Toyota Aurion
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| Toyota Aurion | |
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| Manufacturer | Toyota Australia |
| Assembly | Altona, Victoria, Australia |
| Predecessor | Toyota Avalon |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Engine | 3.5L 2GR-FE |
| Transmission | 6-speed sequential shift automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2775 mm |
| Length | 4825 mm |
| Width | 1820 mm |
| Height | 1470 mm |
| Ride height | 105 mm |
| Curb weight | 1590 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 70 litres |
| Related | Toyota Camry |
| Similar | Holden Commodore Mitsubishi 380 Ford Falcon Nissan Maxima Honda Accord |
| Designer | Nick Hogios |
The Toyota Aurion (pronounced or-ree-on) is a large car unveiled at the Melbourne Motor Show 2006, that is currently produced by Toyota Motor Corporation Australia.
It is also sold as a Toyota Camry in Asian markets.
Contents |
[edit] History of development
Before the unveiling of the Toyota Aurion at the Melbourne Motor Show 2006, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia had the large car Toyota Avalon being produced at its Altona plant in Melbourne. This car had been produced at the plant from 2000 and had taken much of its basic design and mechanical features at the time from a five year old Toyota Avalon model in the United States. The Avalon was built at Altona alongside the Toyota Camry and was offered as a larger, more upmarket offering than the Camry. The original sales predictions were not met with the Toyota Avalon and the car failed to challenge rivals Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, primarily because of the outdated design and lack of bodystyles. In its best year, the Toyota Avalon only managed to reach half of Toyota's sales target. Many buyers opted for the Camry V6 with the same engine as the Avalon.
Toyota, realising that buyers wanted something more modern and designed for Australian tastes, began working on the Aurion in 2003 when Nick Hogios left Ford Australia and joined Toyota Australia, working in Japan on the design of the Aurion. Nick Hogios became the chief designer of the car. He previously worked on designing the XR performance models of the BA-series Ford Falcon at Ford Australia. Hogios claims that the Toyota Aurion follows the traits of current Australian styling, with a tendency to look towards European designs for inspiration. Unlike the Avalon, the Aurion will be designed by Australians for Australian tastes.
Paul Beranger (a designer of many years experience in the Australian motor industry) was the head of Toyota Styling Australia which was a team that had regular discussions with Toyota Japan to come to decisions about how the car would turn out. Aurion, being the first time that Toyota Australia designed their own car, took Toyota Styling Australia some time to convince Toyota Japan that Toyota Australia could indeed design and make the Aurion. Successful Toyota Styling Australia designs, notably the Sportivo Concept coupe and Avalon X-Runner ute helped convince Toyota Japan to allow Toyota Australia to undertake the project.
On Thursday, February 9, 2006, Toyota Australia unveiled the Toyota Aurion alongside the Toyota Aurion Sportivo concept at the Melbourne Motor Show at an official press release.
Toyota dropped the Toyota Avalon tag for their new large car as it has gained a reputation to be an uninspiring car. Toyota created the Aurion name to give the car a fresh start.
Aurion means 'tomorrow' in Ancient Greek, and Aurora means 'the dawn' in Latin. This gives implications of a completely new car and fits in with Toyota's latest TV advertising campaign, 'Can't wait for tomorrow'.
The standard Toyota Aurion is on sale at Australian Toyota dealerships now. The TRD version of the Toyota Aurion is scheduled for launch in August 2007. The car is also in dealerships in mainland China, Taiwan and the Philippines, badged as the Toyota Camry.
[edit] Design
There are currently two separate exterior designs for the Toyota Aurion. The design with upmarket European style that will be for the Toyota Aurion AT-X, Prodigy and Presara models. The design with a more aggressive, sport-oriented style is for the Toyota Aurion Sportivo SX6 and Sportivo ZR6 models of the Toyota Aurion. A third exterior design, forming the TRD version of the Aurion will be even more aggressive than the Sportivo version of the Toyota Aurion. This design has not been shown yet. Toyota claims that the Toyota Aurion is designed to Australian tastes, although it has been designed with markets such as China in mind.
The exterior centre section of the Toyota Aurion, which are the doors, side windows, windscreen and roof panels are identical to the 6th generation Toyota Camry. This is to reduce costs, allow the car to be built alongside the Toyota Camry and result in simplified manufacturing processes. However, the other panels in the Toyota Aurion are unique from the Toyota Camry.
The standard Toyota Aurion features an European exterior style, with understated looks and dashings of chrome around the grille, door handles, along the doors, on the rear part of the boot and above the foglights on the Presara model and differing levels of chrome for other models. In line with many recent Toyota models, the badge for this Toyota Aurion is at the top of the grille. The standard Toyota Aurion is designed to have an upmarket, luxury exterior style. It is important for the Toyota Aurion to look like a premium car for certain markets like China, where Toyota sits right below Mercedes-Benz, as a luxury brand.
Unlike the other Toyota Aurion models with an upmarket luxury exterior, the Sportivo models are designed to have an aggressive, more sport-oriented style. This means sport 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, different headlight and taillight designs, a sports bodykit, a different grille as well as other different exterior features. Both the Sportivo SX6 and ZR6 look identical from the exterior. They only differ on internal features and in pricing. Australia is the only country in which the Toyota Aurion Sportivo will be sold. Other countries that will sell the Toyota Aurion as a Toyota Camry will only have the non-sport models offered.
The Toyota Aurion is to be built alongside the Camry. It shares most interior features with the Camry, yet has some unique features to put it at a more upmarket level than the Camry. On various models, this includes more woodgrain trim, a slightly different dash control layout, a different steering wheel design, different driving gauges and a foot-operated parking brake.
To reflect the luxury market that the Toyota Aurion is pitched to, the Toyota Aurion Presara features a luxury interior with features such as leather seats, moonroof, Toyota Link, push-start engine operation and satellite navigation.
[edit] Engine and mechanicals
The Toyota Aurion will features a version of the 2GR-FE V6 engine that also powers the American 6th generation Toyota Camry. The engine is 3.5L in capacity with 200 kW(ULP-official) or 204 kW(PULP-official) in power and will have over 330Nm of torque. The combined fuel economy is rated at 9.9L/100 km. This places it with more power and better fuel economy than the current BFII-series Ford Fairmont with the Barra 190 engine and the current VE-series Holden Berlina with GM's Alloytec V6 engine, which are the car's two direct competitors.
The Toyota Aurion shares the same basic platform, some parts and underpinnings as the 6th generation Toyota Camry, meaning that like the Toyota Camry, the Toyota Aurion will be a front-engined, front wheel drive vehicle.
With a V8 engine unlikely for the Toyota Aurion, Toyota displayed a supercharged version of the 2GR-FE V6 engine alongside the Toyota Aurion at the 2006 Melbourne Motor Show. This engine will be fitted into performance models of the Toyota Aurion and will provide more power and more torque than the basic models. It has recently been confirmed that this performance model will be marketed under the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) brand.
The Toyota Aurion carries only a six-speed sequential shift automatic transmission throughout the entire range, with no manual transmission option.
[edit] Sports concept (TRD Aurion)
The Toyota Aurion Sports Concept is a concept car unveiled at the 2006 Australian International Motor Show, held in Sydney.
The concept car is a styling exercise previewing the upcoming supercharged Toyota Aurion model, due to go on sale in August 2007 [1] and with an expected price between AUD$40,000-50,000.
It features bold exterior additions that differentiate it with the standard Toyota Aurion range, such as exhaust pipes integrated into the bumper, dark taillights, a unique grille and bodykit, 20-inch alloy wheels, front and rear air diffusers and black highlights on the front and rear bumpers.
The Sports Concept models will have upgraded suspension and tyres over the standard Aurion models, but there is no knowledge of the powertrain that is driving the Sports Concept, although it can be expected to be related to the upcoming supercharged Aurion, as this concept is a preview of that car. This would mean a powertrain of the supercharged 3.5L 2GR-FE V6 creating 250kw of power connected to the six-speed automatic, powering the front wheels.
[edit] Market
The main competitors for the base model Toyota Aurion AT-X are the 6 cylinder base models of the Ford Falcon (XT and Futura) and Holden Commodore (Omega and Berlina). The Sportivo models compete with the Ford Falcon XR6 and the Holden Commodore SV6. The Prodigy and Presara models compete with mid-spec and upper-spec 6 cylinder models of the Ford Falcon (Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia) and Holden Commodore (Calais and Calais V) range. The Mitsubishi 380 may also be an indirect competitor to the Toyota Aurion.
Toyota have announced a halo car for the Toyota Aurion, which is to be a TRD version of the vehicle. The Sports Concept unveiled at the 2006 Australian International Motor Show is a preview of the production car. It will sit at the top of the range with a supercharged engine and is designed to compete with the likes of the upper sport models of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon range.
To distinguish the Toyota Camry from the Toyota Aurion, the Toyota Aurion is more expensive than Camry, includes more features as standard on the base model including a comprehensive safety pack and is sold with a V6 engine only. The current Toyota Camry sold by Toyota Australia sells in 4-cylinder variants only.
The Toyota Aurion is also an export car, which is destined for exporting to places such as the Middle East, and parts of Asia badged as a luxury Toyota Camry. The Toyota Aurion is produced within China for domestic sales.
Toyota Australia plans for the Toyota Aurion together with the 6th generation Toyota Camry to push up production from 110,000 units to 140,000 units at Toyota's Altona plant in Victoria. The Aurion has just received a contract to deliver 10,000 export vehicles to the Middle East starting from 2007.
[edit] Specification levels
[edit] AT-X
The Aurion AT-X is priced from AUD$34,990, and features:
- 3.5L 2GR-FE V6
- 6-speed automatic with sequential shift
- Air conditioning
- Cruise control
- Power windows, door locks and exterior mirror
- Engine Immobiliser
- Vehicle Stability Control
- Traction Control
- Foot operated parking brake
- Anti-Lock Brake System
- Electronic Brake Distribution
- Brake Assist
- Power driver's seat
- Light emitting diode taillights
- Projector style halogen headlamps with auto-on feature
- 6 speaker audio system with CD/MP3 player
- Dual front, side and curtain airbags
- Full size spare wheel
- 16-inch steel wheel covers
[edit] Sportivo SX6
The Aurion Sportivo SX6 is priced from AUD$38,500, and features:
- In addition to and superseding the features of the AT-X model
- Sports suspension and additional rear bracing
- Underbody aerodynamics enhancements
- Front fog lamps
- Sports front seats
- Rear spoiler with LED brake light
- Front, side and rear bodykit additions
- Sports front grille
- Sports light emitting diode taillights
- Premium Optitron driver gauges
- CD changer
- Leather bound steering wheel and gear shift
- Alloy sports pedals
- Metallic door trim
- Sportivo front and rear scuff plates
- Multi-function trip computer
- 17-inch sport alloy wheels
[edit] Prodigy
The Aurion Prodigy is priced from AUD$39,500, and features:
- In addition to and superseding the features of the AT-X model
- Power front passenger's seat
- Dual zone climate control air conditioning
- Chrome front grille
- CD changer
- Premium Optitron combi-meter driver gauges
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Leather seat and door trim
- Leather bound steering wheel and gear shift
- Woodgrain highlights
- Multi-function trip computer
- 16-inch alloy wheels
[edit] Sportivo ZR6
The Aurion Sportivo ZR6 is priced from AUD$42,500, and features:
- In addition to and superseding the features of the Sportivo SX6 model
- Dual zone climate control air conditioning
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Power front passenger's seat
- Chrome door handles
- Leather seat and door trim
- Smart entry and push start
[edit] Presara
The Aurion Presara is priced from AUD$49,990, and features:
- In addition to and superseding the features of the Prodigy model
- Moonroof
- Satellite navigation
- Rain sensing wipers
- Rear reversing camera
- Smart entry and push start
- Toyota Link telematics service
- Woodgrain highlights on steering wheel
- Driver's seat memory linked to side mirrors
- Electrochromatic interior rear mirror
- Rear power sunshade
- High Intensity Discharge headlamps with auto levelling and adaptive front lighting system
- Aurion front and rear door scuff plates
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 17-inch alloy wheels
[edit] Awards
Toyota Aurion AT-X has been named Australia's best large car at the 2006 Drive Car of the Year awards, the first of the major Australian Car of the Year awards for 2006. [2]
Toyota Aurion AT-X has been named Australia's best large car at the 2006 Australia's Best Car awards, judged by representatives from Australia's major automotive clubs including the NRMA, RACV and RACQ.[3]
[edit] External links
- Toyota Australia's Aurion microsite
- TRD Aurion Official Website
- Official Toyota China Camry (Aurion) website
