The Toyota Camry is set to be discontinued in its home country Japan by the end of 2023, after an illustrious 43 years of history, reports Nikkei Asia.
The publication cited poor sales as the reason for the flagship’s discontinuation, where fewer than 6,000 units were sold in Japan throughout last year – an issue that has only been amplified by the ongoing chip shortage issues.
This is in stark contrast to the model’s performance in overseas markets, with over 600,000 units sold in total globally, particularly in China and Southeast Asia, where a Camry – whose name comes from the Japanese word for “crown” – is still seen as an aspirational car for its high-end image.
The Camry is also especially popular in the USA, in part due to the American consumers’ preference for larger vehicles. Over its 43 years of history, the Camry has sold over 21 million units throughout the world – only 1.3 million of those coming from Japan.
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While the Camry will soon be killed off in Japan, production of the model will still be continuing in the Tsutsumi Plant in Japan for exports. Production for the domestic Japanese market meanwhile will stop by the end of the year, though the company has already reportedly notified its dealerships in Japan to stop taking orders for the model.
The upcoming Camry models under development will also be sold exclusively to foreign markets.
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Here in Malaysia, the Toyota Camry was last updated in February 2022, featuring a slight nip and tuck to its exterior design, alongside new creature comfort features on the interior, plus – more significantly – the highly-awaited Dynamic Force powertrain underneath the bonnet. Watch our full review of the D-segment sedan here.
