Toyota's Giant-Grilled Avalon Is Yours For $35,500 And Up
Not so long ago, an Audi designer told me that the company’s grilles had gotten as big as they feasibly could. You might think other manufacturers are thinking along similar lines right now, bringing the big gob madness to a stop, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Not judging by the new Toyota Avalon, at least.
The front-end of the car is by our reckoning at least 75 per cent grille. It’s a bold look, isn’t it? And now, we know how much the fifth-gen Avalon - reveal at the Detroit Auto Show a few months ago - will cost: it’s $35,500.
That buys you the XLE-trimmed car with a 3.5-litre V6 produces 297bhp. Alternatively, there’s a hybrid powertrain option, which makes a combined 212bhp from a 2.5-litre inline-four and a pair of electric motors. It’s $36,500 in XLE trim.
The top-of-the-range Touring version (only available with the V6) has standard-fit adaptive dampers and a massive 10-inch head-up display (also fitted to the ‘Limited’ version), but the base trim levels aren’t exactly poverty-spec. All cars come with Apple CarPlay, 10 airbags and Toyota’s Safety Sense active safety systems. And, of course, that huge grille, the look of which varies depending on which version you go for.
How do you feel about the Avalon’s dramatic new look? The Lexus ES-related car has long had a fusty image, so is this the revamp it needed, or a step too far? Let us know your grille thoughts in the comments…
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Honest question here: Why does the Avalon exist when Lexus exists? That is very clearly a Lexus interior.
Same reason as to why the Octavia exists when it is clearly a golf.
It is people who are willing to pay less for a car with less brand image.
Lexus interior for Toyota price. Avalons are like what the Buick brand is for GM: an intro into the luxury world.
The car is targeted for a younger audience (unlike the previous Avalon generations). I think that it looks quite good and I’m 20 years old, so it is probable that people below and over my age my like its styling.
Damn that’s a luxury car 😍
I think that the grille quite fits the name of the car, in french “nous avalons” means “we swallow”
Wow
:0
Quite literally!
The race who can build the biggest grill isn’t over yet, apparently.
My thoughts exactly
I like it alot more than Audi’s design language though
Jesus
The front end kinda of gives me the feeling that I know all, see al
It’s like manufacturers only go to the extremes by either eliminating grilles (like Tesla) or making them gigantic (like so many luxury manufacturers)