丰田凯美瑞王者归来

    随着丰田汽车（Toyota）最新营收报告的出炉，对其业绩正在反弹的所有怀疑都一扫而空。这份报告显示，丰田在美国一举登顶，赢得了最大的市场份额。这对丰田的投资者来说值得击掌相庆。更好的消息是，绝大多数增长都是靠在家用轿车领域一统天下的凯美瑞（Camry）所斩获。

    11月5日，丰田宣布，第二财季利润高达32亿美元，比去年全年的利润还高，同时使其今年预期利润提高2.6%，达到97亿美元。考虑到丰田和其他日系车企近期在中国碰到的各种麻烦，这个成绩尤其让人眼前一亮。上个季度，由于中日双方在钓鱼岛问题上发生争端，中国消费者普遍对日系品牌汽车进行了抵制。

    而在美国，却完全是另一番光景。丰田正在恢复鼎盛时期的势头，一举拿下了美国轻型车辆市场14.4%的份额，比去年同期提高了近2个点——这一增幅意味着一年多卖出了近30万辆车。过去两年来，丰田饱受困扰。先是因质量门而广受质疑，后又受到日本海啸的冲击，可谓祸不单行。但随着美国汽车市场的增长，丰田的运势也开始好转。

    丰田的幸运之处在于，作为去年才首度亮相的全新车型，凯美瑞上市的时间颇为巧妙，恰好赶在各款竞争车型推出样车再试产扩量这段时间当中的空档期。专业汽车网站Edmunds.com的分析师米歇尔•克雷布斯特别指出，丰田还为这辆车提供了零利率贷款和租用补贴。克雷布斯称：“丰田正努力趁着新品闪亮登场这个阶段大赚其钱。”她指出日产汽车（Nissan）的新款阿蒂玛（Altima）刚投产不久，福特汽车（Ford）的新款Fusion和雪佛兰（Chevrolet）的新款迈瑞宝（Malibu）也是如此。

    10月份，凯美瑞是全美最畅销的车型，共售出了344,714台，比去年增长了37%，远超排名第二、售出276,196台的本田雅阁（Honda Accord）。同时，就在最畅销的豪华车品牌宝马（BMW）和奔驰（Mercedes）在美国的市场份额有所损失时，丰田的豪华品牌雷克萨斯（Lexus）的份额却一直在增长。

    二十世纪80年代，凯美瑞第一次出现在美国市场时就是性能和高品质的杰出代表。它深受大批消费者的青睐，同时却又常常受到一些车迷的轻视，被称为“乏味无趣”和“平庸无奇”。而现在推出的这款最新车型则是丰田努力打造的升级版SE系列，旨在吸引那些更喜欢动感车型的年轻车主。全美运动汽车竞赛协会（NASCAR）车手凯尔•布斯克为这款车做广告代言。公司表示，现在运动版已占总销量的40%，而老款中这个数字只有11%。

    随着通用汽车（General Motors）和福特纷纷为了利润率而放弃美国市场，丰田有望再度争当全球销量老大，哪怕它近期在中国受到了挫折。鉴于丰田实力强劲的财务状况和日元处于强势，丰田完全有能力扩大全球产能。丰田发言人斯蒂文•柯提思在一份书面声明中称：“从外观来看，凯美瑞已经大为改观。”他表示，公司进行的市场调研发现，消费者现在认为凯美瑞除了其他特性外，还“运动感十足”。据他说，这款车今年的销量有望达到40万台，比预计要高11%——这将使凯美瑞成为美国过去16年来最畅销的乘用车。

    不过，在通往世界第一的道路上，丰田还将与大众汽车集团（Volkwagen AG）狭路相逢——这个汽车巨头同样实力雄厚、荷包鼓鼓，还拥有一群雄心勃勃、意图夺取全球霸主地位的杰出工程师。

    译者：清远

    Any doubts Toyota Motor Corp. is rebounding were erased by its latest earnings report, which arrived on top of large market-share gains in the U.S. That was cause for Toyota investors to cheer. Even better? Much of the gain was made possible by the Camry's dominance of the family sedan segment.

    Toyota (TM) on Nov. 5 announced second-quarter fiscal profit of $3.2 billion, more than triple last year's total, and elevated its forecast for annual profit by 2.6 percent to $9.7 billion. Results were especially impressive given difficulties for Toyota and other Japanese automakers in China, where tension over disputed islands caused a consumer boycott of vehicles by Japanese automakers in the last quarter.

    In the U.S., by contrast, Toyota is returning to previous form, tracking at 14.4% share of all U.S. light vehicles, up nearly two points from this time last year -- an increase representing nearly 300,000 additional vehicle sales on an annual basis. Plagued by bad fortune two years in the form of a tsunami in Japan on top of quality issues in the U.S., Toyota's fortunes have been rising with a growing U.S. automotive market.

    Luckily for the company, the Camrys on lots are of an all-new variety that debuted a year ago during a lull among introductions and production ramp-ups of competitive family sedan models. Michelle Krebs, analyst for Edmunds.com, an automotive website, noted that Toyota also has provided 0-interest financing and subsidized leases. "Toyota is trying to make hay while the sun shines," said Krebs, noting that the new Nissan (NSANY) Altima is in an early stage of production, as is Ford's (F) new Fusion and Chevrolet's (GM) Malibu.

    The Camry was the top-selling car in the U.S. through October with sales of 344,714 units, a gain of 37% from last year, well ahead of No. 2, the Honda Accord, with sales of 276,196. And while top-selling luxury brands BMW and Mercedes have lost share of market in the U.S., Toyota's Lexus luxury unit has been gaining.

    The Camry was a phenomenon of functionality and high quality when it debuted in the U.S. in the mid 1980s. Praised by consumer groups, the model often has been disparaged by enthusiasts as "boring" and "stodgy." For the latest generation, Toyota tried to create an enhanced SE version aimed at younger buyers with sportier tastes. With NASCAR driver Kyle Busch featured in advertising for the model, the sportier version now accounts for 40$ of sales, compared with 11% during the previous model year, the company says.

    With General Motors and Ford both giving up market share of the U.S. in favor of profitability, Toyota again should contend as the global volume leader, even in light of the recent troubles in China. Given Toyota's powerful balance sheet and the strength of Japan's yen, the automaker is in good shape to expand global production."From an image point of view Camry has evolved quite a bit," said Steven Curtis, a Toyota spokesman in a prepared statement. He said company research shows that buyers view their cars as "sporty," among other attributes. Sales of the model are expected to reach 400,000 this year, 11% ahead of forecast, he said -- which would make Camry the best-selling passenger car in the U.S. 15 out of the past 16 years.

    But the road to No. 1 puts Toyota on a collision course with Volkwagen AG -- another strongly-financed behemoth staffed with brilliant engineers that has ambitions for global domination.