Expect 19 new models of Toyota vehicles in 2012, including the fuel-efficient Toyota Avalon full-sized sedan, to arrive in November, a dealer attending the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention revealed. Toyota executives also showed NADA dealers with a picture of the to-be-released Avalon, which the company plans to unveil in April 2012 at the New York auto show. According to Toyota executives, the 2013 Avalon boasts of fuel economy as good as, or better, than a Fiat 500, which smokes out a combined 33 mpg in city and highway driving using a five-speed manual transmission. Toyota also showed a picture of a concept fuel cell vehicle, which the company plans to put into production around ten years from now.
Bob Carter, general manager of Toyota Motor Sales USA, revealed that this year, new models will account for 40% of the cars that dealers will receive, compared to just seven percent in 2011. Carter said the company’s actual sales in the U.S. could reach 13.8 million, surpassing the forecast of 13.6 million, which he described as low. With the company’s production back to normal, following supply problem in 2011, Carter expects Toyota, Lexus and Scion sales to continue to recover in 2012.
The company is still struggling to match demand with supply of some models, including the Tacoma pickup. The company is also changing the production mix of its Camry sedans at its Georgetown, Ky., plant after its SE version received unexpectedly high demand. Toyota originally expected that the SE would account for only 8% percent of Camry sales, but figures show that the sports version accounted for 40% of the model’s sales. [source: freep]
