Toyota Aurion V6

[thatdbeme]

http://www.makeyourmove.com.au/makeyourmove/index

Apparently thats what this page is all about but we'll see in a couple of days.

[fpv_gtho]

Are you positive its Aurion?

Toyota are probably in the strongest position theyve ever been with fuel prices the way they are. If they release the new car with the 3.5L and maybe an existing 3L/3.3L then they have a position to gain sales from the fuel conscious.

[thatdbeme]

Are you positive its Aurion?


Not positive, i read it on another forum it hasnt been officially announced, expect an official announcent at 10am on thursday

[Spastik_Roach]

I am the only person who thinks stupid countdown websites are a real cliche now?

[SlickHolden]

Yeah i remember HSV done it also for the Z-Series:p.

[molantz]

Yup its an Aurion alright.

makeyourmove.com now forwards you to:
http://www.aurionv6.com.au/toyota/323PreLaunch/index.jsp

[thatdbeme]

looks good i think

[Blue Supra]

OMG thats the best looking toyota EVER! the sportivo is actually AGGRESSIVE!

"3.5L V6 producing in excess of 190kw in standard form with a supercharged engine planned for the sports model with an undisclosed power figure..."

*drools*

please tell me its RWD OH PLEASE!!!

[motorsportnerd]

It won't be RWD, seeing as the base model is FWD. Perhaps an AWD version? No hints or anything, so lets see.
Aurion looks good in Sportivo guise. I saw a picture of the base model in today's Daily Telegraph and wasn't impressed with the grille though - too American, too much like a 300C.
Overall, this car looks very promising. And prices will apparantly start in the low $30K range - which will probably blow the Mits 380 out of the water.

[Blue Supra]

AWD would pwn.

poor mitsu (literally) :(

[SlickHolden]

First look i could see Holden and Ford on it and some left over Camry. But nice colour and it's nice they just need some real wheels for there cars slap on some nice 18" rims and that would rule.

Is that the new Camry or the Avalon?
Supercharged:eek: They are looking to get into the Ring with FordsT:rolleyes: .

[charged]

In the press release they say its FWD, hopefully a AWD and either turbo or supercharged donk would stir up the xr and ss boys. Dont mind the styling, very inoffensive (bland) but that Toyota in a nutshell. Its much better looking than the Avalon it replaces.

[SlickHolden]

Is this a new model cause its still camry like AU in BA there, Or is that what they wanted?

[Blitz_]

feck me, im impressed! a supercharged 6? im sure they wont balls up like Holdens pathetic attempt with the supercharged S. Interesting indeed, im a fan of the design, big rims, bigger exhaust and damn, you've actually got a nice looking car. Whatch out Holden, im thinking this mite be the car to kill the commodore, perhaps not in sales, but with the actual quality and overall rating. Poot Mitsu, 380 looks shite compared to this really :|

[SlickHolden]

Hey that Supercharged V6 was all go, And with 1 little upgrade it was 600Nm+.
I got a Vid of one doing a 0-100 in under 7 seconds and it was very refined sounding to i was impressed, Holden just never unleashed it's true potential, It could have gave a XR6T a real scare, There are guys out there that own them and say they have the best sleepers, One guy done a 13.5sec 1/4 with a pulley change:eek:
Anyway check it out i loaded it up:)

I think you got it wrong mate the Toyota will never out sell Commodore, It's the Falcon that it could ruffle up a little. But if it had RWD they both would be right in it's sights.

[motorsportnerd]

The Aurion won't outsell the Commodore. Probably not even the Falcon. And I doubt RWD would make much difference since a lot of private Commodore/Falcon sales are based on very strong loyalty. Even many of the fleet buyers will buy based on recommendations from loyal Holden/Ford drivers.
The WILL outsell the 380. It will probably sell inside the top 10 each month. Where the Aurion might pick up the occasional conquest sale from Ford/Holden buyers is in the following scenario. If a person who would normally buy a Ford or Holden is disgruntled with the current shape (like a lot of Ford buyers were with the AU) or they're finally had it with poor reliability, they will go to a third manufacturer for their car. Diehard Ford owners won't buy Holden's and vice versa. A dissatisfied diehard Ford fan will walk across lava or buy a Toyota/Mitsubishi long before they'll go into a Holden showroom and vice versa. That may mean the occasional sale to Toyota.
Also, Toyota will be selling the Aurion in the Middle East and the Aurion will be manufactured in China (according to Carsguide). The sales future of the Aurion is pretty much secured and there's no need for it outsell Ford/Holden.

[fpv_gtho]

I like it, it'll be interesting to see how they spread the feature across the range

[Monty_Burns]

I think it looks fantastic. Could well sell around 4000 per month.

[fpv_gtho]

Thats a tough figure to reach, the Commodore struggles to sell that many some months these days and thats got Holdens fleet support and national pride behind it.

[thatdbeme]

before prediciting sales, a lot needs to be known, pricing is going to be a major factor, fwd vs rwd wont be as major

[fpv_gtho]

If it wont be as major then why has the RWD duo outsold the FWD duo/trio the past 10 years at least, when Toyota and Mitsubishi have made arguably better quality cars?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Am I the only one who thinks it's a bit boring/ugly?

But in this market, it'd suit fine.

Bummer for Mitsubishi, although i'd probably buy the 380 over this.

[fpv_gtho]

The consensus over the 380 seems to be its an alright car, but not many people would buy one. Now MMAL's relaunching the car

[AusSteel]

Am I the only one who thinks it's a bit boring/ugly?

But in this market, it'd suit fine.

Bummer for Mitsubishi, although i'd probably buy the 380 over this.

I reckon it looks alright - at least it doesn't look as boring as batshit (like the Avalon did), and actually designed by Australians too (a relatively new step for Toyota)!!! Personally, from what I've seen, it's a better looking vehicle than the 380.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I've seen some 380's on the road recently, they've got surprising presence. Understated, but still somewhat powerful.

This just looks like a facelifted, Bloated Camry.

[fpv_gtho]

Theres a red one going around here, must be a VRX/GT. They look nice enough but theyre only comparable to an XR6 atmo. They need a Ralliart version again.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

they need a well-done Ralliart version, not a tack-on bodykit special.

[AusSteel]

Must admit, the 380 itself is not a bad looking vehicle - but its 'understated' appearance is probably one of the many reasons (besides not making it RWD/dropping AWD from this model, and poor marketing by Mitsubishi) why the Australian public are hesitant to buy one.

[fpv_gtho]

they need a well-done Ralliart version, not a tack-on bodykit special.

AWD, turbo, 6sp manual, lower and stiffer....that well done?

[AusSteel]

AWD, turbo, 6sp manual, lower and stiffer....that well done?

Why not slap on an EVO sticker on it too... if it's good enough for the Lancer and Pajero...

[SlickHolden]

I'll take a 380 in hyper yellow thanks:D

[adrenaline]

Must admit, the 380 itself is not a bad looking vehicle - but its 'understated' appearance is probably one of the many reasons (besides not making it RWD/dropping AWD from this model, and poor marketing by Mitsubishi) why the Australian public are hesitant to buy one.


I think of mitsu's cars and i cringe...i get this image of them breaking down...like many of the last last generation did. It tarnished their image. If the 380 was sexier than an aston martin i still dont think they would sell like hot cakes....mitsu need to bring back those emo ads..they were starting to work on me :D:D:D

[Mr. Jinx]

the 380 has a pretty crap interior imo
i hate the carryover HVAC controls

[fpv_gtho]

i hate the carryover HVAC controls

Did they keep the same climate control from the last Magna, which looked more like air con with the temperature numbers on the cooling/heating knob...

[SlickHolden]

So they had climate control but with the normal A/C buttons?:D

[Mr. Jinx]

Did they keep the same climate control from the last Magna, which looked more like air con with the temperature numbers on the cooling/heating knob...
Im pretty sure its the Magna knobs, just silver. Same goes for the base audio system. Same as Magna/Verada, just silver. :(

[SlickHolden]

So it's like my Cousin says about KFC chicken, Same shit different bucket:p

[Mr. Jinx]

haha, very true!

[fpv_gtho]

So they had climate control but with the normal A/C buttons?:D

Basically, its essentially an analoque c/c. Something you'd expect in a VR Calais or ED Fairmont Ghia

[SlickHolden]

Like this one?. http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/33/65/7d_1_b.JPG

[Mr. Jinx]

nup, they're knobs
like the 350Z and Murano

[thatdbeme]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/0A72761CB49FFE38CA25711600020ED3

TOYOTA’S forthcoming Avalon replacement, the Aurion, can be adapted to an all-wheel drive configuration, Toyota Australia executive chairman John Conomos revealed to GoAuto last week.

Due on sale in November, the all-new Aussie-built sedan was well received at its Melbourne International Motor Show unveiling, although some questioned whether a front-wheel drive vehicle had a realistic shot of making a dent in a large-car segment dominated by rear-drivers.

Mr Conomos was upbeat about the car’s prospects, arguing the long-established rear-drive fixation was a behavioural pattern that could be modified.

“We don’t see (the fact Aurion is front-wheel drive) as too much of a drawback,” he said. “We do recognize that the traditional rear-wheel drive buyer will find it a bit unusual – until they drive this car.”

Mr Conomos also conceded that the platform was compatible with an all-wheel drive format – using existing hardware from the Toyota parts bin – if the business case for such a variant made sense.

Although Mr Conomos would not comment further on the matter, the most obvious candidate would be the proposed high-performance variant (due in the first half of 2007), which is destined to receive a locally fettled, supercharged version of the Aurion’s 3.5-litre quad-cam V6.

No power and torque figures have been released, but given that the naturally aspirated base engine is said to produce in excess of 190kW and 330Nm, GoAuto estimates the blown S-Con model could potentially crank out around 240kW and 400Nm – clearly a lot of power and torque for a front-driver to cope with.

Be that as it may, Mr Conomos said an AWD Aurion was not on the agenda at this stage. He said the S-Con variant was designed to serve as an image leader that would provide a halo effect for the lesser models, but he denied that it was an attempt to beat Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles at their own game.

“We won’t take on HSV – that would be a bit ambitious,” he said. “We’re going to come at it from a different point of view. We won’t be able to compete with V8 Supercars, of course.

“But with the performance it’ll have from that (supercharged) engine, we think it will appeal to a limited number of buyers in this market.

“We’re happy with the power we’re getting in early tests of the supercharged 3.5-litre V6. We’re very happy with its performance.

“And with the limited number of (S-Con variants) we’ll produce, we’ll be able to do it on the assembly line. That’s a breakthrough, because we’ve not been able to do that in the past.”

Asked whether Toyota was re-entering the (declining) large-car category too late, Mr Conomos said: “It’s never too late to enter an important market segment.

“I think large-car sales will stay where they are – people will just adjust their buying habits. They may not sell proportionally as many as they used to, but there’s always room for the big Aussie car.

“We’re a large country, we have relatively cheap fuel and we have the desire to pull boats and caravans.

“We like to lope along country roads in comfort, so these types of cars are very important to the Australian market, so that’s why we’re participating in the segment.”

Mr Conomos said the Avalon, unloved as it was, had proved a valuable learning experience for the company.

“We learned a lot from the Avalon. We learned about customer base, we learned about Aussie taste, we learned about how to market cars differently.

“We learned how tough it is to defeat Holden and Ford – mighty organisations as they are. So this is why we’ve regrouped and had another go.”

Mr Conomos said Toyota would not try and find favour by undercutting Ford and Holden on price with the vehicle.

“We don’t plan to introduce a cheap motor car,” he said. “It’ll be highly competitive, and that’ll be one of the key factors in its success. Our cost planning is right on target and we think we’ll be able to hit our original retail price plans without too much difficulty.”

Mr Conomos said the Aurion would play a key role in growing Toyota’s Australian sales from last year’s 202,817 total to 250,000 by the end of the decade.

Toyota’s Altona plant is being ramped up to produce 140,000 cars annually once the Aurion and new Camry are on stream, and Mr Conomos said up to 80,000 exports a year was achievable. Last year Toyota Australia exported 69,000 cars.

Mr Conomos revealed that the percentage of Australian content in Aurion and the new Camry would decrease compared with their predecessors.

However, he suggested the fact that production at its Altona plant would be ramped up from 110,000 to 140,000 meant that the “value of the buy” from local suppliers would increase.

A third model line for the Altona plant is still under consideration, but Mr Conomos said the need for this was alleviated by the decision to increase production to 140,000 annually with just two models.


Reaction to Aurion:
Holden – Denny Mooney: “New products will lift the segment. We’ve got the replacement for the Avalon – which is a good-looking car – and I think as new, fresh metal gets out there, you’re going to see people wanting to get back into those cars … The reality is, sure, I’d like less competition ... (but) having the torque at the rear wheels – it (Commodore) is a different-character car.”

Ford – Tom Gorman: “The decline in the large-car market is driven by aged product. So while any competitor is a bad thing, products like the BF Falcon, Mitsubishi 380 and Aurion will only boost the segment as a whole … I fear every competitor. It will be a strong rival and will put pressure on us, but at the same time it will create interest in the market.”

Mitsubishi – Rob McEniry: “It’s another competitor we’ll have to, along with our other fellow local manufacturers, compete with … That’s certainly part of the Toyota tactic – to try and hold off (380 fleet) sales, but it depends on the offer, I guess, and position of the fleet – where they are in their buying cycle.”

[fpv_gtho]

I wonder if Rob McEniry was able to say that in one breath, as MMAL would royally be shitting themselves i would think.

It seems risky theyre going for supercharged though. Everyone else seems to be turned onto turbo now, perhaps theyre mindful of the XR6T and want to avoid eventual comparisons. Probably smart thinking there...

I'd be interested to see how the new FWD's drive though. I always have a little giggle whenever in mums Camry, i accelerate a lil too early through a slow corner and get the odd screech. Probably safer at this stage then having the car kick in and wrench my guts slightly...

[SlickHolden]

My sister doesn't know very much about cars of today, But she wants her VL Calais back she hates her FWD car, She loves it's economy and it's new feel, And the backing of proton to fix any problems but she is well over it now.
I enjoyed the Avalon i drove apart from it's soft suspension it's crappy ABS brakes and it drank a little to and it's cheap intiria, Past that it was powerful enough comfy to drive, Wouldn't do a wheelie even with water at the front:p.

[Blue Supra]

IF it comes out in AWD id buy one.

FWD doesnt turn me on at all. IT is a cool looking car, i think theyve taken a bit of inspiration from lexus and honda in it though.

[SlickHolden]

220kw in FWD is a waste:( AWD:D

[spell check]

I enjoyed the Avalon i drove apart from it's soft suspension it's crappy ABS brakes and it drank a little to and it's cheap intiria, Past that it was powerful enough comfy to drive, Wouldn't do a wheelie even with water at the front:p.

Did you mean 'interior'?

[adrenaline]

aaarrrrggghhh!!!!

WTF!!! Someone made an account for the sole reason of correcting ONE word from a thread that died in FEB!!! That's strange.

[thatdbeme]

someone should suss the IP out... not many people use dialup these days

[SlickHolden]

Did you mean 'interior'?
If you knew what i said then what the ****?
Someone opens an account just for that? Someone needs a life.

[acemotorsport]

what a n00b i can be spell chekc

[SlickHolden]

Hmm AllDat far sum dum spill chekcs da gays gots nos liefs:p

[HSVLVR]

Yeah i remember HSV done it also for the Z-Series:p.

Same here.

[HSVLVR]

Hmm AllDat far sum dum spill chekcs da gays gots nos liefs:p

Smart-ass:p