Toyota seeks to shed vanilla image of top-selling Camry

Seeking to put an end to the idea that the No. 1 selling car in the United States is too vanilla for many who drive it, &to=http://english.pravda.ru/comp/2002/09/04/35972.html' target=_blank>Toyota on Monday unveiled the fully redesigned 2007 Camry.

The Camry will come in five models, four of which are scheduled to hit dealer showrooms in early March. The fifth is the first hybrid version of the Camry, which is expected to go on sale a few months later.

"Camry's new style is athletic and elegant," said Don Esmond, Toyota Motor Sales USA's senior vice president of automotive operations. "It is infused with new energy and is better proportioned."

Pricing is expected to be announced later, but Esmond said the new Camry will maintain the Toyota tradition that each new Camry should offer better value and more car for the money than the previous one.

The Camry has been a perennial top seller, with 2005 figures showing it was the best-selling car in the United States for the fourth year in a row, and eight of the last nine years. It again topped sales of the Honda Accord and other mid-size competitors such as the Chevrolet Impala.