Toyota blitzes U.S. with new models to move beyond crises

Toyota Motor Corp.'s new Camry will start a blitz of U.S. model releases to regain sales lost to rivals such as Hyundai Motor Co. after three years that included recession, recalls and an earthquake.

According to KHABAR KHODRO, Toyota unveiled the 2012 Camry on Tuesday at Paramount Studios in Hollywood on a New York City-themed backlot with 200 actors, dancers and musicians. It's the first of 20 new and refreshed Toyota, Lexus and Scion models arriving by early 2013, said Bob Carter, group vice president of U.S. sales.The new version of the top-selling U.S. car goes on sale in October.

"They have been given a black eye over the past three years for different things, some beyond their control and some that showed kinks in their armor," said Ed Kim, an industry analyst for AutoPacific Bringing out the Camry and other new models "is tremendously important," he said. The new models, starting with four more this year, come none too soon for the automaker, set to lose its ranking as the world's largest automaker this year.

Japan's March earthquake slowed Toyota plants in the months that followed, hindering efforts to bounce back from last year's record recalls. U.S. deliveries for Toyota's three brands fell 7.1 percent this year through July to 943,590, its lowest for the period since 1999.By comparison, total light-vehicle sales grew 11 percent, with Hyundai up 23 percent, General Motors Co. up 16 percent and Ford Motor Co. rising 12 percent.

'Camry is keystone'

"It really starts with the all-new Camry; Camry is the keystone of the brand," Carter said in an interview Tuesday. "Then the cadence comes faster than I've seen in 30 years with Toyota."

Along with Camry, Toyota this year will add the hybrid Prius v wagon, revamped Yaris subcompact, Scion iQ minicar and a modified Tacoma pickup, Carter said. Releases in 2012 include a plug-in version of Prius and compact Prius c hybrid, a new Lexus GS sport sedan, a battery-powered RAV4 sport-utility vehicle and a rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S sports car, he said.

In addition, as reported in the Automotive News future product series on Aug. 1, Toyota has these

"It is definitely good to have a heavy schedule of new models on the way, to kind of wow the public," said Kim. The Camry and expanded line of Prius models are designed to help overcome lingering consumer concerns about the quality and safety of Toyota products after the company recalled millions of cars and light trucks for flaws linked to accelerator-pedal interference.

"Those two are key to building back the brand," Carter said, who has said Prius will be Toyota's top-selling line by the end of the decade.