With performance firmly in their wheelhouse, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) created a concept that builds on the strength of the new car's inherently sporty styling and dynamics by taking each a couple of steps further without losing the "sweet spot."

Using the 3.5-liter V6 gasoline-powered Avalon, TRD added one of its signature supercharger systems to bump engine power and torque substantially while maintaining smooth driveability. The cleanly integrated design also fits neatly in the Avalon engine bay.

Handling is enhanced with a spring/shock package that lowers the car about one inch to improve body control and steering response. Stiffer rear subframe bushings and modified steering characteristics also enhance control while increasing road feel. Sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on custom 19-inch wheels complete the handling picture. Braking power is substantially upgraded with a TRD Big Brake kit sporting six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers on large cross-drilled spiral-vane rotors.

Exterior changes build on the Avalon's already sporty nature with two-tone custom paint, a color-keyed grille and tinted taillights with clear lenses. Dual exhaust with polished mufflers and custom tips finish the look.

The TRD Edition Avalon also gets a major interior upgrade with gradient-design perforated leather seating plus red accent piping and stitching. Custom instrument and door panels are also leather covered, again with red stitching. And to make sure the music is as memorable as the driving, TRD installed a thumping JBL GreenEdgeTM surround-sound audio system with 15 speakers and two trunk-mounted 500W amplifiers.

Engine
*TRD supercharger incorporating Eaton Gen 6 TVS rotor assembly

Drivetrain
*Six-speed automatic transmission
*Cold-rolled steel coil springs that lower vehicle approximately one inch front and rear
*KYB gas-pressured mono-tube shocks with custom valving
*Stiffer rear subframe bushings
*Modified steering assist, damping and hysteresis characteristics
*Brake calipers: Front six-piston; rear four-piston with patented bolt-in bridges
*Brake rotors: Front 380 X 32 mm; rear 345 X 28 mm cross-drilled with patented spiral-vane design

Exterior
*19-inch custom wheel design with three-stage paint
*225/40R19 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires
*Two-tone custom paint scheme
*Tinted taillights with clear inner and outer *Custom color-keyed grille
*Dual exhaust with high-polished mufflers and custom tips

Interior
*Graduated perforated leather with red piping and stitching
*Black technical knit headliner
*Custom door panels and instrument panel with black leather and red accent stitching
*JBL GreenEdgeTM surround sound system with 15 speakers
*Two trunk-mounted JBL 500W GTI D-class amplifiers

SEMA EDITION TRD TOYOTAS MAY BE MORE THAN DREAM MACHINES

Special Edition Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander and Land Cruiser Make Debut at Toyota Booth

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 3, 2015—The five Toyota Racing Development (TRD) vehicles on display at Toyota's 2015 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show booth are designed to inspire the imagination of industry professionals and consumers alike. Toyota is looking for actual feedback on these sporty machines.

The five SEMA Edition TRD vehicles—representing a cross-section of five of Toyota's most popular sedans, SUVs and crossovers—have been modified for sportier good looks and more responsive handling. The quintet is comprised of a SEMA Edition TRD Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander and Land Cruiser.

"We think our SEMA Edition TRD vehicles will surprise many," said Steve Appelbaum, National Engagement Marketing Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "These concepts are hot—dare we say sexy—vehicles that are equal parts show and go."

All of the SEMA Edition TRD concepts feature special edition Silver Pearl paint on the exterior and custom TRD embroidery inside. In addition, all but the Land Cruiser sport a front chin spoiler, aero-inspired rocker panels and rear-end diffuser treatment.

Just as each model plays a different role in the Toyota lineup, each of the SEMA Edition TRD vehicles boasts unique modifications designed to enhance its sporty looks and driving dynamics.


SEMA Edition TRD Avalon

For 20 years, the Toyota Avalon has set the benchmark for the premium midsize sedan category. Toyota's flagship sedan features an elegant yet athletic exterior design, dynamic performance, and a high level of refinement and technology. The Avalon has proven popular with drivers and passengers alike, allowing them to go places in style and comfort.

Based on the production 2015 Avalon XLE Touring, the SEMA Edition TRD Avalon builds on this winning formula with TRD lowering springs that reduce the vehicle's ride height by 1.5 inches both front and rear, TRD performance-tuned struts all around, TRD custom free-flow cat-back performance dual exhaust with quad tips, and TRD decklid badging.

The SEMA Edition TRD Avalon rides on 255/35/19 tires wrapped around bronze 19×9-inch TRD performance wheels.


SEMA Edition TRD Camry

The best-selling car in America for the last 13 years was redesigned for 2015 with a bold new look, stiffer body structure, enhanced aerodynamics and its quietest ride ever.

Using the 2015 Camry XSE V6 as a canvas, the artists at TRD used TRD lowering springs to lower the vehicle by 1 inch up front and 1.5 inches in back, for better aerodynamics, improved traction and handling, and a more aggressive stance. Both the look and the handling are enhanced by 21×9.5-inch bronze TRD performance wheels surrounded by 255/35/21 tires.

TRD performance-tuned struts, brake pads, and custom free-flow cat-back performance dual exhaust complete the package.


SEMA Edition TRD Corolla

America's best-selling compact car—and, in fact, the best-selling automotive nameplate in history—the Toyota Corolla is justifiably popular for its sporty styling, outstanding fuel economy and "class above" interior room.

The 2016 Corolla LE Eco is the MPG champ of the line, but it's also a strong performer with the highest-powered engine of any Corolla, delivering eight more horsepower than the other models. That made it the ideal candidate for a SEMA Edition TRD makeover.

The production Corolla LE Eco puts that power to the pavement through a continuously variable transmission. In the SEMA Edition TRD Corolla, the CVT is replaced by a TRD six-speed manual, for a sportier driving experience. Performance is further enhanced by a TRD custom free-flow cat-back single exhaust system.

Adding to the driving fun are 255/30/19 tires and bronze 19×9-inch TRD performance wheels. The SEMA Edition TRD Corolla hugs the road with a ride height that's 1 inch lower in front and 1.5 inches lower in the rear than the production Corolla.


SEMA Edition TRD Highlander

The Toyota Highlander started the midsize crossover SUV category 15 years ago, so it had a head start on becoming a benchmark. The SEMA Edition TRD Highlander raises the bar even higher, with the most significant interior upgrades of any of the SEMA Edition TRD concepts. In addition to TRD seats, the cabin of the concept Highlander has been completely redone in dramatic full black with red accents, from dash panel to door panels.

The Highlander's stock tires and wheels were replaced by 285/35/20 tires and 20×10-inch bronze TRD performance wheels front and rear.

With a ride height that's 1 inch lower up front and 1.5 inches in back, the SEMA Edition TRD Highland is the crossover that crosses the line from popular people-hauler to stealth SUV.


SEMA Edition TRD Land Cruiser

Toyota has sold Land Cruiser models in the United States continually since 1957. Over the last nearly 60 years, the Land Cruiser has evolved from a utilitarian go-anywhere vehicle to one of the most luxurious full-capability SUVs on the market. The SEMA Edition TRD Land Cruiser, based on the redesigned 2016 model, takes this iconic Toyota to new heights—literally.

While the rear of the SEMA Edition TRD Land Cruiser is at stock ride height, the front end has been raised a full two inches, for even more impressive ground clearance and angle of approach. A TRD skid plate protects the underbody of the vehicle.

Up front, the production suspension has been enhanced by TRD adjustable remote-reservoir coilover shock absorbers, while TRD adjustable remote-reservoir shocks and springs augment the rear suspension.

Exterior details of the concept vehicle serve both style and substance. They include a TRD brush guard with LED driving lights; a TRD performance off-road air snorkel; bronze-colored TRD tubular running boards; and a roof-mounted cargo pod. In back, the TRD performance cat-back dual-tip exhaust features an innovative offset design that's as smart as it is functional.

The finishing touches for the ultimate Toyota SUV? 285/55/20 tires and TRD 20×10-inch performance wheels front and rear.


Toyota Wants Your Opinion

TRD staff will be on hand at the Toyota display—and at the nearby TRD trailer, adjacent to the Toyota booth on the Patio Annex—throughout the run of the 2015 SEMA Show, asking journalists and visitors their opinions of the concept vehicles.

"The Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander and Land Cruiser already do everything that vehicles in their respective segments need to do, and do them exceedingly well," said Appelbaum. "We believe the SEMA Edition TRD versions of these vehicles will appeal to a crowd that needs a great all-around vehicle plus even more sportiness. We're anxious to gauge public response to these concepts."

The SEMA Edition TRD vehicles—along with numerous other Toyota specialty vehicles—will be found in the Toyota display booth (#24700) in Central Hall and on the Patio Annex of the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 3-6, 2015.

Toyota's biggest sedan gains a full battery of tech features, including adaptive suspension, Apple CarPlay, Alexa and smartwatch connectivity.

Unless you're a hardcore fan of near-premium Japanese sedans, you could be forgiven for not realizing that there have been four generations of Toyota Avalon up to this point. It's always been a typical Toyota, which is to say, well-built and comfortable, but never something we'd describe as bold. That changes with the release of the fifth generation Avalon at the Detroit Auto Show.

New for 2019, the fifth-generation Avalon makes huge strides in the design and technology departments. The sedan's exterior is more than a little busy looking, but it's not entirely un-handsome. The combination of a massive front grille along with more body creases and character lines isn't necessarily going to work for everyone, but we kinda dig it.

At least in photos, the higher-spec Limited model has one of the best-looking interiors we've seen come out of Japan in a long time; it actually appears to be nearly on par with the $100k+ Lexus LC 500. The leather stitching looks incredible, and the center stack is gorgeous in the way it floats above the dash and cascades down into the center console.

Interior tech promises to be extensive, too, with standard Entune 3.0 which features a 9-inch capacitive touchscreen, Qi wireless charging, Wi-Fi hotspot, smartwatch integration, Alexa connectivity and Apple CarPlay, not to mention a crazy 10-inch head-up display, currently the largest in the segment.

The Avalon will be available with either a new, more powerful 3.5-liter V6 or the Toyota Hybrid System II, neither of which figure to light anyone's hair on fire. No matter which engine you choose, they should be well-suited to the character of Toyota's flagship sedan, particularly since they will be paired with Toyota's eight-speed gearbox with (likely superfluous) paddle shifters.

The car is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform which also underpins the current Lexus RX and Camry, and that's no bad thing. We doubt it will be the last word in driving dynamics, but it's not like your average Avalon buyer is a track-day regular. Either way, it might not embarrass itself in the twisties thanks to Toyota's Adaptive Variable Suspension, a first for the car.

Of course, no conversation about the Avalon would be complete without mentioning its origins. The fifth-gen car is a proudly US-designed vehicle, which may come as a surprise to some. The styling was handled by Toyota's Calty facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan while the mechanical bits were dealt with at the Toyota Motor America R&D facility in Saline, Michigan.

Add in the fact that the Avalon is being built at Toyota's factory in Georgetown, Kentucky, and you've got a car that's arguably more domestic than some of the products coming from the Detroit Three these days.

Toyota has told us that the 2019 Avalon will go on sale in late Spring of this year, but it thus far remains mum on pricing. We'll update you as we get new information.