Toyota's Giant-Grilled Avalon Is Yours For $35,500 And Up

The fifth-generation Avalon goes on sale next month, and can be had with either a V6 or hybrid powertrain
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.

Toyota's Giant-Grilled Avalon Is Yours For $35,500 And Up

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.

Toyota's Giant-Grilled Avalon Is Yours For $35,500 And Up

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…

Comments

Anonymous

i can hear its screams

04/23/2018 - 15:22 |
144 | 6
CatHat

Peugot started a trend that is killing the car industry

04/23/2018 - 15:23 |
2 | 10

Peugeot went back to normal-sized grilles by now though.

04/23/2018 - 15:48 |
0 | 0
FLixy Madfox

In reply to by CatHat

Yes, people just aren’t going to buy cars and litterally every major auto maker is going to go broke

04/23/2018 - 17:14 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

The top photo reminds me of an old YouTube video

04/23/2018 - 15:34 |
116 | 4
Omar Gharib

Old but this needs to stop

04/23/2018 - 15:35 |
32 | 0
Anonymous

In a couple of year there will be car with more grill then car

04/23/2018 - 15:37 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

Interview I read with the Kevin Hunter of Calty Design (AD&P Volume 130 No. 4, April 2018) said that the decree came from Akio Toyoda to no longer make “boring cars”. So… the design team took that to heart.

04/23/2018 - 15:40 |
0 | 0
Martin Burns

I really like it!

04/23/2018 - 15:45 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

The back sorta reminds me of the Alfa Romeo Giulia

04/23/2018 - 15:50 |
68 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Holy moly, you’re right.. that split ducktail…

04/23/2018 - 15:56 |
18 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

And the DRLs sorta reminds me of Audi’s rear taillights

04/23/2018 - 16:12 |
16 | 0
HAYABUSA

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Yeah that’s very obvious inspiration right there

04/23/2018 - 16:32 |
6 | 0
5:19.55

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

The boot also make me think of the m3. Except for the light design, it is the same

04/23/2018 - 19:36 |
2 | 0
Miatarri

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

it’s because of the color

04/24/2018 - 07:39 |
0 | 0
Joel Brennan

The Lexus ES is really a fancy Camry, so the Avalon is a Toyota version of a Lexus version of a Toyota car… marketing!

04/23/2018 - 15:51 |
0 | 0

there is no Avalon equivalent in the Lexus lineup iirc

04/24/2018 - 02:35 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Jeez, you’d have to pay ME to take it.

04/23/2018 - 15:55 |
14 | 0

Topics

Sponsored Posts