Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

First Test: 2013 Toyota Avalon TRD Edition

Gallery:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/.../photo_01.html

Three modified Toyota Avalon sedans were some of the biggest surprises at last year's SEMA show. The cars were obviously not targeted toward grandma, unless she likes the idea of a supercharger, 19-inch rims, and a lowered suspension -- just a few items on the Avalon TRD Edition show car. We treated this Avalon like most one-off show cars we see at SEMA: We saw it, wrote about it, and assumed that would be the last we'd see of it.

But, in a rare move, Toyota dropped by our office and handed over the keys to that Avalon TRD Edition, allowing us to perform our usual barrage of tests.

The supercharged Avalon was essentially a side project involving Toyota's Calty design center, engineers in Michigan, and folks from TRD in Southern California. Since the SEMA show, Toyota continued tinkering with this special Avalon, specifically with the Eaton twin vortices series supercharger, which was sourced from the TRD version of the Australian-market Aurion sedan (essentially their version of the Camry). The sedan was the first car sold as an official TRD model, but the challenging economic environment forced the tuner to shutter its Australian operations shortly after.

Toyota estimates that the supercharger boosts the Avalon's 3.5-liter V-6 to around 320 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, up from 268 hp and 248 lb-ft. Despite the power gains, the modified Avalon needed 6.5 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph -- 0.3 second slower than the last production version model we tested. The car also loses steam in the quarter mile with a time of 15.0 seconds at 93.2 mph versus 14.6 seconds at 97.3 mph for the stock Avalon. A few factors hinder its straight-line performance. For starters, Toyota says more work is needed to tune the engine and recalibrate the software. It's also more than 200 pounds heavier (3755 pounds) because of flashy show car bits such as the massive stereo system and 19-inch rims wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

On the upside, those Michelins, along with the modified suspension (KYB mono-tube shocks and custom springs that lower the ride by about an inch), help the Avalon TRD at the figure-eight course, where it posted a time of 25.7 seconds at 0.73 g average, 1.5 seconds faster than stock. The special Avalon's 60-0 mph distance of 106 feet is a 15-foot improvement. Part of the credit there goes to the TRD brake system, which includes six-piston, red-painted calipers up front and four pistons in the rear.

Overall, the Avalon is relatively nimble for its size. As expected, the ride is firm and slightly jarring over bumps, but the cabin is still surprisingly quiet at highway speed. TRD recalibrated the electric power steering unit to give it a firmer feel, especially in Sport mode. Other modifications include a TRD sport exhaust system that emits a satisfying deep note, especially during hard acceleration when it's making noise in unison with the supercharger's whine.

If the cabin is too quiet for your tastes, that can be remedied by a 15-speaker JBL sound system with two 10-inch subwoofers housed in the trunk. Two 500-watt amplifiers and a digital processor complete the sound system and pretty much occupy the remainder of the trunk's cargo space. Other custom touches include black suede-like headliner, black leather seats, door panels, and dashboard trim with red contrast stitching. The seats feature a "graduated perforated" pattern with dots that fade away toward the edges of the seat bottom and backrest.

As expected, Toyota is staying tight-lipped about the production potential of this project car or any of its parts. The idea of a production-ready supercharged Avalon is interesting, but we doubt Toyota can make much of a business case for it. The show car is based on a Limited model with the Technology Package carrying a sticker price of $40,840. The MSRP could easily approach $50,000 once all of the modifications are tallied, with the supercharger taking a bulk of the price jump.

What's more likely, however, is a mid-cycle refreshed Sport Edition (SE) model that will consist of visual mods inspired by the ones on this show car. The smoke-finished rims, for example, aren't too outlandish, and neither are the darkened grille accents, and clear headlight/taillight lenses. Toyota could even make a case for a TRD edition by bolting on the suspension and exhaust kit. Sure, an Avalon TRD may not suit all full-size sedan buyers' tastes, but it certainly could attract new customers who would have never considered the 2013 Avalon's bland predecessors.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz2VYbRpN49

KevinGS

Go Toyota! Looks great.

And I don't care about the engine sluggishness. That's not why people buy Avvy's anyway.

ST430

Wait, so you're saying that people buy the Avalons like this TRD edition for more nimble handling, ear bleeding stereo, bone jarring ride, and phat 19"s to show off?!

The power issues with the TRD S/C is a disgrace...they should of actually tuned it before they sent it out for review. I like the concept, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired...

Coconut

TRD really is an unfortunate name for their performance division. Everytime I see TRD I think turd. I hope they don't come out with a FR-S TRD....

Fun but Really Slow TuRD

KevinGS

People will buy this TRD edition to have the top-of-the-line Avvy. Nothing more, nothing less.

They won't care much about the ear-bleeding stereo or nimble handling. This TRD won't be cross-shopped with much else. It will be somebody already looking at the Avvy in the dealer, and the salesman will show them this sexy top-of-the-line Avvy, and they'll want it.

The "upgraded" engine (or the nimble handling) won't matter much....it will be all about the aesthetics and those better-looking 19" rims.

This TRD Avvy will be a nice flagship for Toyota. They'll get the bugs worked out, and this thing will sell. And ironically, you're likely to see mostly gray-haired folks driving this TRD version too, doing 55 in the slow lane. LOL

Outrage

"Hey everybody, look at all these cool parts on our SEMA car! What's that? Hell no, you can't buy any of them. That would be crazy!"

LexBob2

Yeah, gray haired folks are the primary buyers of the Av. Maybe just a halfhearted effort by TRD knowing it most likely won't make much of a ripple in the marketplace, It is interesting though.

mmarshall

Don't bet on it. Most gray-haired folks, even former Avalon buyers, (if they actually spend some time test-driving it first) won't put up with a ride that firm. I suspect that at least some of them are going to be converted to the new Impala, or maybe the new Kia Cadenza.

iggyhop9

It angers me how Toyota spends time on something as niche as a Supercharged Avalon and has given it to a magazine for testing, yet we don't hear anything of a Lexus GS-F, a vehicle that is actually expected and clamored for.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I have to agree. At the very least at least the name GS-F was patented

Harbinger

Supercharged Camry - All Day Long
Supercharged Avalon - Sheer Masochism

I8ABMR

when we picked up our sienna last month I had a little time to check out the Avalon while I waited for the finance guy to do the paperwork and I was impressed with the standard one. What I didn't like was that the design of the center console was painful because my knee was up against an angled piece of trim

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

thats a rather large looking Ford fusion lower grill there...