Toyota Aurion 2015 News

A third model, not a TRD Corolla but probably something in the 4WD family, will follow. Toyota's objective is simple but difficult, even for Australia's No.1 carmaker — it must attack the special vehicles heartland occupied by Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles. Toyota Australia says it is not directly aiming at the homegrown heroes with TRD (Toyota Racing Developments), but it's obvious to anyone who knows the car business that the cars will be measured against the V8 hotrods from HSV and FPR. Toyota is taking a different path with its TRD Aurion and HiLux, partly because it must (they have no V8 engines or rear-drive cars for the job) and partly because it believes it can win a slightly different following by going with supercharged V6 engines, more emphasis on comfort and refinement, and a slightly less obvious styling direction. However, the message is the same. "This is how we show people we have thrown off the cardigan — forever," TRD corporate manager Greg Gardner says. Gardner leads a team of 15 at TRD, but is able to tap the talent at Toyota Style Australia and will rely on Prodrive, the British company that controls Ford Performance Vehicles, for final assembly of the TRD Aurion and HiLux in Melbourne. The mechanics of the job are relatively straightforward: V6 engines, bigger wheels and tyres, improved brakes, upgraded seats and cabins, and predictable body bits. But it is the packaging that is really tough, and doing it without any heritage. Gardner and his team have to win new customers without driving existing owners away. "We don't want Toyota drivers to think it's too loud, but Toyota buyers must think it's more sporty. The key to attracting people to the Toyota brand is to have something different," he says. TRD has been in the works for more than two years, as has the Aurion. It is the final development of a project started with a supercharged Camry for motor show display and technical testing in engine bay, suspension, brakes, and more. "The basics are there in the Aurion. It's a good chassis and a good base vehicle," Gardner says. "It is pointing in the right direction. It responds well. "And the driving has come out well." On the HiLux front, the TRD model is a double-cab four-wheel-drive with a supercharged 4.0-litre V6 engine. The final pricing is still being set, together with the TRD presence in Toyota Australia showrooms, but Gardner is aiming for about 1000 cars in total in the first year and much more than that in impact. "It's not huge volumes. But it is hugely important," he says. "We see this as a brand-building exercise, not incremental sales. "I will be happy if a TRD car brings someone into a Toyota dealership and they buy something else in the range." TRD is not talking about price or performance just yet. But the Aurion will have at least 235kW to be fed to the front wheels through its six-speed automatic gearbox. The focus for the HiLux is on torque. The Aurion has 18-inch alloy wheels, special sports seats and a body kit. The HiLux, meanwhile, gets similar treatment — but with underdone alloys — and is pitched as a work-and-play family hauler. "The TRD Aurion will be on sale on August 13 and the TRD HiLux on November 12." Gardner is prepared to hint about Aurion pricing, but without going into details. He says: "It's going to be more expensive than a Falcon XR6 Turbo or a Commodore SV8 ... but it won't be as expensive as an HSV or FPV car. It will not be priced against the Falcon XR6 turbo, though. It's a lot more than just an engine upgrade." TRD has been a semi-official hot-up business in Japan since the 1970s, and made a successful transition to the US in the 1980s. The TRD logo has been on racing cars and came to Australia in 2006 on the sides of the championship-winning Corollas campaigned by Neal Bates and Simon Evans in the Australian Rally Championship. It is also attached to all sorts of go-faster parts for cars throughout the Toyota range. The chief designer employed on the TRD project certainly knows a bit more than most about special vehicles. Long before he joined Toyota Australia, Paul Beranger headed Nissan Special Vehicles and was the man who brought the Skyline GT-R to Australian showrooms as a local model.

“The Aurion is the new cat that Toyota has set among the established pigeons,” said Best Cars Chief Judge, Ernest Litera. “It’s a terrific well-rounded package of technology and refinement - Toyota has produced a big six that has managed to outstrip traditional rivals in the Australian market.” Base model buyers especially, would benefit from life-saving technology, such as Electronic Stability Control, anti-lock brakes and six airbags. Australia’s motoring clubs – NRMA, RACV, RACT, RACQ, RAASA, RACWA and AANT – judge Australia’s Best Cars. Together, they represent almost 7 million members. After initial road testing of some 220 contenders by the seven auto clubs during the past year, a record 50 vehicles made the final cut for industry-recognised awards in 12 categories. “This figure was a result of the huge influx of diesel models and the ever increasing competitiveness of vehicle manufacturers,” Mr Litera said. “Diesels have really come to the fore this year, with one of Europe’s leading brands, Volkswagen, winning awards for two diesel cars. The Polo TDI was judged Australia’s Best Small Car and the Jetta TDI took the honours in the Best Mid-Size category over $28,000. “The Polo is a very easy car to drive, but it’s still involving enough for those who like to enjoy the experience. Precise German design and engineering delivers top-class on-road ability and it comes with a reassuring four-star NCAP safety rating. “Although the Jetta is not top of the class in the design and function department, there’s little to criticise either. The most crucial scoring areas of safety, environment and build-quality are all strong points for both Volkswagens.” Mr Litera said Honda had brought a level of engineering sophistication to the mid-sized and people mover categories. “The Civic VTi won the Best Mid-Size Car under $28,000 category, while the Odyssey took out the Best People-Mover title for the third year running due to its car-like ride and handling,” he said. “The winners of the two sports car categories were the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Audi RS4 quattro. The GTI created the ‘hot hatch’ class three decades ago and today’s model combines the original’s spirit with modern levels of comfort, safety and performance. It has won this spot for the second year running.” Mr Litera said the Audi RS4 quattro had “clobbered the coupes”. “This car has relegated some legendary machines to secondary status thanks to its 4.2-litre V8 and massively-tyred wheels delivering power and grip. The RS4 is simply an amazing machine to drive,” he said. “Lexus scooped a handful of awards this year, taking home trophies for the Best Prestige, Luxury and Recreational 4WD categories, with the IS250, GS450h and RX350 respectively. The Lexus GS450h offers a glimpse into the future with hybrid technology that offers V8 performance levels with four-cylinder economy, low emissions and whisper quiet efficiency.” The Best Recreational and Best All-Terrain 4WD categories were won by Subaru Forester X and Landrover Discovery 3 SE TDV6. “Both vehicles provide a quality ride on or off-road. The Landrover has come up trumps for the second time running and is clearly at the high-quality end of the all-terrain 4WD market,” he said. Mr Litera said the beauty of Australia’s Best Cars, now in its seventh year, was a strong consumer focus providing new car buyers with the full scoring table on 220 vehicles. “But unlike other awards programs, our assessment also includes input from car buyers on what areas are most important in each vehicle class, such as safety, fuel economy, and so on. “This enables consumers to make a highly informed purchasing decision. “The scoring system has been shaped to reflect the expectations of the car-buying public and rates vehicles on all-round ability in three broad areas; value for money, design and function and on-road ability.” The 2006 Australia’s Best Cars buyers guide reviews 220 cars and will be on sale from today.

Toyota's fuel-economy figures for the new V6 Aurion are impressive. It has confirmed details of the most powerful and fuel-efficient six-cylinder engine in a locally-made car, even though its V6 Aurion will not hit showrooms until November. Toyota Australia says the high-tech imported V6 will have 200kW and fuel economy of 9.9 litres/100km, measured to the Australian Design Rule standard test 81/01. It will also comply with the latest Euro 4 emission standards. The economy is a big boost as Toyota tries to drive home a double-edged attack on the new Commodore and updated Falcon BFII. Even so, the company says the timing is not planned to keep people out of GM Holden showrooms or put the Aurion on to shopping lists early. "We had to submit the figures to the government for the Australian Design Rules," Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen says. "Since they were going to be in the public domain we thought we might as well release them." The numbers are good, and better than both the VE and BFII, and show an improvement on the economy side from the 11.2 litres/100km that Toyota managed with its last local V6 car, the Avalon. "That's as the engine comes. I think with the new generation of engines from Toyota we have the specific aim of improving fuel efficiency. There is no special tweaking or testing for the ADR runs," Breen says. The Aurion is in final testing on roads around Melbourne with only the barest of taping over the lights and badges. Although Toyota has revealed its power and economy numbers, it is not talking about the Aurion's exact performance. But insiders at the company hint that the Aurion will be just as quick, or quicker, than the Falcon and Commodore. "Among the Aussie six-cylinder family cars, it will be the leader in performance, delivering the power demanded by Australia's large-car motorists," Toyota's executive director of sales and marketing Dave Buttner says.

Aurion was chosen for the all-new V6 family car that is being unwrapped this morning at the press preview for the Melbourne International Motor Show. It will be set straight up against the Holden and Ford family favourites when sales begin at the back end of 2006. The Aurion is based on an all-new Camry, which is missing from the Melbourne Exhibition Centre despite being previewed in the USA, but has a very different and more upmarket look. There will also be an Aurion Sportivo. Toyota has tried before to challenge Australia's showroom leaders, first with the Lexcen - a poor-quality re-badged Commodore in the 1980s - and then with the outdated and unimpressive Avalon. It has always believed that it must have a credible and successful big-six contender if it is to win the heartland support it craves so desperately. Toyota Australia has tried everything else to become accepted as more than just a Japanese brand, even buying the major sponsorship rights to the AFL and signing on as vehicle supplier for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. This time it believes it has the right approach, as the Aurion was designed by an Aussie - 31-year-old Nick Hogios of Toyota Style Australia - and has been developed locally for Australian roads and owners. It took a big push to convince Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan that the Australian team had the people and skills to do the job, which including sending Hogios to work in Nagoya and regular visits by Paul Beranger, the veteran head of Toyota Style Australia, to oversee the project. Beranger produced the X-Runner pick-up and Sportivo Coupe which starred at earlier Melbourne Motor Shows. The unveiling this morning will be one of the biggest in Toyota's local history, including a webcast to dealerships around the country and a major news stunt. But nothing is bigger than the Aurion story, which includes direct support from Japan, which plans to make the car a major export earner. "It's all part of a global strategy," Beranger says. The plan is to sell the Aurion only as a V6, with the Camry only available with a four-cylinder engine, using a premium position closer to the Holden Berlina and Ford Fairmont. Toyota says it is far to early to talk about price or models or even the mechanical specification, but everything points to a $35,000 starter price with a full list of standard equipment. The production target is also being kept quiet, but Toyota Australia's factory at Altona has recently been upgraded to produce as many as 140,000 cars a year, split between the Camry and Aurion. The Camry is still likely to dominate the production line, with Aurion numbers growing slowly. The newcomer will also be built in China, Taiwan and Thailand with the Hogios looks, but wearing a premium Camry badge. And what about the Aurion name? Toyota admits that it is a made-up name, but says it wanted to avoid anything too obviously ocker Aussie - Kakadu or kangaroo - or a continuation of Avalon. Cressida, the name of a premium Toyota import in the 1980s, was also rejected because of its history. "Aurion means 'tomorrow' in ancient Greek," Beranger says. "The name also has overtones of Australia and Aurora - the Latin word for 'the dawn'.

Lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte was in fine form as the covers came off the new Aussie big V6, belting out the song in black hot pants and fishnet stockings as hundreds of motoring journalists and industry players looked on. The launch of the car was webcast live by Toyota and was watched with interest by executives at head office in Japan. Toyota's new car, designed by Australian designer Nick Hogios, is expected to start at around $35,000 when sales kick off late this year.