry … and it was a huge hit … accounting for 45% of the Camry sales mix … and bringing younger buyers into the brand.
The median age of an SE buyer is 45 …12 years younger than the segment average.
To give our customers more of what they want … we created the all-new Camry XSE grade that you see here on the stage.18-inch alloy wheels and an enhanced suspension make this the sportiest Camry yet.
And for our customers seeking the eco benefits of a hybrid …with an energetic and dynamic handling package …we are bringing the sporty SE grade to the Camry Hybrid.
After all … you can still have a little fun while being environmentally-conscious!
We will also offer the premium XLE grade …which is on display downstairs in our stand … and the base-level LE grade … with more standard features than ever before.
Quite frankly … this is the best Camry we have ever built.
When it arrives in dealerships this fall … it will raise the bar AGAIN in the mid-size segment with …
More expressive styling…
The most premium interior in the segment…
Class-leading safety technology…
And an expanded lineup to appeal to a younger customer.
Put it all together …and you have a car that will continue setting the pace for …the industry …ONE customer at a time.
Ladies and gentlemen … America’s best-selling car just got a lot better!
This is the NEW TOYOTA …and this is the NEW CAMRY.
We’d like to welcome you all up to the stage… but, first … please allow the photographers to take a few shots.
Thank you and enjoy the show.