Melbourne: Toyota shows off TRD versions of Aurion sedan and HiLux pickup
Click image for TRD Aurion gallery. TRD HiLux gallery below.
TRD didn't just show off its new Corolla-based rally car at the Melbourne Motor Show. The Aussie wing of Toyota's factory motorsports arm also pulled the sheets off a new production car, the TRD Aurion, and a near-production-looking concept in the TRD HiLux pickup. The emergence of the special Aurion represents the world debut of TRD as a vehicle brand, opening the door for TRD versions of just about anything the automaker sets its mind to.
The TRD Aurion doesn't play around, either. This better-looking (much better looking in fact) Aussie version of the Camry gets a blown 3.5L V6 good for at least 320 horsepower. Some of you will notice that the TRD production car is essentially a dead ringer for the Aurion Sports Concept (gallery) that made its debut at the Sydney Motor Show back in October. We think the production car looks better, with less grey in the nose and much nicer-looking wheels. Sadly, Toyota thinks that the Camry has to look boring in our market. Come on guys, this look and the supercharged engine would go a long way towards making people think of the car as something other than an inoffensive, boring appliance.
Joining the TRD Aurion at the Toyota Stand is a TRD HiLux concept pickup. The four-door short-bed truck sports TRD graphics, a black roll bar, and a supercharged 4.0L V6. No power numbers were given. TRD only says that HiLux concept's engine is good for "substantially more" than the 234 horses the standard HiLux produces. If we had to guess, we'd say that our friends in Oz can look for the "concept" part of the HiLux's name to be dropped in the future.
[Source: Toyota]
Gallery: TRD Aurion
Gallery: TRD HiLux Concept
PRESS RELEASE:
TOYOTA DELIVERS WORLD AND AUSTRALIAN FIRSTS
Toyota Australia today (2 March) delivered a stunning series of world and Australian firsts at the Melbourne International Motor Show.
The Australian market leader set the pace at the show by displaying:
* the world's first TRD production-car brand
* the world's first production TRD Aurion
* the world's first TRD HiLux Concept, and
* the world's first new-model Corolla Super 2000 rally car.
The company's motor show stand also included three Australian firsts - the motor-show debuts of the new Euro-styled Corolla hatch, the sophisticated new Corolla sedan and the next-generation Kluger sports-utility vehicle.
Toyota Australia's senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the company's array of motor-show firsts confirmed 2007 would be one of the busiest years on record for Toyota new-model launches.
"Toyota will launch nine new models into seven vehicle segments this year - including the vehicles having their world or Australian debuts at the Melbourne show," Mr Buttner said.
"By the end of November, Toyota will have replaced or updated almost its entire model line-up in the space of just three years," he said.
"It is this constant flow of new and improved vehicles, manufactured both locally and overseas to meet and exceed customer demands, that is behind Toyota's success as market leader."
Mr Buttner said this is a world-first TRD vehicle brand and would add a new dimension to Toyota in Australia.
"TRD differs from its key competitors in the local enhanced-performance market because it will develop a range of vehicles, not just variations based on one car.
"TRD will increase the desirability of Toyota vehicles by drawing on the company's 50-year motorsport heritage to design and engineer a range of complete performance vehicles.
"This is the first time in the world TRD had been established as a separate brand under Toyota."
The TRD Aurion, slated for sale from the third quarter of this year, will feature a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine pumping out at least 235kW.
A production model based on the TRD HiLux Concept - a 4WD Double Cab - will hit the market later in the year.
Its supercharged 4.0-litre V6 engine will lift power substantially above the standard engine's 175kW.
Engineering development and design for these vehicles have been carried out entirely by Toyota Australia, with final assembly carried out by supplier Prodrive.
Toyota's other world-first debut in Melbourne is the striking new Corolla rally car that will compete in the Super 2000 championship this year.
Team leader Neal Bates and 2006 Australian Rally Champion Simon Evans said they would each be driving the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated car competitively for the first time at the Rally of Canberra in June.
"The dynamics are a lot better than our old car because it is so much lighter - and the sound of the engine revving up to 8,500rpm is amazing," Bates said.
The rally car is based on the new Euro-styled Corolla hatch that is making its Australian motor-show debut on the Toyota stand - along with the sleek and sophisticated new-model Corolla sedan.
Longer, wider and with more interior space, both Corollas will feature a more powerful 1.8-litre four-cylinder dual VVT-i petrol engine.
Corolla is Australia's most popular small car and last month was the top-selling vehicle in the country - a feat it achieved twice last year.
Toyota has also chosen Melbourne to stage the first outing in Australia for the next-generation Kluger.
Longer, wider and taller than the current model, it will - for the first time - be available in 2WD as well as all-wheel-drive versions.
Next-generation Kluger is expected to develop around 200kW from its dual VVT-i 3.5-litre V6 engine - making it the most powerful naturally aspirated V6 medium SUV in Australia.
Offering more interior space with the options of five or seven seats, it is due to go on sale in the third quarter of this year.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Allen K. 4:37PM (3/02/2007)
Can anybody please tell my why every car I seem from down under is so nicely styled? Seriously thinking about moving just for the cars....so jealous.
For the record, I don't even like Camry's but that looks good. And Holden...oh Holden...
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Rick Lyon 8:18AM (3/03/2007)
So let me get this straight. We don't get small 4 door subcompacts because americans like it big, fast and bad on gas, yet we also don't get the bad ass aggressive designs that seem destined to be mated with big engines?
I'd rather have a sweet car that is slow, then a fast car that is ugly/boring.
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Chris 4:55PM (3/02/2007)
Barf, no thanks. The regular Camry looks WAY better.
But maybe the aussies think differently. (whatever if you like it, my mom drives a camry, and i'd take that over this any day)
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jgp 4:41PM (3/02/2007)
Wow...I rather dislike the Camry, but that Aurion looks amazing.
I don't know why Toyota deems fit to dump their most boring products on the USDM, and leave their cool cars to the JDM and Australia.
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porker 4:42PM (3/02/2007)
So, the turd is going to be a separate brand, now?
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porker 4:45PM (3/02/2007)
Just imagine- Well, I'm going to go look at new cars and trucks today. I'll stop by Chevy, Ford, Dodge, and maybe I'll drop by and look at those Turds, too!
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Shoaib 5:04PM (3/02/2007)
Wow, Toyota is becoming just like GM and Ford, leaving alot of the nice cars out of the USDM.
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david 5:09PM (3/02/2007)
okay guys, i admit i don't like toyota. but i need a little help here. the trd you talk about, is it pronounced tee-are-dee? or is it just like a regular old fashioned turd. oh, never mind, it's still a toyota.
oh, wait. my wife just handed me a dictionary.
here it is. turd; commonly referred to as the stench emitted from engine sludging. also see toyota.
and then there's;
trd; see turd.
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Deezee 5:21PM (3/02/2007)
Tee R Dee = Toyota Racing Development
I dont understand why thats not the Camry sold here. It looks much better and has a more powerful engine. What exactly is the confusion? Just import the damn thing. I'm so glad GM is bringing the Commodore to the US.
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Sampson 6:35PM (3/02/2007)
ahh they can have it... FWD on that boat is going to...
...SUCK!
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chris 5:52PM (3/02/2007)
We also get the USDM Camry (but slightly different and built in Aus) but in 4-cyl engine only. Toyota Australia designed the Aurion to look like a better competitor to the Commodore and Falcon and give it only a more powerful V6 with no I4 option.
They're not leaving cars out of the American market, Toyota, Ford and GM have bases all over the world, and the Australian brand of each builds and imports cars that suit the Australian market. So while we get the Aurion and Falcon, we don't get the Tundra or Mustang for example. The only American-style Toyota we get is the Camry and we don't get a single American Ford apart from very small numbers of the F-150 and F-250 for farmers and people who actually need them and will spend big money for them.
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whofan 5:54PM (3/02/2007)
I don`t like Toyota but if these were the Toyota`s people rave here I could understand the love.
Toyota isn`t ugly in Austraila.
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Rodion 6:07PM (3/02/2007)
Since Toyota's Camry is a very important model as a volume product. It must appeal to lower common denominator, it's supposed to bring in new customers with other possible car needs. So the Aurion as good looking as it would appeal only to a select few who will like, possibly love the car, but won't buy it for whatever reason.
However if Toyota wants to at profit, sell a serious performance mid-size sedan, then yeah I'm all for bringing it here with separate nameplate. I doubt it would be confusing to customers.
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Ernest 6:03PM (3/02/2007)
320hp front wheel drive??? no thanks!
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chris 6:24PM (3/02/2007)
Ernest, they already made a 320hp supercharged Camry prototype based off the previous-gen Camry here in Australia and all the magazines that drove it said it handled better than any of the RWD Holdens and Fords (including HSV and FPV). The current Holden Commodore is a much better handling car though, so I'd say this thing would be about equal with it. Obviously there's going to be a bit of understeer and torque steer, it is a power FF after all, but Toyota Australia have proven they know how to make it work quite well.
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prash 6:44PM (3/02/2007)
looks goood. may be this is the next avalon fighter for pontiac G8 wow?
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KJC 10:28PM (3/02/2007)
The Aurion with 320 hp is front wheel drive or all wheel drive? Both look much better than our (US) versions.
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J-money 8:22PM (3/02/2007)
Anyone notice the Aurion resemblence to the Lexus IS 250/350? I like.
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eDamo 10:03PM (3/02/2007)
Chris, we also get Explorer and Escape.
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Dale 11:13PM (3/02/2007)
What I don't understand is why spend all that development money on similar products for different markets? I have a hard time believing that North American tastes in style are that different than Austrailian or European (for the more main-stream cars anyway). Quite frankly, the NA Camery reminds me of the jelly-bean look of the Ford Taurus Mk2, which is not a compliment. Funny how a different front and rear fascia though cleans up the look alot. Honestly, I would think there would be some sort of economy in just modifying the mechanicals to work in the different markets than to completely design a new vehicle. BMW, VW, Benz et-al all sell the same cars world wide with no problems. I think what gets me the most is that Ford and GM will sell a car in every other market BUT North America. Only now is GM wising up and importing Opel/Vauxhall as Saturns (ugh..). The current Astra could though has been forsale in Mexico for the last 3 years!!! I mean come on, if Mexico likes it, why wouldn't we? No wonder the North American arms are in such deep crap... too many toe-headed/American-only B.S. values that rob us (and finally them) of decent product. I doubt Ford will figure this one out in time to save itself from death (ie: like now). Really, is it that hard to realize that the warmed over 2000 Focus is in no-way half as good as the C1-based Focus? If Mazada can make money off the C1, Ford has no excuse not to.
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