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Molly Brookshire

Toyota's major midcycle revamp aims to keep Camry on top - 0 views

www.autonews.com/...vamp-aims-to-keep-camry-on-top

2015MY Toyota Camry incentives

shared by Molly Brookshire on 29 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • The midcycle revamp is an apparent response to consumers' indifferent reaction to the bland 2012 redesign and Toyota's subsequent need to crank up incentives. Camry sales were flat in 2013, just keeping pace with the overall segment, and the car's 2014 sales through February fell 17 percent, compared with an 11 percent drop for the segment.
  • Since the redesigned Camry was launched in October 2011, the car's incentives have risen above the average for the mid-sized sedan segment -- this from an automaker that has prided itself on having some of the lowest incentives in the industry. But the Camry incentives didn't help lackluster sales.
  • Through February, the Nissan Altima was the top seller, although one large multibrand dealer said that was the result of big sales to daily rental fleets, which will subside as the year progresses.
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  • Another worrying trend for Toyota could be slipping owner loyalty.
  • Camry owners who bought another Camry stayed level, at 30 percent,
Molly Brookshire

As Sonata turns cautious, Camry flees good-but-frumpy image - 0 views

www.autonews.com/...ry-flees-good-but-frumpy-image

Toyota Camry Hyundai Sonata 2015MY

shared by Molly Brookshire on 29 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • With an ambitious, sporty restyling just three years into the current cycle, Toyota sought to change the Camry's image as a bland appliance. Hyundai, meanwhile, positioned its 2015 Sonata to cast a wider net by offering shoppers a more upscale driving experience and a design less flamboyant than that of the swoopy, value-priced version that burst into the segment five years ago.
  • The twin unveilings spotlighted two competitors -- one a perennial but aging champion, the other a small but feisty challenger -- that still have something to prove in a mature market.
  • As an attention-hungry challenger, "We had to do something fairly dramatic five years ago," Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America CEO, said in an interview, referring to the outgoing Sonata's polarizing shape.
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  • But with nearly 900,000 more Sonata owners on the road since the outgoing model's debut, and a chance to build a broader, more sustainable following, "We have to be more careful," Zuchowski said.
  • But Hyundai says the car's suspension and steering have been redesigned for better ride and handling. The interior also is new, with greater use of soft-touch materials and more countermeasures against road noise. Also, high-tech features and advanced safety equipment -- plus a starting price that Zuchowski says won't stray far from the outgoing model's sticker of just over $22,000, with shipping -- will help the Sonata retain the value image that has been a key purchase reason for the sedan, Hyundai says.
  • With 6.6 million Camrys on the road, Toyota understands well the delicate balance Hyundai is seeking. The Camry's large, loyal following has allowed it -- compelled it -- to stick with safe, modest designs and driving characteristics, generation after generation.
  • But when the current generation was launched in late 2011, mostly to yawns from auto critics, the sportier SE model became the best- selling trim package. Toyota took the hint.
  • Every piece of sheet metal except the roof has been changed, as have more than 2,000 part numbers. For some automakers, that constitutes a redesign.
  • Both products will land in a mid-sized market that has been roiled by intense competition, not only within the segment but also from fast-growing crossovers. At 2.6 million units in 2013, sales in the segment grew just 1 percent from the previous year,
  • No one feels this more than Toyota, which is fighting to continue the Camry's 12-year streak as America's best-selling car against a strong challenge from the Nissan Altima. Toyota has spent more on Camry incentives, yet had a lower mean transaction price, than its top four competitors -- the Altima, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and the Sonata -- every month since November 2012, according to TrueCar.
  • Carter hopes the investment in the new-look Camry will allow Toyota to dial back on incentive spending. "One way to lower incentives is to increase demand, and that's what this car is about," Carter said. But if competitors should raise their incentives, Toyota won't sit still. Said Carter: "This is a competitive market. And we're going to compete."
Molly Brookshire

For now, Toyota chooses shortfall over costly expansion - 0 views

www.autonews.com/...hortfall-over-costly-expansion

Toyota truck segment production TMMTX

shared by Molly Brookshire on 29 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • a key point of Toyota's midterm strategic plan through 2025 is to determine whether to expand the San Antonio plant. The plant already is one of Toyota's fastest-moving factories worldwide, with a capacity of about 200,000 units, without overtime or Saturdays.
  • to build another line in San Antonio could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Plus, Toyota is still unsure if there's an additional 100,000 units of demand for its trucks -- the typical minimum volume for adding a new assembly line -- without resorting to costly incentives to push demand.
  • With truck demand returning, expansion is tempting
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  • demand for Toyota trucks is about 30,000 units over present volumes. He added: "None of us has the stomach to add another 100K."
Molly Brookshire

New capacity helps Nissan roll to records - 0 views

www.autonews.com/...y-helps-nissan-roll-to-records

Nissan capacity production

shared by Molly Brookshire on 29 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • December was the first full month of sales for U.S.-built Rogues from Smyrna, Tenn. Rogue sales rose 28 percent to 14,676 for the month. Retailers are also now receiving a flow of Sentras from a new plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, that opened in November.
  • The Maxima, a Smyrna-built sedan that is nearing the end of its model life, benefitted from an incentives campaign of short-term bonus cash in December. Maxima sales rose 57 percent to 6,509 for the month.
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