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Marton Pettendy26 May 2015
NEWS

New-look Toyota Aurion exposed

Toyota's last Australian-made large car breaks cover ahead of its official release later this week

Toyota Australia will this week release first images and details of its facelifted Aurion – the last large sedan it will produce before production ceases in 2017 – and this is what it will look like.

First production versions of the new-look Aurion were shipped to dealers last Thursday and Toyota Australia has confirmed to motoring.com.au that it will look almost identical to the 'premium' Camry already on sale in Russia and Asia.

Production of the upgraded Aurion commenced at Toyota's Altona plant in outer Melbourne in April – the same month as the heavily facelifted Camry -- with the examples of both models destined for export.

As with the latest Camry, the 2015 Aurion's powertrain will remain unchanged, meaning a 200kW/336Nm 3.5-litre V6 and six-speed automatic transmission will be the only option.

However, unlike the 2015 Camry -- more than 800 components in which are new including all sheetmetal except the roof – the revised Aurion will bring relatively minor cosmetic updates, including a new front bumper, grille, headlights and LED daytime running lights.

Many of the 2015 Camry's new driver aids are already available in the existing Aurion, including blind spot monitor, lane departure alert, rear cross traffic alert and a reversing camera, plus LED headlights, a driver's knee airbag, active cruise control, driver fatigue monitor, automatic high-beam and a JBL sound system with 7.0-inch touch-screen.

It remains to be seen what changes Toyota's flagship sedan and direct rival for the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon will offer inside, where new features for the Asian Camry in those markets includes LED tail-lights, wireless phone charging, ventilated front seats and a rear power sunshade.

If it follows the lead of the 2015 Camry, however, the final Aurion could bring price cuts of up to $5000, plus more standard equipment for every model in the range.

The outgoing Aurion line-up comprises five variants including the entry-level AT-X (from $36,490) and the Presara flagship ($49,990), but the base model is currently in run-out for $29,990 drive-away with free metallic paint and zero per cent finance.

Pictured here are the new Thailand- and Singapore-spec Aurion models, which are available with 2.0-litre, 2.5-litre and petrol-electric hybrid powertrains. The Aurion is a hybrid-only model in Japan. Australia continues to be the only market in which both the standard Camry and the slightly longer premium Camry are sold.

It remains to be seen whether that continues after local production ceases in late 2017, when Toyota could join Ford in abandoning the shrinking large-car segment and leave the imported Camry as its largest sedan to compete with Ford's range-topping Mondeo mid-sizer.

Alternatively, Toyota could import both versions of the next-generation Camry to defend its mid-size segment dominance and battle Holden's imported Commodore, which like the current Aurion will be based on a mid-size D-segment platform.

Unlike the Camry, Toyota Australia will not hold a media launch for the Aurion as it prepares for a procession of new or upgraded imported models, including the updated Prius v (June), facelifted Corolla hatch (July), upgraded Prado (August) and its most important new model this year, the new HiLux.

These will be followed by the redesigned Prius and all-new HiLux-based Fortuner 4x4 wagon in the first quarter of next year.

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