Toyota has decided to call it quits on the Camry nameplate in its home market of Japan. After 43 years, the four-door sedan has managed to shift over 21 million units worldwide, with 1.3 million of those in Japan. But it would seem that domestic consumers just aren’t interested in the midsize sedan anymore, with just 6,000 cars leaving Japanese dealership forecourts in 2022.
The local market has gravitated more towards SUVs and minivans of late, leaving the sedan body style out in the cold. And while the Camry’s similarly-aimed brother, the Crown, will soldier on in sedan, SUV, and crossover forms, it’s understood that Toyota Japan has no further use for the Camry moniker. Nikkei Asia reports that Toyota dealers have already been notified of the Camry’s demise, with production for domestic consumers drawing to a close at the end of the year. Most dealers have already stopped taking orders, with sales being halted in phases.
Related: Next-Gen 2025 Toyota Camry Rendered With Crown-Inspired Styling Looks Interesting
Toyota has sold 10 generations of the Camry in Japan starting with the Celica Camry in 1980
Fans of the Camry outside of Japan can breathe a sigh of relief, though – new Camry models will continue to be sold in and developed for 100+ foreign markets, including the United States. In the U.S., the Camry ranked as the best-selling car for 15 consecutive years, from 2001.
The current generation appeared to North American customers in 2017, and we’re due a new revised model (see our speculative render here) that’s expected to take styling cues from the Crown crossover and the latest Prius. While it’s true that many consumers in the U.S. are opting for SUVs and crossovers over the humdrum sedan, the Camry is expected to hold out for now, just as its direct competitor, the Honda Accord, received a major update last year.
Production will also continue in China, where the Camry is still considered an aspirational vehicle among those in the Southeast Asia region. In fact, with 600,000 units sold globally last year, there’s still decent enough demand to warrant another generation of the sedan. Just don’t expect to see it launching in its home market.
The current generation Camry has been on sale in Japan since 2017