Toyota ups base Camry price, spec

THE price of admission to Toyota’s Camry range has increased to more than $30,000, following the standard fitment of alloy wheels to the entry-level Altise variant.

Now priced from $30,490 in both manual and automatic-transmission form (up from $29,990), the most affordable versions of Toyota’s homegrown medium sedan is $500 more expensive than before.

The move comes just a month after Toyota launched Australia’s first locally produced petrol-electric vehicle, the Camry Hybrid (priced from $36,990), and following a 35.3 per cent month-on-month sales increase in February and a 22.9 per cent sales boost so far in 2010.

The Camry was not part of Toyota Australia’s range-wide price reduction from January 1, when the federal import duty on imported new cars dropped by five per cent to five per cent, and no other variants in the Camry range are affected.

Camry prices last increased – from a base price of $28,490 – in August 2009, when the facelifted version was launched with lower fuel consumption, more safety features and equipment, and new interior and exterior cosmetics.

Sales of Toyota’s third best selling model in Australia – and its best selling locally made model – were down 9.6 per cent in 2009, when the troubled Japanese brand sold almost 16 per cent fewer vehicles than it did in 2008 and its market share plunged from 23.6 to 21.4 per cent.

2010 Toyota Camry Altise pricing:
Altise	$30,490
Altise (a)	$30,490