2015 Toyota Camry To Debut at 2014 New York Auto Show

TORRANCE, California — Toyota has confirmed that it will unveil a freshened 2015 Toyota Camry on April 16 at the 2014 New York Auto Show.

Industry sources expect Toyota to announce a new engine or possibly a new automatic transmission in an effort to boost the Camry's fuel economy.

In a statement released by Toyota, the automaker said it "will reveal a refreshed Camry that will challenge conventional expectations of a mid-cycle model change." No other details were provided.

Toyota redesigned the Camry for the 2012 model year so an update was expected. A major redesign of the Camry is planned for the 2017 or 2018 model year, industry sources say.

In an interview this past February with Bill Fay, Toyota Division general manager, Fay suggested that a dramatic change in Camry's sheet metal that might possibly alienate core buyers was not planned for the near term.

"When you sell 400,000 of anything you have to appeal to a broad consumer base," Fay told Edmunds. "That kind of approach goes into everything we do. We have to keep that appeal with Camry if we are going to keep the pace where it is at."

He was interviewed last month at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show.

Camry has been the No. 1-selling car in the United States for the past 12 years. Toyota sold over 400,000 Camry vehicles in each of the past two years. Toyota executives have vowed to keep Camry's No. 1 ranking this year. However, the Nissan Altima has been the top seller in January and February.

The Camry competes in what industry executives call the most competitive segment, midsize sedans. Among the vehicles in that segment are the Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Passat.

Both the Chrysler 200 and Hyundai Sonata have been redesigned for the 2015 model year. The 200 goes on sale later this spring. Hyundai will unveil the new Sonata in April at the 2014 New York Auto Show.

Edmunds says: The competition in the midsize sedan segment is heating up, providing consumers with more compelling choices.