As you know by now, Toyota introduced the fifth-generation Avalon in January at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. On sale in the United States since May, the full-size sedan is all new from the ground up. Even the marketing campaign is different, with Toyota making a case for authenticity and excitement.
As part of the rollout, the manufactured published no less than six ads on YouTube. Even though the synopsis is different, all clips try to hype the Avalon up to something that it just isn’t. To the point, the Avalon is the front-wheel-drive sedan you see everywhere because it’s reliable, efficient, spacious, and relatively cheap. Not exciting, not made for the younger audience.
Starting at $35,500 and accompanied by the tagline “ready for your next move” on the U.S. configurator, the newcomer can be had in no less than seven trim levels at launch. The Hybrid XLE is $36,500, and as you would expect from a vehicle in this segment, it comes with all the bells and whistles you can imagine at this price point.
At the other side of the lineup, the Hybrid Limited is $42,800 and features genuine wood in the cockpit, SuperChrome wheels, premium audio with 14 speakers, LED headlights with smoked bezels, as well as heated and ventilated front seats. What the Avalon doesn’t have going for it is the grille. In addition to the exaggerated proportions relative to the width of the vehicle, most of the mesh insert doesn’t feed air to cool the engine or front braking system. Fake, that’s what it is.
The overstyled front fascia puts even the 2019 Lexus ES to shame, which as it happens, shares the TNGA GA-K platform with the Avalon. As for engine options, customers will have to choose between an honest-to-the-internal-combustion-engine-god V6 (301 horsepower) and a hybridized four-cylinder (215 horsepower).
If the smaller grille of the ES is more up your alley, expect Lexus to bring the luxury sedan to the U.S. sometime in September. As a brief refresher, the ES serves as the replacement for the slow-selling GS.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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