These sedans are distinguished from other Toyota models by their aero tweaks, suspension tuning, or a loud exhaust.
We would have been wrinkling at the thought of a performance-spec Toyota Camry or Avalon not long ago. The Toyota86 and the reborn Supra made the Camry more interesting. Toy ota now has an official announcement for the Camry/Avalon TRD, a pair unlikely sports sedans that will try to add a little excitement to the brand.
How does that happen? A preview of both cars was shown earlier this week to show some of the upgrades. Calty designed a body kit for each sedan that includes a front splitter and side aero skirts as well as a rear diffuser and decklid spoiler. Red is added to the sporty look with pinstriping and brake calipers. Both cars ride on black TRD-spec 19 inch wheels. However, the Camry has a gloss black front grille and extra black trim.
Red accents and stitching are used for both cars inside. The package includes TRD embroidered headrests and red seatbelts, shift knobs, and TRD-specific floormats. Camry receives fabric inserts, while the Avalon is equipped with suede inserts for its heated front seats.
You may think that the TRD treatment is a complete waste of time. The suspension is where the major mechanical changes take place. Both cars receive a little over a half inch drop and tuned shocks to provide better bite. To increase rigidity, additional unibody bracing was added. The front brake rotors of 12.9 inches are now fitted with dual-piston disc calipers. The Camry is given extra attention with stiffer springs and sway bars. This increases roll stiffness by 44% in the front and 67% in the back. Toyota thinks Avalon buyers still prefer a bit more comfort in their sports sedan.
Unfortunately, Toyota does not list power upgrades for either vehicle. The 3.5-liter V6 engine will continue to crank out 301 horsepower. This is not a bad result, but it won’t set the Autobahn ablaze. Toyota claims that the TRD package includes a new cat back exhaust system, which Toyota says improves engine performance and makes it sound a little more brash.
Limited availability will be available for the new Camry and Avalon TRD models beginning in fall 2019.