????隨著豐田汽車（Toyota）最新營收報告的出爐，對其業績正在反彈的所有懷疑都一掃而空。這份報告顯示，豐田在美國一舉登頂，贏得了最大的市場份額。這對豐田的投資者來說值得擊掌相慶。更好的消息是，絕大多數增長都是靠在家用轎車領域一統天下的凱美瑞（Camry）所斬獲。

????11月5日，豐田宣布，第二財季利潤高達32億美元，比去年全年的利潤還高，同時使其今年預期利潤提高2.6%，達到97億美元。考慮到豐田和其他日系車企近期在中國碰到的各種麻煩，這個成績尤其讓人眼前一亮。上個季度，由于中日雙方在釣魚島問題上發生爭端，中國消費者普遍對日系品牌汽車進行了抵制。

????而在美國，卻完全是另一番光景。豐田正在恢復鼎盛時期的勢頭，一舉拿下了美國輕型車輛市場14.4%的份額，比去年同期提高了近2個點——這一增幅意味著一年多賣出了近30萬輛車。過去兩年來，豐田飽受困擾。先是因質量門而廣受質疑，后又受到日本海嘯的沖擊，可謂禍不單行。但隨著美國汽車市場的增長，豐田的運勢也開始好轉。

????豐田的幸運之處在于，作為去年才首度亮相的全新車型，凱美瑞上市的時間頗為巧妙，恰好趕在各款競爭車型推出樣車再試產擴量這段時間當中的空檔期。專業汽車網站Edmunds.com的分析師米歇爾?克雷布斯特別指出，豐田還為這輛車提供了零利率貸款和租用補貼。克雷布斯稱：“豐田正努力趁著新品閃亮登場這個階段大賺其錢。”她指出日產汽車（Nissan）的新款阿蒂瑪（Altima）剛投產不久，福特汽車（Ford）的新款Fusion和雪佛蘭（Chevrolet）的新款邁瑞寶（Malibu）也是如此。

????10月份，凱美瑞是全美最暢銷的車型，共售出了344,714臺，比去年增長了37%，遠超排名第二、售出276,196臺的本田雅閣（Honda Accord）。同時，就在最暢銷的豪華車品牌寶馬（BMW）和奔馳（Mercedes）在美國的市場份額有所損失時，豐田的豪華品牌雷克薩斯（Lexus）的份額卻一直在增長。

????二十世紀80年代，凱美瑞第一次出現在美國市場時就是性能和高品質的杰出代表。它深受大批消費者的青睞，同時卻又常常受到一些車迷的輕視，被稱為“乏味無趣”和“平庸無奇”。而現在推出的這款最新車型則是豐田努力打造的升級版SE系列，旨在吸引那些更喜歡動感車型的年輕車主。全美運動汽車競賽協會（NASCAR）車手凱爾?布斯克為這款車做廣告代言。公司表示，現在運動版已占總銷量的40%，而老款中這個數字只有11%。

????隨著通用汽車（General Motors）和福特紛紛為了利潤率而放棄美國市場，豐田有望再度爭當全球銷量老大，哪怕它近期在中國受到了挫折。鑒于豐田實力強勁的財務狀況和日元處于強勢，豐田完全有能力擴大全球產能。豐田發言人斯蒂文?柯提思在一份書面聲明中稱：“從外觀來看，凱美瑞已經大為改觀。”他表示，公司進行的市場調研發現，消費者現在認為凱美瑞除了其他特性外，還“運動感十足”。據他說，這款車今年的銷量有望達到40萬臺，比預計要高11%——這將使凱美瑞成為美國過去16年來最暢銷的乘用車。

????不過，在通往世界第一的道路上，豐田還將與大眾汽車集團（Volkwagen AG）狹路相逢——這個汽車巨頭同樣實力雄厚、荷包鼓鼓，還擁有一群雄心勃勃、意圖奪取全球霸主地位的杰出工程師。

????譯者：清遠

????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.