Last year was brutal for the auto industry. COVID-19 forced more than one automaker to shut down production, and being forced to work from home meant more than one potential consumer wasn’t able to purchase a new vehicle. That did little to stop the 2020 Toyota Camry from having a good year, however.

While it was not the best-selling vehicle of 2020, Car and Driver reports that the 2020 Camry was the best-selling sedan. It managed to beat out all the other sedans on the list and came in at No. 6 overall. Given the fact that sedans aren’t performing very well when compared to SUVs and trucks, this was quite the feat. 

The Toyota Camry is the top-selling sedan of 2020

It’s hard to keep the Toyota Camry down. No matter what model year it is, the Camry frequently beats out the competition. It’s well known for its safety, quality, and reliability, and is a critic favorite whether it’s new or used.

The 2020 model is no exception. Even though the rest of the auto world struggled, the Camry managed to sell a total of 294,348 units. While these numbers are great, it was still a 13 percent drop in sales from 2019, however. Still, all vehicles saw a drop, so this was to be expected.

The competition didn’t fare as well in 2020

While the 2020 Toyota Camry didn’t perform as well as it did in 2020, its competition did even worse. The Honda Accord is the main competition for the Camry, and it had a rather poor showing in terms of sales. In fact, it only sold 199,458 units. This was an extraordinary 26 percent drop in sales from 2020.

Other sedans didn’t perform well either. The Nissan Altima only sold 137,988 units and experienced a 34 percent drop in sales. The Toyota Corolla, which is also a critic favorite, sold a mere 237,178 units. This was a 22 percent drop from 2019.

The Honda Civic came in as the second-highest selling sedan of 2020 and sold 261,225 units. This was a 20 percent drop in sales. 

2021 promises to be even better for the Toyota Camry

Many people are hoping that 2021 will prove to be better. There’s no guarantee of that, but Toyota is not waiting for fate to make things better. The Japanese automaker has taken some steps to make sure the 2021 Camry has enough features to keep consumers coming back for more.

There are a few changes to the exterior. The LE and XLE trims come with an updated wheel design. The SE and XSE also got a few new changes, with a lower bumper, a honeycomb grille, side vent inserts and accents.

Toyota is offering its Toyota’s Star Safety System as a standard feature. It comes with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop Technology (SST). The Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 Plus is making its debut and now includes lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, and road sign recognition.

This is not the only change. Parents with small children will be delighted to learn that there is now a rear-seat reminder on the 2021 model. It essentially sends an alert when there is someone sitting in the back seat. This is a great feature for parents on the go.

While there are some minor changes, Toyota is still staying true to its roots and has kept many of the features that consumers love. It’s too soon to see if the Camry will maintain its throne, but things are definitely looking up.