What's the best-selling car in the United States? It happens not to be an indigenous American model, which should make it easier. We actually popped the question pub-style to six knowledgeable motoring people, but they didn't come up with the right answer.
Three said the VW Beetle, while the others said they didn't have a clue.The answer, surprisingly maybe, is the Toyota Camry. The flagship of the Toyota family has languished somewhat in recent years on the Irish market, in no small part due to the higher VRT rate applied to cars over 2.0 litres.
A new Camry model with either a 2.4 litre VVT-i four-cylinder engine developing 152 bhp, or a 186 bhp 3.0 litre V6 unit, has now gone on sale here and according to Mark O'Connell of Toyota Ireland, demand is exceeding their expectations: "We have a waiting list and we have every reason to believe that we will sell at least 400 this year. We underestimated the demand: it is definitely making a resurgence and finding appeal with people who want an alternative to a BMW or Mercedes or Volvo."
Irish ex-works prices are €35,475 (£27,939) for the 2.4 VVT-i, while the 3.0 litre V6 is €47,110 (£37,103). The V6 has automatic transmission as standard: the auto version of the 2.4 litre is €36,975 (£29,121).
All the predictable comfort appointments that might be expected in an executive saloon are there, like climate control, and armrests for the driver and front seat passenger. It's roomier because the redesigned platform has increased the wheelbase, and luggage or boot space is 587 litres.
Toyota says the new Camry, like the rest of their cars, has been tuned to enhance ride and handling on European roads and, with this in mind, nearly all parts of the suspension were redesigned.