LOS ANGELES -- Is Toyota back?
The Camry mid-sized sedan continued its impressive launch, with sales up 21 percent over last April.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s April sales jumped 12 percent over last year's results, trailing stumbling Ford Motor Company by just 1,614 units. Toyota's April market share -- 15 percent -- is the automaker's strongest showing since December 2010.
"Toyota was America's No. 1 retail brand for the second straight month," Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter said. "With consumer confidence improving, we expect to see sustained industry growth in the months ahead."
Toyota expects its momentum to continue with a May sales event featuring 0 percent financing on its seven top-selling models, plus special lease rates on nearly every model, Carter said.
"Our incentives year-over-year are actually down a little bit," Carter said. "What you are seeing from us is, as we bring new products to market, people are buying them on value."
The Camry mid-sized sedan continued its impressive launch, with sales up 21 percent over last April. Sales of the Prius family of vehicles again surged, outselling the compact Corolla for the second consecutive month.
"If we had more Priuses and Camrys, there's a little more volume out there," Carter said. "We are ordering more Camrys and [the factory] is able to build them. We are working with them on the [model] mix. We are adding overall volume."
Prius family sales were split 62 percent for Prius liftback, 15
percent for Prius V, 16 percent for Prius C and 7 percent for the Prius
plug-in hybrid.
But not all was golden among Toyota's small, fuel-efficient vehicles.
Despite the introduction of the quirky subcompact iQ, sales of Scion-badged vehicles fell for the first time in 2012, off 4 percent. That might be due to competition from the less-expensive Toyota Yaris hatchback, which is selling well above its annual target pace.
Carter said Corolla inventories are a bit low, but will increase as the recently opened Blue Springs, Miss., factory ramps up.
But not all was golden among Toyota's small, fuel-efficient vehicles.
Despite the introduction of the quirky subcompact iQ, sales of Scion-badged vehicles fell for the first time in 2012, off 4 percent. That might be due to competition from the less-expensive Toyota Yaris hatchback, which is selling well above its annual target pace.
Carter said Corolla inventories are a bit low, but will increase as the recently opened Blue Springs, Miss., factory ramps up.
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