Camry Tops 10 Million Mark, Caps Healthy June for Toyota

Toyota delivers 195,235 vehicles in June, up 14.0% from year-ago on a daily rate basis, bringing its midyear total to 1,108,791, up 5.9%.

In a milestone, the Camry sedan, the auto maker’s best-selling vehicle last month, recorded its 10 millionth U.S. delivery since being introduced to the market in 1983.

“It’s quite an achievement for a vehicle that went on sale 30 years ago,” Bill Fay, group vice president-Toyota Div., tells reporters in a conference call to discuss Toyota’s June results. “It’s really just been a great, great vehicle for us.”

Sales of all Toyota and Lexus hybrid models rose 20% on a daily basis (26 selling days this year; 27 in June 2012), boosted by 17,503 Prius deliveries. Hybridized versions of the redesigned Avalon accounted for about 20% of the large sedan’s volume, totaling 6,526 for the month.

Sales of the Tacoma small pickup reached 14,023 units in June, marking a 22.7% jump from year-ago. However, Toyota’s best-selling light truck was the redesigned RAV4 cross/utility vehicle at 20,496, marking a 40.7% spike from year-ago.

Overall, the Toyota brand delivered 167,540 vehicles.

The Japanese auto maker’s youth-minded Scion marque continued to struggle, with sales plunging 21.6% to 6,340 vehicles. Year-to-date, Scion delivered just 35,000 vehicles, about even with like-2012.

Each of the brand’s models suffered drops in June, with the small iQ taking the biggest hit, down 42.3%. Even the FR-S sports car, which largely has been carrying the ball for Scion, suffered a 29.8% decline.

A redesigned Lexus IS gets the credit for sparking interest in Toyota’s luxury arm, with 500 customers taking delivery of the car in its first three days on the market.

“The IS helped drive us to our best non-holiday weekend in six years,” Lexus head Steve Hearne says. In total, the brand delivered 21,355 vehicles in June.

The RX CUV remains Lexus’ best seller, with 7,747 units for the month, though that volume is flat with year-ago when the model underwent a refresh. Hearne says the auto maker is satisfied with the RX’s performance.

Toyota says it has not had to rely on incentives to drive sales, particularly with the Camry, which has seen decreases in incentive spending from month to month. “The industry (as a whole) was able to reduce incentives through a good part of the month,” Fay says.

About 10% of Toyota’s sales were fleet deliveries, with Camry accounting for 15% of that, Fay says.

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