But when I took a test Camry SE onto the streets of Detroit, Dearborn, Melvindale and Taylor, Mich., today, nobody looked at the car. NOBODY. People looked at the car, but didn't SEE the car.
That is not to say the 2012 Camry SE really is ugly. (As if somebody with a Camry is changing his or her own tire. I loved the 2011 Camry.
The Camry is a very nice little car for someone who does not want to be noticed. I’m delighted to welcome you to the global introduction of the Reinvented 2012 Camry. It’s also being shown to team members at the Camry manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, where we will go little later in the program. It’s hard to believe it’s been 28 years since Camry first went on sale; Camry is now recognized as the smart, safety-conscious, and worry-free leader of the Toyota Brand. The current Camry has been number one every year since it was introduced in 2007. Camry also tops several lists as the most American-made car. It will be the most technologically advanced Toyota ever built. It will feature contemporary styling combined with best-in-class, driving dynamics, refinement, safety features, fuel economy and connectivity.
(CAMRY REVEAL)
As you can see behind me, it’s a “banner” day for America’s favorite car.
Main Streets across America have changed and so has the Camry. Please welcome the man responsible for the development of the new Camry, Chief Engineer Yukihiro Okane. Without increasing the size of the car our engineers have made the new Camry roomier and more comfortable while improving driving visibility.
Camry’s efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will meet the needs of a majority of customers. The new Camry Hybrid offers significant improvements over the current model and will be unmatched in the market place. Toyota’s answer is our exclusive Entune multimedia system and Camry will be among the first to have it. Positioned in the heart of the industry’s most competitive segment, we expect Camry will continue to earn its position as America’s best-selling car.
Camry has always provided customers with the best value. As a result of this pricing, customers can now get more Camry for less money! Camry Hybrid LE will be down eleven-hundred and fifty dollars to $25,900. Model for model, grade for grade, nothing else in the mid-size sedan segment offers more value than Camry.
The 2012 Camry will arrive at Toyota dealers in October and advertising will start October 17th and will run through the Super Bowl, where Camry will be prominently featured. Now there’s a new addition to the Camry NASCAR team, the 2012 Camry has been named pace car for the world-famous Daytona 500 next February, and here it is!
Look who’s behind the wheel, it’s Denny Hamlin, driver of the Number 11 Fed-Ex Camry for the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.
Twenty-five years ago this month, Toyota broke ground in Georgetown, Kentucky, for a production facility to build Camrys. Today, there are 13 Toyota automotive plants in North America and a 14th scheduled to start Corolla production in Mississippi this October. But Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky started it all as Toyota’s first wholly-owned auto plant on American soil. Hello everyone and welcome to Georgetown, the home of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky. This is one of two facilities that build Camrys in the U.S. and Toyota’s largest assembly plant in North America.
(Jim): What makes this new Camry special?
(Jim): Thanks, Wil. We can see right now a new Camry is coming off the production line. (Jim): In the car with Akio Toyoda is Steve St. Angelo, who oversees Toyota’s North American manufacturing operations.
(Jim): Welcome to Kentucky!
(Akio): Thanks Jim. Hello Team Toyota! I love seeing the excitement you have for this new Camry. Thank you for your tremendous dedication and for building the industry’s most American-made car.
The launch of the new Camry is very important to our company.
When I think about Toyota’s commitment in America, I think about the Camry made here in Kentucky. We will continue to build great cars like Camry with an even greater dedication to quality, safety and customer care. Thank you.
(Jim Wiseman): Thank you Akio. Thank you.
Toyota turned a corporate corner this week, introducing what it calls the "reinvented" 2012 Camry at a Paramount Studios back lot in Los Angeles.
The Camry has been this country's best selling car for 13 of the last 14 years and Toyota constantly touts the fact that 90 percent of the Camrys sold in the last 15 years are still on the road. That's a big ownership base, one the company is hoping will keep Camry atop the midsize segment. Expect to hear a lot about how the hybrid Camry achieves the magic 40 miles per gallon level.
Toyota is offering the Camry in four trim levels: L, LE, XLE and SE. Starting price is $22,500 for the LE and $24,725 for the XLE. Toyota vice president Bob Carter said the Camry is the first unit in a parade of 12 product launches within a year. From the front the Camry appears to have a flatter (and flattering) front grille treatment.
What's newest for the Camry wasn't as obvious in the webcast. Carter said Toyota has dropped the price for the LE hybrid by $1,150 to $25,900.
Toyota also claims its voice-recognition will be "best-in-class."
Those seeking a sportier Camry can chose the SE, which features a specially tuned suspension and enhanced seats.
The new Camry will be the pace car at next February's NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500.