Looking to head off competition from sportier rivals, Toyota is giving a facelift to its signature, Kentucky-manufactured vehicle.
Despite its 12-year run as the best-selling car in the country, company officials says the Camry is due for a makeover.
"We wanted to put a little more pizzazz and style into the Camry," says Toyota spokesperson Rick Hesterberg.
In addition to a sleeker design, he says consumers will notice several new features, including "adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system with auto high beams, a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert."
Industry observers note that not only is Toyota facing serious midsize challengers in Honda, Ford, and Nissan, the Camry has yet to fully recover the 15 percent share of the market it enjoyed before the company faced a round of recalls in 2010.
Toyota hopes the redesign will help the Camry maintain its dominance, even as consumers are moving toward small SUVs that offer more space and competitive fuel economy.
Hesterberg says the changes won’t require any new workers at the Georgetown Toyota plant.
