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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 26, 2010 · 18 $ 8 OFF any oil change package Coupon required. Expiry: June 30, 2010 Code: 5582 345 Speers Rd. (at Dorval), Oakville 905-842-9299 Valid at all GTA locations. Toyota's flagship sedan gets a facelift for 2011 model By Lorne Drury Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine ST. JOHN'S, NL.: The Avalon is Toyota's flagship sedan, but you'd be hard pressed to find many people on the street who could pick one out from a Camry. That's because there aren't many of them sold here and because it does look somewhat similar to a Camry and has a wheelbase only 45 mm longer. Toyota has found that most of its Avalon customers (280 were sold in Canada last year) are from the senior age bracket. And even many of the more elderly drivers (including an 83-year-old named Iris) said during focus group sessions that the car could do with a bit of updating in the styling department. So, Toyota has tried to remedy that with a refreshed look both inside and out for 2011. In fact, all the body panels except the doors and roof are new for this year. Toyota executives say they would like to attract a younger audience (35-55 year olds) with the refreshed Avalon so they added a bit more flash and brightwork on the outside, but not too much as to take away from the elegance that this full-size premium sedan attempts to convey. "The Avalon has always been the epitome of elegance," said Sandy Di Felice, director of Toyota Canada. "The Avalon is for people who do not want a flashy car but at the same time want to indulge themselves." So did they succeed? Well, the new Avalon offers a better overall package than before at a more reasonable price ($41,100). Toyota describes the new exterior look as having "dynamic and expressive lines," but it may still lack the pizzazz needed to catch the eye of a younger crowd and grow sales significantly. Still, Toyota Canada has fairly modest expectations for the car, hoping to sell between 350 and 500 for this model year. Nevertheless, the new look takes the Avalon down a more exciting design road with what chief engineer Randy Stephens calls "significant changes for this time in the model run." From the addition of more chrome on the front grille and side rocker panels, to hightech projector headlamps with light pipes and rear tail lamps with LED light pipes, the Avalon for 2011 has a much more modern look to it. Other new features include foldable heated power side mirrors with LED turn signal, 17-inch polished alloy wheels and prominent dual exhaust pipes. The spacious cabin makes the Avalon an Toyota Avalon 2011 At A Glance: BODY STYLE: four-door premium sedan. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, frontwheel drive. ENGINE: 24-valve, 3.5-litre DOHC V6 (268 hp, 248 lb/ft of torque). FUEL ECONOMY: 10.6L/100 km (27 mpg) city, 6.8L/100 km (42 mpg) highway, combined 8.9L/100 km (32 mpg). PRICE: $41,100. WEB SITE: www.toyota.ca While it still has a ways to go to match the exterior styling of Toyota's Venza crossover, the 2011 Toyota Avalon has been upgraded with revised sheet metal and more brightwork outside. ideal touring car for up to five people and Toyota chose the aptly named Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland for its Canadian launch. This picturesque area that is home to the capital city of St. John's has wonderful winding roads that hug the seashore and take you from one beautiful vista to another. The Avalon is Toyota's most North American vehicle. The restyling was carried out at Toyota's California design studio. While the Corolla, Matrix and RAV4 (all built in Canada) account for 50 per cent of Canadian sales, Toyota prides itself in offering a car for all tastes. So for those who want a sophisticated sedan full of all the latest in technology, the Avalon is it, designed and built in North America for a North American audience. Overall, it has significant enhancements for 2011; with many of them in the revamped interior that isn't flashy but has a distinctly Lexus-like feel to it. Power for this front-wheel drive vehicle comes from a 24-valve, 3.5-litre DOHC V6 engine, making 268 hp and 248 lb/ft of torque. This is the same engine offered in the upscale Camry models. The V6 is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and it is equipped with the latest valve-control mechanism to provide a broader power band, while at the same time requiring less fuel and generating fewer emissions. As far as fuel economy is concerned, the Avalon is rated by Natural Resources Canada at 10.6L/100 km (27 mpg) city and 6.8L/100 km (42 mpg) highway for a combined 8.9L/100 km (32 mpg). Inside, one of the highlights of the Avalon is the amount of rear seat legroom. Three passengers fit comfortably in the rear seats and the wide door openings and flat floor area make entry and exit a breeze. The rear seats also recline slightly, a feature unique to Avalon in the segment. There is a pass-through to the trunk, but the rear seats do not recline to add to the generous trunk capacity. Meanwhile, all seating surfaces are leather, heated in front and with eight-way power adjustments for the driver's seat. There is also a driver's memory with two settings. The revised dash sports a new instrument panel with easy-to-read Optitron gauges featuring white illumination with white pointers. While the owners of current Avalons are generally older, they like their technology and Toyota decided to package almost all its available technology in this model. So, it features Bluetooth hands-free phone and music streaming to the audio system from a compatible device, XM satellite radio (six months free) and both USB and auxiliary connections for iPod and other audio devices. It also has a DVD-based touch screen nav- igation system and a back-up camera. Steering wheel controls monitor the audio, HVAC, Bluetooth and climate functions. The JBL premium 660-watt audio system uses 12-speakers to deliver wonderful surround sound quality throughout the cabin. Although this is a big-body, full-size sedan, safety features aren't forgotten. There are seven airbags including the segment's only driver's-side knee airbag. Active front headrests and redesigned rear headrests are included as are Vehicle Stability Control, traction control, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist. The trunk even has a full-size spare tire on an alloy wheel and each wheel has its own air pressure sensor. On the road, the Avalon presents a smooth, comfortable, soft ride-- much like you would find in its Lexus counterpart, the ES 350. This is a family entry-luxury sedan and not a sport sedan, so the ride and handling is similar to competitors such as the Hyundai Genesis, Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus. As far as packaging is concerned, what you see is what you get. Toyota has decided to offer the Avalon for 2011 in the upscale XLS trim only in Canada. That model accounted for 60 per cent of sales for 2010 and was priced at $4,745 more than the incoming car. So the Avalon presents quite a bargain when you consider it's not much more than a fully-loaded V6 Camry and less than the starting price for a Lexus ES 350. That's why Toyota hopes to capture some move-up buyers from the Camry as well as others who want an entry-luxury vehicle with all the toys but without the flash of some of the competition. For this type of buyer, the Avalon may just do the trick.