Toyota is selling its redesigned Camry in Japan only as a hybrid line.
Japan accounts for just 1% of the model’s global sales due to shrinking demand for sedans in favour of subcompacts or minivans, according to Reuters. This is the first time since the Camry’s debut in 1982 it has been sold in Japan a a hybrid version – hybrids now account for around 14% of new vehicle sales in Japan, excluding 660cc minivehicles.
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“The Camry doesn’t sell as much here as it does in the States, so we decided to focus on fuel economy,” deputy chief engineer Keiichi Yoneda told the news agency.
Toyota said it received 1,700 pre-sale orders for the car against a monthly sales target of 500 and actual sales of just 100 a month last year in Japan. In the United States, by contrast, Toyota plans to sell 360,000 of the 2012 model year Camry unveiled last month.
