Camry sales rise as model draws younger buyers

A revamped Camry sedan is selling briskly, and attracting a far younger buyer than Toyota ever expected, a top executive said Tuesday.

The top-selling car in the U.S. was reworked for the 2012 model year to make it more stylish, luxurious, and fun to drive, Bob Carter, Toyota's senior vice president of automotive operations in the U.S., told analysts and investors at the J.P. Morgan Auto Conference in New York. Sales are up almost 40 percent this year to nearly 244,000 cars. That's 60,000 more than the Camry's two closest competitors, the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

Before its remake, the Camry was reliable but boring. Handling was average and its looks were bland. As a result, it attracted mainly baby-boomers in their mid-50s who were looking for reliable transportation.

But the new version has pulled in younger buyers, knocking 10 years off the age of the average buyer, Carter said.

"We didn't anticipate that much movement in the demographics," he said.

One reason younger buyers are going for Camrys is a sportier version called the "SE," which has a firmer suspension, aluminum wheels and low-profile tires. It now makes up about 40 percent of Camry sales, Carter said.

The company also changed its marketing to focus more on the car's style and handling, Carter said.

Worldwide, Toyota overcame the recalls and natural disasters to retake the crown of top-selling automaker from General Motors during the first half of the year. Toyota sold 4.97 million vehicles globally, about 300,000 more than GM.

Courtesy of MercuryNews.com