2016 TOYOTA AVALON: HUSHED AND PLUSH, IT'S THE PREMIUM MIDSIZED WITH A SPORTY ATTITUDE AND PLENTY OF POWER

◾New front end styling and other design enhancements; unique front fascia for Touring grade

◾New XLE Plus grade for gas and Hybrid versions

◾Two suspension tuning levels: sporty for Touring, comfort for others

◾Available Toyota Safety Sense-P system

◾Avalon Hybrid with EPA-estimated 40-MPG combined fuel economy

October 16, 2015 -- The Toyota Avalon has for 20 years set the benchmark for the premium midsize sedan category, an area that has seen additional competitors appear in the last several years. For 2016, the Avalon continues to set the pace by introducing a new choice for customers: two unique suspensions, one that centers around a dynamic and responsive driving experience (Touring grade), the other a high quality and comfortable ride (non-Touring grades). This change accompanies new frontal styling, an additional model grade (XLE Plus) and added equipment for all grades.

If the Avalon looks like a luxury model, well, that's the idea. Its sleek coupe-like profile, accented by tasteful chrome trim, packages a cabin with ample room for five and a spacious 16-cu. ft. trunk. The design looks even more alluring for 2016, thanks to a new front grille and turn signals. The Touring grade, now offered only in the gas model, gets its own sporty look with a new grille, LED headlights and LED daytime running lights. The Touring grade's most distinctive attribute, however, is its on-road personality. New, sporty suspension tuning and 18-in. dark gray painted alloy wheels turn the Avalon Touring into a sport sedan – albeit a quite luxurious one.

The XLE Plus becomes the step-up for the gas model and the base grade for the Avalon Hybrid. New to the XLE and XLE Plus are the standard Entune® Audio Plus system with 7-inch screen and Connected Navigation Scout® GPS Link. The latter uses the customer's smartphone to provide navigation functionality through the head unit. The XLE Premium gets Entune Premium Audio with In-Vehicle Navigation and App Suite. The XLE Premium gains Qi wireless charging for compatible smartphones, which had debuted on the Limited models.

The Limited amps up the premium look with new super chrome alloy wheels – 17-in. on the Hybrid and 18-in. for the gas model. But the Limited's biggest news for 2016 is the debut of the optional Toyota Safety Sense-P system that includes an array of driver-assist technologies: Automatic High Beam headlights, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist.

All Avalon grades offer a choice of paint colors that could make an exotic Italian sports car blush, including Ooh La La Rouge Mica, Sizzling Crimson Mica and Parisian Night Pearl.

The Avalon's luxuriously spacious cabin makes it a standout in the segment, and in fact is among the roomiest in the entire midsize category. Three interior color themes offered include almond, light gray and black, with the light gray gaining gray accent stitching for 2016.

Premium, Quiet

A plush, hushed cabin has been an Avalon calling card since the model debuted more than 20 years ago. That tradition is assured in the current generation design by a combination of strategically placed sound-absorbing and sound-insulating materials, acoustic-type glass used for the windshield and side glass and, foam injected into the A-, B- and C-pillars and rocker panels.

Premium amenities and design touches define the Avalon interior, with no detail too small to contribute to the luxury feel. The power windows, for example, slow down as they approach the top of the window frames, and the coin box features a damper for smooth opening and closing. The steering column tilts and telescopes. Elegant smoke chrome trim surrounds the center panel, while glossy trim frames the shifter.

The standard equipment level starts out generous and graduates to lavish. The Avalon XLE grade includes as standard, medium-grain leather seating, an 8-way power driver's seat and 4-way power front passenger seat, both with multi-stage heating standard. The Smart Key System operates on the driver door and trunk and includes push-button starting. (Higher grades have Smart Key on the passenger door, as well.) The rich-looking instrument panel uses Optitron-type gauges and a 3.5-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) color multi-information display. In the Avalon Hybrid, the display features a Hybrid System Indicator, which shows power output and regeneration.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel conveniently puts numerous controls at the driver's fingertips, including Entune Audio, cruise control, information display and hands-free phone function. The steering wheel also includes buttons for voice recognition and a vehicle-to-vehicle distance switch for Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, when so equipped.

The Limited trim moves up to premium perforated leather, along with a 10-way power driver's seat and 8-way power front passenger seat. Both are heated and ventilated, and the rear seats are heated. The Limited's automatic climate control system operates in three zones, including the rear seat area. (Other grades have a dual-zone system.) Intelligent Touch controls respond to a light touch, and can even be operated by hands with gloves or longer fingernails.

The rear window power shade in the Avalon Limited blocks the sun's rays for the rear passengers. Shift into reverse, and the shade lowers, then rises again with the shift into Drive.

A backup camera is standard for all models. In the Limited, dynamic guidelines superimposed on the display are a real boon to parking maneuvers by showing approximate distances from objects in the camera's field of view.

Powerful V6

The Avalon's standard 3.5-liter, DOHC V6 with Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) produces 268 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 248 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,700 rpm. Teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the V6 can move the Avalon from zero to 60 mph in less than seven seconds. No less impressive for the V6 is its EPA-rated 24 MPG combined (21 city/31 highway) fuel economy.

The V6 models feature steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and Eco, Normal and Sport modes enabling the driver to tailor the Avalon's responsiveness. Sport mode revs up the driving experience by adjusting throttle response, electric power steering feel and transmission shifting – including adding throttle-blipping downshift control. Eco Mode prioritizes fuel efficiency by balancing driving performance, air conditioning function and fuel efficiency.

Powerful Hybrid

The Avalon Hybrid is the only hybrid in its segment. That's not a surprise, considering Toyota remains the industry's hybrid leader with seven models for 2016. The Hybrid Synergy Drive system combines output from a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and a high-torque electric motor.

The system produces a combined 200 horsepower and varies power between the gas engine and electric motor, or combines both, as needed, channeling torque through a unique planetary gear-type continuously variable transmission. Air conditioning and power steering systems are driven electrically and continue to operate when the car is operating under electric power alone or when the auto start/stop system shuts off the gas engine.

In EV Drive mode, the Avalon Hybrid can drive solely on the electric motor for a short distance at speeds under about 20 mph. Augmenting the conventional brake system, regenerative braking produced by the electric motor/generator in the transaxle captures the kinetic energy of the wheels, storing it in the hybrid battery. The compact nickel-metal-hydride battery, located in the trunk area, allows a generous 14 cu.-ft. of trunk space.

In Tune with Entune®

The Avalon's quietude sets the ideal soundstage for any of the three available audio systems: standard 8-speaker Entune Audio Plus; available 9-speaker Entune Premium Audio with in-car Navigation and App Suite, or the available Entune Premium JBL® Audio with Navigation and App Suite and 11 JBL GreenEdge™ speakers.

The 8-speaker Entune Audio Plus system with 7-inch touch-screen display is equipped with AM/FM CD player, SiriusXM Radio with 3-month complimentary trial, HD Radio and HD Radio traffic and weather in major metro areas. It comes ready to connect with the Entune Multimedia Bundle, auxiliary audio jack, USB 2.0 port with iPod® connectivity and control, advanced voice recognition, plus Bluetooth® for hands-free phone capability, phone book access and music streaming.

And that's just the standard system in the XLE and XLE Plus. The 9-speaker Entune Premium Audio with Navigation in the XLE Premium and Touring uses a 7-inch high-resolution touch screen with split-screen capability. The App Suite adds HD Radio predictive traffic and Doppler weather overlay, Gracenote album cover art and AM/FM cache radio, which lets you pause up to 20 minutes of a broadcast to replay later. Toyota's Entune App Suite functions through a smartphone interface and brings applications including Destination Search™, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com™, OpenTable®, and Pandora® to the vehicle audio display.

The Entune Premium JBL Audio with Navigation system uses a 12-channel external JBL Synthesis amplifier and 11 speakers, including two subwoofers, and features GreenEdge™ technology that reduces power draw on the car's electrical system. It's a sonic feast for the ears.

The Avalon caters to a device-centric world. Its eBin™ electronics storage tray in the center console can store two devices and charge them with jacks located below it. A storage box beneath the eBin can store devices out of sight while they recharge. The eBin tray is illuminated by LEDs at night.

Safety In All Directions

The Avalon comes equipped with 10 standard airbags and the Toyota Star Safety System that includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop brake-override Technology (SST).

The available Blind Spot Monitor uses radar to detect vehicles in the adjacent lane where drivers may be challenged to see them. The same radar technology provides a Rear Cross Traffic Alert that is designed to detect low-speed cross traffic behind the vehicle when in reverse. Once an object is detected the Blind Spot Monitor indicators are displayed in the appropriate outside mirror, and a signal also appears on the TFT color display.

Available Dynamic Radar Cruise Control uses a radar sensor at the front of the vehicle to help control speed and keep a pre-set distance from the vehicle traveling directly ahead. The available Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is designed to help mitigate the effects of certain frontal vehicle impacts. The first stage retracts the front seat belts and primes the brake system, and the second stage is designed to compensate for inadequate brake pedal pressure by applying optimal brake system effort.

Warranty Protection and Toyota Care

Toyota's 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items. Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and against corrosion with no mileage limitation. The hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for eight years/100,000 miles.

The 2016 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid come standard with Toyota Care, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.

by Toyota

Sometimes, bigger is just right. That's been a key to the success for the Toyota Avalon premium midsize sedan for 20 years. With crystal clarity, the 2015 Avalon shows how this model blurs the lines between mid-size, full-size and entry-luxury categories.

The 2015 Avalon ushers in a new round of refinements in the third year of its fourth-generation design. Taking advantage of the Avalon's coupe-like silhouette and chiseled lines, a new XLE Touring Sport Edition makes a striking style statement. Available exclusively in Attitude Black contrasted by dark blue interior trim and stitching, the best looker in the premium midsize segment just got even sharper – and even a bit sinister looking.

The Avalon XLE Touring Sport Edition cuts through the night with standard HID Quadrabeam headlights from the Limited trim line. By day, LED daytime running lights (DRLs) – also from the Limited -- announce this special Avalon model's arrival. Exclusive 18-inch black-painted machine-finished wheels complete the exterior makeover.

In other Avalon news for 2015, Toyota value rises with the inclusion of standard paddle shifters on all models (formerly only on Touring and Limited) and with an upgrade to new Entune® multimedia audio systems. The XLE Touring and XLE Hybrid Touring gain Blind Spot Monitor as a standard feature.

The luxuriously spacious cabin makes the Avalon a standout in the segment. Its accommodations are among the roomiest in the entire midsize category. With 103.6 cu. ft. of cabin space and a 16-cu. ft. trunk, the Avalon approaches full-size stature, yet its trim dimensions and svelte weight of 3,505 lbs. (XLE Touring grades) keep it firmly in the sporty/agile camp.

The 2015 Avalon offers a choice between an energetic yet silky-smooth V6 powertrain and Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. The V6 comes in all grades: XLE, XLE Premium, XLE Touring, new XLE Touring Sport Edition and Limited. The Hybrid is available in the XLE Premium, XLE Touring and Limited grades.

The Avalon remains the only car in its class to offer a hybrid. It makes up one of seven hybrid models in the brand's lineup, making Toyota the clear hybrid leader. All versions of the 2015 Avalon Hybrid are rated by the EPA at an estimated 40-mpg combined fuel economy (40 MPG city / 39 MPG highway). That's Corolla-like fuel economy in a big, roomy sedan filled to the brim with luxury amenities.

Looks Great Cheating the Wind

Credit for all the admiring glances the Avalon draws primarily goes to the company's Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, Calif., which designed the exterior. A low 0.28 coefficient of drag (Cd) lets the Avalon slice through wind resistance, a boon to aid both fuel economy and strength. Some credit for the efficient aerodynamics goes to details like the sleek side mirrors, which house a turn signal lamp, heater, memory positioning, a puddle lamp, available Blind Spot Monitor indicator and available auto-dimming electro-chromatic glass.

Feels and Sounds Like Comfort

Calty Design Research also gets much of the credit for an interior that anyone could mistake for that of a much more expensive luxury model. The engaging yet supremely refined driving experience, highlighted by a hushed cabin, sculpted soft-touch interior surfaces and easy-to-use multimedia, also encroaches on luxury territory.

Exquisite quietness comes from a combination of strategically placed sound-absorbing and sound-insulating materials, acoustic-type glass used for the windshield and side glass and foam injected into the A-, B- and C-pillars and rocker panels. The Avalon's quietude sets the stage for any of the three available audio systems: standard 8-speaker Entune Audio Plus; available 9-speaker Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite; or the available Entune Premium JBL® Audio with Navigation and App Suite with 11 JBL GreenEdge™ speakers.

An interior available in three themes -- almond, light grey and black – is replete with premium touches, such as smoke chrome trim surrounding the center panel and glossy trim around the shifter. The leather-wrapped steering wheel puts a multitude of controls at the driver's fingertips, including audio cruise control, information display and hands-free phone function. The steering wheel also includes buttons for voice recognition and a vehicle-to-vehicle distance switch for Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, when so equipped.

Premium certainly describes the seating, which in the XLE includes an 8-way power driver's seat and 4-way power front passenger seat, both with multi-stage heating standard. Also standard, medium-grain genuine leather covers seating in the XLE.

The Limited trim moves up to premium perforated leather, along with a 10-way power driver's seat and 8-way power front passenger seat. Both are heated and ventilated, and the Limited also features standard heated rear seats.

In the Avalon Limited, the automatic climate control system operates in three zones, including the rear seat area. Other grades have a dual-zone system.

Intelligent Touch controls respond to a light touch, and can even be operated by hands with gloves or longer fingernails.

Luxury Details Everywhere You Look and Touch

Eyes and hands find luxury details throughout the Avalon's cabin. Actually, those details start outside with the standard Smart Key System on the driver door and trunk with push-button starting. On grades above the XLE, the system also features Smart Key function for both driver and front passenger doors. On the XLE Premium and above, the rear-view mirror integrates a compass display and HomeLink® transceiver.

The rich-looking instrument panel uses Optitron-type gauges and a 3.5-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) color multi-information display. In the Avalon Hybrid, the display features a Hybrid System Indicator, which shows power output and regeneration – informative for the driver, and perhaps a bit entertaining for the passenger.

Even backing up in an Avalon feels luxurious. All Avalon models come with a backup camera as standard. In the Limited, dynamic guidelines superimposed on the display are a real boon to parking maneuvers by showing approximate distances from objects in the camera's field of view. The rear window power shade in the Avalon Limited blocks the sun's rays for the rear passengers. Shift into reverse, and the shade rises until shifting into Drive.

Even if you don't notice how the Avalon's power windows slow down as they approach the top of the window frames, you'll appreciate the absence of wind noise as a result. The smallest details matter: The coin box to the left of the steering wheel shows the luxury touch with a damper for smooth opening and closing.

Catering to Your Devices

The Avalon even treats wireless devices with refinement. The eBin™ electronics storage tray in the center console can store two devices (cellphones or iPod®, for instance) side-by-side on a high-grip surface. Charging jacks are located below the tray, which can be opened and closed with cables passing neatly through a slot. An electronics storage box beneath the eBin can store devices out of sight while they recharge. The Avalon Limited gas and hybrid both offer the Qi wireless phone charging capability for the eBin storage tray as an option. Two DC 12v power outlets, an AUX and a USB jack are accessible in the front storage box, with the large-capacity rear console box offering a third. The eBin tray is illuminated by LEDs at night.

Two Kinds of Power

Toyota Avalon accelerates powerfully and quietly with a standard 3.5-liter, DOHC V6, an interesting contrast to the 4-cylinder engines now used in some midsize luxury models. Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) ensures ample torque across the engine speed range.

The engine produces 268 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 248 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,700 rpm. Teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the V6 can move the Avalon from zero to 60 mph in less than seven seconds. Fuel efficiency is equally impressive, with EPA-rated 24 mpg combined (21 city/31 highway).

Feeling sporty? Push the shift lever from D into S mode and shift manually. Sport mode provides highly responsive upshift control and throttle blipping downshift control. All V6 models feature steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

And, there's a drive mode to suit the mood, with Eco, Normal and Sport modes enabling the driver to tailor the Avalon's responsiveness. Sport mode revs up the driving experience by adjusting throttle response and by increasing the Electric Power Steering effort for a more direct, responsive feel. Eco Mode prioritizes fuel efficiency by balancing driving performance, air conditioning function and fuel efficiency.

Avalon and Avalon Hybrid models ride on standard 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/55R17 tires. The 18-inch alloy wheels on V6-powered XLE Touring, The XLE Touring Sport Edition and Limited models come with P225/45R18 tires for enhanced handling and grip. The Hybrid model's wheel features a unique design with thinner spokes. In all models, an electric power steering system (EPS) assist provides a lighter effort sensation at lower speeds and increased effort and on-center feel at higher speeds. The steering column tilts and telescopes.

Hybrid Synergy Drive

Once you know that the EPA estimated the Avalon Hybrid at 40-MPG combined fuel economy rating, the 8.0-second zero-to-60 acceleration performance might come as a bit of a shock. More significant, though, is the car's substantial torque, which makes this roomy sedan feel quick and responsive in everyday driving. And, the Avalon Hybrid comes equipped with a 17-gallon fuel tank capacity, offering an extended driving range.

The powertrain is a modified version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system that also propels the Camry Hybrid, and, remember, the Avalon Hybrid is no heavyweight on the scales. In fact, it's just 133 lbs. heavier than the V6 gasoline model. The compactly sized nickel-metal-hydride battery, located in the trunk area, still allows a generous 14 cu.-ft. of trunk space.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive system combines output from the 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and a high-torque electric motor. The system produces a combined 200 horsepower and varies power between the gas engine and electric motor, or combines both, as needed, channeling torque through a unique planetary gear-type continuously variable transmission. Air conditioning and power steering systems are driven electrically and continue to operate when the car is operating under electric power alone or when the auto start/stop system shuts off the gas engine.

In EV Drive mode, the Avalon Hybrid can drive solely on the electric motor for a short distance at speeds under about 20 mph. A driver-selectable ECO mode optimizes throttle response and air conditioning output to help prioritize fuel economy.

Augmenting the conventional brake system, regenerative braking produced by the electric motor/generator in the transaxle captures the kinetic energy of the wheels, storing it in the hybrid battery.

Connect with Entune Multimedia

The Avalon comes prepared to inform and connect. The standard 8-speaker Entune Audio Plus system is equipped with SiriusXM Radio with 3-month complimentary trial, HD radio, HD traffic and weather in major metro areas, integrated backup camera display (with projected path) and includes the Entune Multimedia Bundle with 6.1 in touch-screen display, AM/FM CD player, auxiliary audio jack, USB 2.0 port with iPod® connectivity and control, advanced voice recognition, hands-free phone capability, phone book access and music streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology.

Toyota's Entune App Suite functions through a smartphone interface and brings applications including Bing™, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com™, OpenTable®, and Pandora® to the vehicle audio display.

The 9-speaker Entune Premium Audio with Navigation (with a 7-inch high-resolution touch screen with split-screen display) and App Suite in the XLE Touring adds HD predictive traffic and doppler weather overlay, Gracenotes album cover art and AM/FM cache radio, which lets you pause up to 20 minutes of a broadcast to replay later.

The Avalon Limited model features the Entune Premium JBL Audio with Navigation and App Suite system that adds 11 JBL® GreenEdge™ speakers in nine locations including subwoofer and amplifier. The system also includes a seven-inch, high-resolution touchscreen display and voice driven search for iPod or USB connected device. DVD playback capability, split-screen capability, audio information or vehicle information can be displayed together with a map on the main navigation screen.

Safety In All Directions

Equipped with 10 standard airbags, the Toyota Avalon was designed to protect. Like all Toyota models, the Avalon features the STAR™ Safety System, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop brake-override Technology (SST).

The available pre-collision system is designed to help mitigate the effects of certain frontal vehicle impacts. The first stage retracts the front seat belts and primes the brake system, and the second stage is designed to compensate for inadequate brake pedal pressure by applying optimal brake system effort.

Available Dynamic Radar Cruise Control uses a radar sensor at the front of the vehicle to help control speed and keep a pre-set distance from the vehicle traveling directly ahead.

Warranty Protection and Toyota Care

The 2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid come standard with Toyota Care, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.

by Toyota