Avalon. It’s the name of the mystical site where King Arthur was laid to rest. Toyota chose a bit of a strange metaphor for the name of its largest sedan. Were the automaker’s strategists perhaps looking to hint that the car’s typical buyer sports a little grey at the temples?
In actuality, this particular buyer is rather rare in Canada. Less than 300 Canadians opted for an Avalon in 2009. In the land of “Bigger is Better,” a little under 30,000 Americans took the same path. To ensure the survival of the Ford Taurus’s and Buick Lucerne’s rival, Toyota found an alternate outlet: Australia, where large sedans are still all the rage. That’s no doubt why the model is still around even after its fifteen-year struggle.
Time for a facelift
But don’t go thinking the Avalon is geriatric now. On the contrary, it’s a good-looking car. You had to see all those people, young and old alike, who bent down, craned their necks and closely, often approvingly followed our progress wherever we happened to go with our tester.
The 2011 Avalon features a DISTINCTLY more exciting profile than that of the first two generations that preceded it. Those models look like nothing other than lowly taxis.
Launched in 2005, the current generation of the Avalon sports characteristic lines you either love or hate. At the very least, this big sedan dreamed up, designed and assembled in the US leaves no one indifferent.
After five years on the market, the discrete facelift may have been just what the doctor ordered to revive flagging interest. And pride is ageless, after all… But the touch-ups remain discrete, even though they were applied to the grille, hood, bumpers, headlamps, LED taillamps, trunk – and even the trim around the license plate.
The Avalon is still shod in 17-inch alloy wheels. They do sport a different finish, though.
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| The Toyota Avalon XLS has been discretely touched-up for 2011. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
In actuality, this particular buyer is rather rare in Canada. Less than 300 Canadians opted for an Avalon in 2009. In the land of “Bigger is Better,” a little under 30,000 Americans took the same path. To ensure the survival of the Ford Taurus’s and Buick Lucerne’s rival, Toyota found an alternate outlet: Australia, where large sedans are still all the rage. That’s no doubt why the model is still around even after its fifteen-year struggle.
Time for a facelift
But don’t go thinking the Avalon is geriatric now. On the contrary, it’s a good-looking car. You had to see all those people, young and old alike, who bent down, craned their necks and closely, often approvingly followed our progress wherever we happened to go with our tester.
The 2011 Avalon features a DISTINCTLY more exciting profile than that of the first two generations that preceded it. Those models look like nothing other than lowly taxis.
Launched in 2005, the current generation of the Avalon sports characteristic lines you either love or hate. At the very least, this big sedan dreamed up, designed and assembled in the US leaves no one indifferent.
After five years on the market, the discrete facelift may have been just what the doctor ordered to revive flagging interest. And pride is ageless, after all… But the touch-ups remain discrete, even though they were applied to the grille, hood, bumpers, headlamps, LED taillamps, trunk – and even the trim around the license plate.
The Avalon is still shod in 17-inch alloy wheels. They do sport a different finish, though.
 |
| The redesigned dash leaves more room for the navigation screen, which also displays the images caught by the rear camera when reversing. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |