Toyota 2006 Annual Report Download - page 21

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Rejuvenation Is the Key Word
Vehicle-planning discussions for the
new Camry began in fall 2002. We
debated the development key word
based on the theme of making the
Camry a new global benchmark for
mid-size sedans. Given all the
gloomy news about economic slumps,
natural disasters, and so on in soci-
ety today, we decided we wanted to
give people’s lives a shot of youthful
vigor. As a result, we chose the
design theme of “rejuvenation.”
In styling—a major determinant of
a car’s image—we went for an
Athletic & Modern look. At a glance,
drivers get a feeling of youthful
excitement from the taut futuristic
lines. Further, we incorporated
Toyota’s latest technologies in all
aspects of the vehicle. To realize
exciting driving, we upgraded the
suspension and renewed brakes
Product Development
Approach II
The Camry Challenge —Simultaneous Worldwide Start-Up—
development team needed to know
how customers on the ground actually
use and rate the Camry. With that in
mind, Kenichiro Fuse sent a team
from Japan to the United States to
survey 32 families in six cities.
However, the makeup of this team
was unusual because he wanted the
whole Camry development team to
see firsthand how the market saw the
Camry. Accordingly, in addition to
marketing and product planning spe-
cialists, the team also included tech-
nical specialists, such as designers and
product assessors.
During the survey, an unexpected
comment from one Camry driver was
a real eye opener for the members of
the development team, “the Camry
really is a great car but it is not excit-
ing.” In other words, the reliability
that we had built up through succes-
sive models had also inadvertently
created a negative image. That com-
ment motivated Mr. Fuse and his
development team to engineer a
completely new Camry.
Visiting a customer in the United States
We visited 32 Camry-owning families in six
U.S. cities to hear firsthand their evaluations
of the Camry and how they use it.
Solidarity Was the Cornerstone of Team Camry’s Success
Kenichiro Fuse
Chief Engineer, Product Development Group, Toyota Motor Corporation
The Camry—one of Toyota’s flagship global models—claims the largest share of the U.S. passenger car
market. So for me, taking on the development of the new Camry was a very big challenge. What’s
more, for this project, not only did we have to develop a car that would win even stronger customer
endorsement, we had a special mission—to launch its production simultaneously around the world.
When we began, I found the prospect of simultaneously working with multiple production bases
worldwide a little daunting. However, once the project was under way my doubts vanished. All of the
things I thought might be obstacles, such as tight schedules, the unprecedented nature of the project,
national differences, language barriers, and so on, in fact gelled the development team together.
Every day, we made further progress with the project and gathered increasing momentum. Another
thing that helped was the friendly rivalry among the bases of different countries. By tackling the
project and learning from each other’s experience, we were able to produce results beyond expecta-
tions. For me, working on this project amid the camaraderie of Team Camry, which became like family,
was a fantastic experience.