Aurion arrives

Previewed at arm's length in 2006 in Melbourne, the Aurion on display in Sydney was the full-tilt production version – both inside and out. If Melbourne was the pre-production appetiser, minus interior, Sydney was the five-course Aurion banquet.

Toyota's goal with Aurion is nothing more audacious than to make it as popular as the Falcon or Commodore. This is a huge ask, with Holden-Ford rivalry almost at fever pitch across suburbs in middle Australia – the reason the V8 Supercar race series leaps from strength to strength. Is there sociological scope for a three-make series in Australian suburbia?

Toyota is banking on it – big time. (But it's not as if the big ‘T' hasn't pulled off this kind of thing previously in Australia. Pull up outside any Outback pub and count the LandCruisers, driven by faithful Toyota converts. No other brand, they'll tell you, is tough enough for this country.)

Aurion is based on the Camry, which is now available in four-cylinder form only. V6 power is reserved for Aurion. This neatly separates the two into separate camps, with Camry in the ‘medium' market and Aurion the designated ‘big' Toyota. Design and development for Aurion both took place Down Under, ensuring a good fit with Australian buyers and harsh local conditions, as well as plenty of export-earning potential. Aurion will also be built in Thailand, China and Taiwan.

If you were to bet on it, the smart money sees Aurion positioned around the $35k end of the market – about where Falcon XT and Commodore Omega currently sit.

Powered by a 3.5-litre V6, Aurion produces around 200kW of power – more than either Falcon or Commodore V6s. But the torque equation isn't so clear-cut. Aurion's circa 340Nm output is close to Commodore's 330Nm peak output, but Falcon remains substantially in front on 383Nm. However, fuel efficiency figures could see Aurion in front of the established pair.

Sales estimates are a closely guarded secret, but the Altona production line has been upgraded to pump out significantly more than 100,000 units annually – split between Camry and Aurion.

Incidentally, the name Aurion means 'tomorrow', according to the ancient Greeks. Do you reckon Ford and Holden will be looking over their shoulders tomorrow?