Toyota debuts new Camry

Its lead has shrunk dramatically, though. Feeling the pressure, Toyota unveiled the 2012 Camry on Tuesday, its first redesign of the sedan in five years. While Toyota hopes to createby lowering the Camry's price, improving its fuel economy and adding features, it might not be enough to keep the Camry No. 1 in the increasingly competitive market for midsize sedans.The Camry is not a slam-dunk by itself anymore,the vice president of industry trends and insights for car pricingToyota showed off the new Camryat events in California and elsewhere. It has given the car a sharper, more pointed hood, a quieter and roomier interior, and more trunk space.It's also offering Entune, a system that lets drivers access Internet services such as Pandora using voice commands or an in-dash touch screen.
that the styling is bland compared with edgier rivals from Nissan, Hyundai and Kia, however, and that Toyota saved money by using cheaper interior materials.
A basic version will cost just under $22,000 and get 35 mpg on the highway.
Toyota has sold more than 15 million Camrys worldwide since it introduced the car in 1983 to compete with the Honda Accord. It quickly became a big seller in the U.S. because of its reputation for reliability and good gas mileage.
The Camry outsold the Ford Taurus in 1997 and has been the best-selling car in America every year except for 2001, when it was eclipsed by the Accord.
Toyota has also tweaked the Camry's engines to get better fuel economy. The four-cylinder engine, which makes up the bulk of Camry's sales, will get 35 miles per gallon on the highway, up from 32 in the 2011 Camry.
The hybrid version will get a combined 41 miles per gallon in city and highway driving. Those numbers make the Camry one of the most fuel efficient sedans among its competitors.