2012 Toyota Aurion revealed, on sale in Australia Q1

By Tim Beissmann | August 26th, 2011

FIND DEALS

The new 2012 Toyota Aurion has been unveiled just two days after the unveiling of the new 2012 Toyota Camry.

The images here are from the unveiling of the new model in Ukraine, where the Toyota Aurion is badged as a Camry.

Aside from a few localisation design tweaks expected for the Australian-spec model, the images give us an accurate look at the new Aurion some six or seven months before the vehicle hits our shores in February/March 2012.

The new Aurion’s 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine produces 204kW of power and 346Nm of torque – up 4kW/10Nm from 200kW and 336Nm. The six-speed automatic transmission from the current model carries over into the 2012 model.

According to the data for the Ukrainian-spec model, the new Aurion’s combined cycle fuel consumption is 9.3 litres/100km. In Australia, the outgoing model is rated at 9.9 litres/100km, suggesting efficiency gains of around six per cent. A 50kg reduction in total vehicle weight – down from 1590kg to 1540kg – is likely to be one of the major fuel-saving factors.

At 4825mm long, 1825mm wide, 1480mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2775mm, the new Aurion is just 5mm wider and 10mm taller than the outgoing model, with the basic structure carried over into the new model.

The exterior design evolution is less dramatic than the changes to our new Camry. From the front, the new Toyota Aurion gets a sharper headlight assembly and a more prominent grille. The bonnet has also been redesigned, giving the new model a bolder stance.

The doors are largely carried over, although with some new character lines and contours.

The rear has a more upright appearance, emphasised by stronger lines and sharper edges on the bumper. The taillights are stubbier and appear to creep around the body less than before, while the boot lid is flatter and cleaner.

The interior also receives a number of updates. The four-spoke steering wheel is completely new and, like the current wheel, incorporates a range of buttons for audio and other functions.

The instrument cluster is revised slightly, while the centre console creates a much more mature cabin ambiance. The buttons, dials and switched have all been upgraded, but largely appear to be laid out in similar positions.

The woodgrain panel across the passenger side of the dashboard is also much broader than in the outgoing model. Combined with the stitched leather, it gives the new model a more modern and refined look than the current rounded design and its skinny wood strip.

Official details of the Australian-spec 2012 Toyota Aurion are not expected to be revealed until later this year or early in 2012.

Toyota Australia will no doubt be hoping the updates give its Camry-based V6 family sedan a sales boost in the new year. Over the first seven months of 2011, Toyota sold 5051 Aurions across the country, down 28.6 per cent (or 2021 units) compared with the same period in 2010.

The Aurion currently sits third in the large car segment, behind the Holden Commodore (24,583 units) and the Ford Falcon (10,918).

The new Ukrainian-spec Camry is set to hit European showrooms in October.

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A.S

Not very impressive engine figures…
And the rear looks dated already.
- CRS200
  
  So true they distroyed the only good looking Toyota in the market!
  - xataN
    
    What a waste…
UMWHAT

I got the sudden urge to go to bed early tonight after reading this
h-man

that steering wheel is hideous!!!
- MK
  
  Atari?
  - duckula
    
    I know those buttons are fully the same as like Donkey Kong or similar…haha
- aussieitalian
  
  I was about to post the same comment – What the?
CS

What an amazing and refreshing looking car – like nothing else ever before it…..and H-Man not only is the steering wheel hideous, its on the wrong side…
- F1MotoGP
  
  You did not read the article!
  
  “The images here are from the unveiling of the new model in Ukraine..”
  
  Nice car.
  - CS
    
    Its called sarcasm…its a form of humour…gets lost on simple people…
    - Devil’s Advocate
      
      Yes it does…..
- aza
  
  Sounds like you’re just correcting your own mistake, not like sarcasm (or not good sarcasm, lame). to me the d-pad style buttons is the trend, it’s already in the 2012 honda civic
John Citizen

Looks more boring then the Camry and Aurion has always been sexier to me :/
Gs

Nice car…. If we were still in the 1990s…. Yawn
Henry F

Well, I’m going to go against the usual tide here, but I think it looks quite nice for what it is, and will no doubt be well put together).

Added bonus is it’ll keep Australians in a job.
- Steve
  
  “for what it is” ie a fleet hack that no one in their right mind would purchase with their own money.
  - Al
    
    I suppose you drive a Commodore or a Falcon???
  - bert
    
    Can you actually afford a motor car yet???
    - Steve
      
      The Camry/Aurion is a Fleet Princess, accept it an move on. If you’d like to spend your money on one I’d go to an Auction house and buy an ex government model (24m/40,000 kms) as they never change and are bullet proof (apparently).
      - Al
        
        Can’t argue with that!
Richo

Current Aurion looks better! Toyota did the same thing with the Prado where the current model looks better then the all new one, and they’ve done it again with the Aurion! Good work Toyota…
mrxandthexfactor

It’s actually quite a good looking car. It’s not as conservative as other Toyotas. Let’s take the Camry for example. That looks a bit awkward. This one has a ‘European Touch’ and it’s not bad. It looks prestigious. But what is the Sportivo gonna look like? The inside is impressive but once again, too close to the Camry. Overall i rate 7.5/10
BOSSCR

At least we know what the next Passat will look like (cue can of worms). Seriously though, looks better, albeit like a larger Corolla sedan from the front and a bit like an Epica at the rear. As boring as it might be, still good power figures.
- Bill
  
  Actually it makes the earlier Avalon look positively modern. Toyota really make some boring loooking vehicles – almost as boring as the Merc Sedans. Mond you they look surprisingly similar.
  - moderN
    
    you guys are right……Toyota/Honda not much creative …Hyundai/Kia designs are far more impressive….yo
  - theillestlife
    
    hey Bill,
    
    Mercedes make better sedans than most car manufacturers. take a look at the new c-class,e-class,etc and if your style is good youll note they look very good, esp the C-Class.
    
    dont hate mercedes just because you may not be able to afford one.
    
    feel free to dislike this comment but its the truth.
    - OMG
      
      Yes the C Class does look like a Corolla..I drive an E class
Steve

They’ve done a IS-F with the bonnet, did they forget they were going to put a V6 in it?
Karl

Does Toyota make a wagon version OS?
- Phil
  
  No. West Europe/UK is the only area where wagons sell well. They also want good handling, good economy and a manual tranmission….
o

interior of the new camry looks better, this is bit messy
- KD
  
  The interior is the same, except for the plastic wood
  - Phil
    
    OH there’ll be plenty of plastic wood in the higher end Camry models, don’t you worry.
Car Window

Wow, that is a really good looking car. A big improvement from the current one. Anyone who thinks this new model doesn’t look good, you’ve got to be dreaming. The only thing that I would of liked is better fuel efficency. Good one Toyota!
- yo
  
  looks like crap.. and very boring. needa fire those designers and steal hyundai / kia ones
paulb

Good reduction in fuel down to 9.3l/100km.Nicley finished interior.
Like competitors Commodore and Falcon,hope all 3 of them have sales increases.
- Bangel
  
  Dream on, the day of the overweight fat car is over , yes its consumption is down but so are all others .
  
  This will die along with flacoon by 2014 .
  - paulb
    
    Do you think it will be the Commodore on its own.Bangel what do you think of the Seat
  - Phil
    
    If the Falcon and Camry/Aurion die so will the Commodore. Toyta, Ford and Holden rely on each to keep costs down and to maintain a healthy sub components chain in Australia. If one of the manufactures closes its doors so will the others and it will be a sad day in Australian Manufacturing
    - paulb
      
      Scairy times Phil,the resources boom mark2 not big enough to carry Australia.Dont know where we will be in 25 years in AU.
      - Devil’s Advocate
        
        It is not just the “smaller” resource boom that will struggle to save us. The current government no longer have the “rainy day” pocket to fall back on as they threw it all away and then some to buy a few votes as well as their normal/typical “sound” fiscal management. (BTW, that last bit is supposed to be sarcastic for those people who didn’t pick it…)
dasher

It looks like a big Lexus that has shrunk a tad…Ok by me for my family hack but not ground breaking….I like the interior better than the Camry..as I will probably buy a Presara would prefer to ditch the wood on the wheel..no big deal. Can’t imagine why they would persist with goosenecks on the boot hinges???

My current Presara has factory 18s -these look like 17′s..makes a huge difference to the look of the car.

I’m interested but not excited.
- Phil
  
  Cue the new Lexus ES350 which is now due to make a debut in overseas markets (hopefully we will continue to enjoy NOT seeing them on the road here).
- john
  
  indeed why with a model revision did they keep the goosenecks???? talk about devolutionary.
http://www.rubiworld.com.au Realist

still boring!

I have driven the current aurion and it goes alright but handles like a pig and quality is pretty sub standard like in the camry interior

Look elsewhere IMHO
- Blueberry
  
  Quality is the one thing going for the Aurion. It is very well put together.
  - Phil.a
    
    The quality of how its assembled is great but the materials used are cheap and nasty
    - Blueberry
      
      The plastics on the dash and doors is good. Soft to touch as well. Its the centre console that could do with work. The new model seems to address it (by the photos that is) but only when seeing it in the flesh will we really know.
  - http://www.rubiworld.com.au Realist
    
    dont agree at all. Driven many and the dash plastics dont line up and the materials used are very substandard.
    
    Sales of the aurion definately reflect it. The only decent thing about it is the motor it just a pity the rest of the car cant handle it
- Lukaas
  
  If you are looking for a hoon mobile then obviously look elsewhere.
  
  Or if you are Euro badge snob.
  
  But if you are after a 35K-40K car that you wouldnt mind keeping until it has 200,000+ kms on the clock and around $200 servicing fee every 10,000. Whilst being pretty smooth to drive, not bad to look at and good reliability… then Aurion is a good purchase…
  
  I wouldnt mind having this as my daily home to work and back car… next to the Subaru Liberty B-Spec GT Wagon as long drive tourer and the weekend cruiser FT-85/370Z coupe.
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715760895 Charles Dean
    
    Well said Lukaas
  - http://NSSAN James Cortez
    
    Lukas,
    
    I agree – WHOLE HEARTEDLY -with you on this as you possess good common sense which many bloggers here don’t (air heads perhaps). Hoon and Euro badge snobs are all irrational.
    
    204 kw and 346 Nm from 3456 cc is very good indeed!! Especially considering that you only have to feed them 91 octane gas. Bravo.
    - Phil
      
      If 10,000km service intervals are a bragging point, what do you think of the 25,000km intervals you get on the “irrational “Euro badges?
      
      As for 204KWs from 3456cc…..nearly 30 years ago BMW was putting 3453cc motors in the 5 series that put out 210KW and ran on 91 octane.
      - http://NSSAN James Cortez
        
        Really? yeah at higher RPM and not affordable to the buying public let alone now! You’ve got to compare “mass produced” cars not the so call “exotic” which is what BMW is in the eyes of most australians (different though in North America). Corolla 4 AGE 20 valve even produced more but then again it is not really a “family”, comfort oriented cars!
  - Al
    
    Spot on Lukaas. A sensible response. It’s so easy for many to compare this to a top of the range euro car when it’s a third of the price. The Presara will be great value motoring.
  - yo
    
    a honda accord euro would probly be a better option. better handling, however not as fast as the aurion. feels more upmarket as well.
Dman

What, it looks just like the current Camry!
http://www.rubiworld.com.au Realist

thats because it is a camry, just stretched with a bigger motor. The aurion has no sole of its own
- Phil
  
  It’s not stretched. Same length as Camry.
  - Shak
    
    It IS a Camry with different lights back and front and a different engine.
- a
  
  That’s because it doesn’t wear any shoes.
- http://NSSAN James Cortez
  
  Spell soul not sole. A car has no soul only human beings do!
Lachy

And to think – I thought the Camry was boring!

The exterior is as if they started with a blank sheet of paper and left it that way. The interior is an incohesive mess of fake wood, and parts from other Toyota products.
Shak

Well, like the current car there really isnt very much wrong with it. It may not drive like a RWD Falcadroe, but it does everything else just as well. The only thing you can really hold against this car is that its just a bit too boring looking in its appearance.
KD

*yawn*

Really, everyone knows it’s just a Camry with a V6. Boring.
Mick

I personally thing they should replace the Camry in Australia with the Aurion and just have that. Since they’re essentially the same car the 4 cylinder versions would work as would the hybrid! You could even call it a Camry like Ukraine etc. Having both just makes both more expensive, by streamlining the models and just having the Aurion, with the best features of the Camry carried over to it, they’d probably make more sales than the Camry and Aurion combined.

The car could lose more than 50kg if they really tried too. It really isn’t a full size car like the Falcon and Commodore, its more a large medium size car, and there’s nothing wrong with that categorisation – it would probably do Toyota more favours calling it that than a large car.
- duckula
  
  Yeah in Thailand they call this Camry too, and it has a 2.0 litre engine, Ive only driven it in the city, and it goes ok, but then driving around any asian city your lucky if u get over 10kph.. so not really much of a chance to judge, but still seemed to do ok.
  - http://NSSAN James Cortez
    
    Driving on “Asian city”?? Drive from KL to singapore and you can ago faster than the OZ speed limit of 110 km/h!Australian spd limit is ancient anyway especially when you compare to say Oman to Dubai Road. don’t be snobbish!
papousek

I like the front end but not the rear.
Overall, I think that the very first series of Aurions (2006-09) had the best looks front and back.
The current one (2011) lost the crease/strip on side which actually suited the car nicely; withouth it looks too plain; the chrome front can’t fix it.
The updated engine looks good though. From experience Aurion fuel figures are very achievable so 9.3L is very good for a car of this size and power. Aurion was always underrated, just like the 380 – good car, but not for revheads.
binladen

Toyota has lost his way. Honda has moved backwards. Govments has gone bankrupt. LOL
- Blueberry
  
  I thought Bin Laden was dead???
Mr Gaspo

it’s ok I suppose. A Toyota designed by a committee of grey suited company men or a bunch of Fisher and Paykell engineers.
- Lukaas
  
  Look up Lexus cars, Toyotas in Japan and in general Toyota’s sport car history.
  
  You’re judging Toyota like judging ALL Australians based on people from Mildura.
Blink

Owned turbo subies and GTI golfs, had a nice LX SS hatch back and a monaros…….best car i ever owned 1999 camry. Never broke down no rattles nothing fell off just did what it was made to do, my boy is still driving the thing. Toyotas are engineered to be boring and bullet proof.
Bill

The current model looks better. How can they make a new design look so boring beats me but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (Sorry, went to sleep there)
Azzaa

a liitle to squar for me… But that’s easy fixed I just won’t buy one. Not like I got any money
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715760895 Charles Dean

This car was never designed to attract falcon and commodore community.. But for people who want a more upscale version of the Camry, hence why it’s smooth, very quiet, comfortable and does have quite nice power..
- Ben
  
  This is NOT an upscaled verion of a Camry. It IS just a V6 Camry.
Phil

Looks like a big daddy version of the Corolla Sedan! Front is okay but rear end is way too square.
B

Naise. Aussie designed.

Looks like the gain in fuel economy from 9.9L to 9.3L per 100km (6.5% better) comes from weight reduction (3% better), electric power steering (2% better) and firmware/gearbox/exhaust fine tuning (1.5% better).
Ox

Looks like a Lexus LS460
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715760895 Charles Dean
  
  No it doesn’t, LS460 is a very beautiful car.. It never ages, hell 1989 model Lexus LS400 still look very fresh today in 2011..
  - Facb
    
    How do you know what a Lexus LS460 look like?
  - Bangel
    
    1989 model looks like crap , most are so tired they are at the dump driven into the ground by” wanna be euro drivers “.
http://ca auto

If they want to get their sales up near Commodore and Falcon they will have to shove a diff and tailshaft up its rear end. Maybe then I would think about buying one.You would think that the do gooders at Toyota would realise this.
- Lukaas
  
  yes auto!
  
  thats the biggest hurdle in the big car market in OZ.
  
  Aurion was always meant to be RWD as its competition and best seller in the sub 35K big car category is RWD… which says, RWD has a big market here.
  
  One day, I think Aurion might become RWD… but who knows where the market is heading.
- Blueberry
  
  Its funny you say that when both GM and Ford are both potentially looking to turn their future Falcodores into FWD/AWD models in the quest of better fuel consumption.
  
  Not saying I am happy about that but thats the word going round.
  - Lukaas
    
    Ford is looking at FWD platform, Globally.
    
    In Oz though, looking at sales of large family sedans, GM and Ford’s RWD vehicles are 1 and 2.
    
    Toyota Australia needs to either get approval from Toyota Japan to use a RWD platform, and trust me there are PLENTY existing RWD platforms in Japan and potential RWD platforms at the moment.
    
    Again its the plant’s capability and market strategy… would people buy Lexus entry base sedans at 60-70K… if they can buy a RWD Aurion Sportivo for 40K?… things like this affect decisions down the road…
    
    I’ve always felt that Toyota’s Sports Car development SUFFERED from Lexus’s emergence…. most of the engineers with sports car background or RWD chassis experience have been shuffled to Lexus to crank out projects.
    
    In Japan, where Lexus and Toyota are the same, its OKAY… but in other countries where Lexus is targetted differently to Toyota and have a different lineup, it matters a lot… hence you see Toyota’s decade lacking a RWD sporty car.
    - moonie
      
      1 and…. ..12 ? (and falling)
      
      The Aurion is all but identical in interior size to the Commodore and Falcon, only faster, more economical, more reliable and more powerful.
      
      BTW I doubt the Aurion will look like this in Australia.
      - Blueberry
        
        I hope it does because it looks quite nice to me… It has a more upmarket appearance than the old model, which by the way I own.
        
        I own the Toyota Presara. Its a very nice car.
        
        I didnt buy it to be a sports car. I bought it for comfort, confident handling and knowing I would get from A to B without having to call NRMA like I did with my previous Berlina all the time. I am not knocking the Berlina as it was a nice car but I much prefer the Presara over it.
      - scottjames_12
        
        How about the EcoLPI Falcon XR6?
        
        Faster, cheaper to run, handles better, looks better..
        
        Don’t be so quick to write off the local product..
- Phil
  
  Buyers of cheap, large sedans don’t care whether it’s FWD or RWD.
Sumpguard

Does anyone else think this looks like the current camry from the front? Not very imaginative imo.
- aza
  
  I agree, from the front looks too similar to the camry. The current camry and aurion are different enough (in looks at least) to consider them as separate models (and different size/class), I’m not too sure if it will work with the new cars. Otherwise a decent effort from toyota, reducing weight and fuel consumption.
  - Blueberry
    
    How does the front of the Aurion look the same as the new Camry?
    - aza
      
      The 2012 Aurion looks similar to the current(2006-2011) camry, with the slimmer headlights and squarish bumper(camry hybrid). So, different to current MY 06-11 Aurion (particularly the sportivo), but base model 2012 aurion looks similar to 2012 camry. Biggest difference is the interior.
      - Blueberry
        
        Fair enough… in the new models though I think there seems to be more separation between Aurion and Camry
      - Sumpguard
        
        I did say “current camry from the front”!
- mrxandthexfactor
  
  Well, the next-gen Camry sort of looks like the U.S. Avalon too.
save it for the track

I think an essential feature that Toyota should add to their vehicles (particularly Camry & Corolla) is an audio/visual reminder system. Visual reminder on the dash display “The brake pedal is on the left”, accompanied by an audio message stating the same.
.
I’m sure such a system would cut down on the incidents of ‘unintended acceleration’. Not to mention the frequency of the elderly running into brick walls and driving up onto footpaths. Of course optioning the Audio in several languages would assist as well…..
.
A 50kg weight drop seems like a step in the right direction. Why again did Toyota Aus not keep simply wacking a v6 badge on a Camry with a v6, and instead name it an Aurion?
paulb

Just in passing i have asked Aurion drivers about the Aurion.Never had a bad word to say about Aurion.With Toyota fixed service rate,makes it an affordable large vechle.
- Phil
  
  Yea, servicing fixed at a more frequent rate than any of its competitors.
  - a
    
    They are all 12mth/15,000km.
    - Phil
      
      Toyotas do not have 12 months service intervals.
      
      Aurion/Camry servicing is 4.5 or 9 months/5000kms or 10,000kms. All other Toyotas models have 3 or 6 months service intervals.
      
      The minimum for a Euro is 12 months/15,000kms with many having 24 months/25,000kms and some euro diesels being 30 months/40,000kms.
  - paulb
    
    Phil you have to start to appreciate others cars,not just Volkswagen.
GIG

WOW! TOYOTA cars look so HONDA now…
Lukaas

To be brutally honest…

Put 19×8.5 wheels on this Aurion, lower it by about 1.5 inch.
And it looks 5x better….you get a great looking car.
- http://NSSAN James Cortez
  
  Again, you’re damn right Lukas. Here where I work & live in the middle east, summer temperature often peaks at 50 degrees C or higher and guess what taxi drivers tell me: “only camry lasts”. Yes there are some Nissan maximas but other than these two, the rest require more maintenance, fixing etc. Testament to Toyota’s reliability. So let those euro badge snobs bark and let the hoons throw their criticism, for one’s hard earned money, teh camry won’t let you down.
Matt J

And Toyota can say goodbye to any form of sales revival.
The current model looks better!
STP

What’s with these two tiny exhaust pipes .. they are so fugly!!!
Martin V.

I think they did a much better job on this than the Camry. Still very conservative though but at least it’s pleasant and isn’t trying too hard like the new Camry is.
Steve

Hope they dress it up with some 18″ rims at least and offer a better colour selection than the current Aurion range which is dispicable. TOYOTA are you listening.
- Phil
  
  They have been listening to their customers and I don’t think any of them were interested in big alloys or fancy colours.
pugphile

I’m glad they put some nice woodtrim into the Jetta….;-)
I Hate GM

Lukaas I almost gave this site away as its full of real moronic posters like Frugal1 and his ilk, but to read intelligent discussion about the Aurion from yourself and others is a breath of fresh air, I dropped all the GM Rubbish we used to have on our fleet and replaced it with Aurions, all my drivers love them and they give me no hassles unlike a Falcon we had recently with a collapsed seat, The Aurions give us a good resale and no problems ever. I bought one at Auction, converted it to LPG and put mags on it, what a fabulous long distance tourer it is and very very cheap to run. I am no Euro snob, Ive owned them and would like to own reliable Peugeots like in the old days, but these days, good cheap transport can be achieved with the Aurion if you are smart and decide with your brain not your heart. Also when you trade said aurion you’ll get more than $500 which seems to be the norm with Falcadores.
- Frosty
  
  What makes you think we believe one bit of talk you state. You are sounding like just a big noter here when you are probably just a schoolboy or layman and not a business owner or even a fleet manager so spare us the manure and just give a opinion because I for one would like proof of who you are before believing that you yourself got rid of GM products and replaced them with Toyota’s. You sound like someone I know who got laid off by Toyota and still claims them to be the gods of the motoring world. He even claims our uniform is gay and this from a man named Cyril.
stop hating…

You claim others are “moronic posters” and say you are looking for intelligent discussion. Then why do go on to use generalise using derogatory terms such as “GM Rubbish” and “falcadores”??
Maple leaf

they gonna make this in Australia? If yes, then whats the problem? It looks decent and probably more reliable than some other makes. Good AtoB transport.
Lexo

Yawns…Front looks more like Honda Accord V6 (wide body version). Rear is rather bland. Still fits the image of white goods on wheels.
- john
  
  yes but could you live without your fridge. no. I’m sure you would be cranky if your fridge behaved like a ‘prestige’ european car, with its associated service costs. I think the term white goods on wheels is a compliment not a derogatory term.
  - Phil
    
    You got it the wrong way around John, Euro cars have long service intervals which makes it closer to a fridge in terms of servicing.
    
    Toyotas have the most frequent service intervals on any car.
    - john
      
      that might be the theory but not seen in practice as they break down before the interval is due. In addition they charge like wounded bulls.
GtI

OHH What a Feeling Toyota!!
Facb

Aurion is faster, more fuel efficient, better looking, higher quality, more comfortable and better resale then Falcodore.. Right?
- Phil
  
  I don’t think many people would agree it was better looking.
  
  It might be faster in a straight line but is not faster around corners. It’s rolling acceleration is also hampered by tall gearing, low torque and lack of manual gearbox/automatic kickdown (try rolling acceleration from 40km\h cruise where the gearbox refuses to go back to 1st even when manually selected and 2nd gear which runs to a whopping 112km\h only gets 3500rpm). Aurion has torque steer too which Falcodore doesn’t.
  It’s also very difficult to disable the extremely intrusive traction control.
  
  For the ~2% of people who tow, Aurion won’t tow as well.
  
  But it does share all the problems of Falcodores problems…it’s still thristy, it still has terrible resale, it’s sedan only body is impractical and the bootspace is barely any better than small sedans like Honda City.
- nickdl
  
  Not so sure about the resale, the comfort or the looks. And as for fuel efficiency, the current Aurion is as efficient as a Falcon but worse than a Commodore.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715760895 Charles Dean

Japanese>>>>Euro

I don’t care what anyone says, Japanese make better cars in every segment PERIOD
- anthony
  
  Agreed…
- F1MotoGP
  
  Not every segments. Euro still make better sports cars and 4wd! Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin…..etc and even other segments Japanese are behind with engine and gearbox. Corolla 4 speed auto engine very old!
  - Gr8
    
    No they don’t, just because a certain thing isn’t offered in a certain car doesn’t mean they dont have it.. btw Corolla is a car made to be avery high volume seller, so i do not think the market for it want the state of the art technology..
    
    But look at Lexus, they are state of the art vehicles.. Best fit & finish, smoothest cars, most refined, comfortable, reliable and are of very high quality.. And you cannot tell me any of the German 3 make better cars then Lexus, because they simply do not..
    - F1MotoGP
      
      Lexus is very good but not selling well only in USA. 366 was sold here in May and in Germany 176 (110 CT200 and 66 RX).
    - scottjames_12
      
      Not saying that Lexus don’t make some OK stuff, but you’re only kidding yourself!
      
      Every single Lexus I can think of has a Euro competitor that completely outclasses it..
      
      I don’t even need to go into specifics.
      
      Get back to reality mate!
      - D21
        
        I wouldn’t say completely outclasses it.. Lexus IS350 kills 3 and C.. The Germans need turbos to compete with Lexus..
        
        The RX is the leader in the mid size SUV, it’s the most comfortable, refined, smooth, luxurious, high quality, reliable and durable.. It also looks way better then the fugly X5..
        
        It all comes down to how you define luxury, for me it’s the car which is built with the highest standards in place, is the smoothest and has upmost refinement and elegance and also best customer service.. Lexus does those all right..
      - scottjames_12
        
        Mate, I don’t think many people out there would agree with you. Have you forgotten that BMW were making 250+kw from a 3.2L 6-cyl back in 2000? Your comment that IS kills 3 and C class is pretty laughable. I know I wouldn’t be picking the Toyota if I was offered a choice of the three..
        
        As for the RX, I’m sure it’s a capable car. I just can’t get over the feeling that it’s merely a tarted up Landcruiser.
- Golfschwein
  
  What period would that be?
- http://NSSAN James Cortez
  
  Can’t say that. European makes better cars but when it comes to reliability it’s the opposite.
DWS1

…the rear looks a bit like the new Subaru Impreza.

I really liked the look of the Aurion TRD, but we all know where that went.
F1MotoGP

Not every segments. Euro still make better sports cars and 4wd! Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin…..etc and even other segments Japanese are behind with engine and gearbox. Corolla 4 speed auto engine very old!
JEKYL & HYDE

so they jammed the new hilux grill on it,uglyed it up a bit,and put an xbox 360 steering wheel on it,have a missed something?…
Nugsdad

How does the most boring car ever launched get the most comments
- F1MotoGP
  
  Ford Focus 207 and Falcon 174
PoisonEagle

Maybe Toyota Australia can do good things with the framework there. Front end is pretty nice… Throw in the Lexus’ IS350′s 235kW DI engine and we’ll talk. And a rear strut brace.
- scottjames_12
  
  Do you really want a 235Kw engine in a heavy FWD sedan?
  
  The Lexus at least does 1 thing right, it drives the right wheels..
  - F1MotoGP
    
    …and the left wheel too.
    - scottjames_12
      
      Dont know if you’re trying to be funny or not…
      
      I said the right wheelS, meaning the rear ones..
Ryan

I see the Kelvinator look is back in fashion
lukaas

Scottjames. The impresion you gave out automatically says you are a euro snob. I mean you describe lexus as simply nice and you say it in a patronizing way.Look, my alltime favourite car or one of is audi rs4 avant. Audi is probably my fave euro oem and car maker in general but i know their faults. Moral is i like audi because i like their cars for relative reasons and not because they are european. Lexus may not have leading performance per category but refinement they are either top or 2nd in their class. You also have to factor in they are 20% to 30% cheaper than their competitor. And they have their own look. Some love the bmw trade marks, some the alfa romeo, some the audi grille, but dont be surprise but some actually like the clean and svelte lines of lexus. The IS350 is 80k aud. Audi, bmw, mercs comparable car per performance is 100k. And no, 135i is a 30k car in terms of build, size and features but has a tremendously fantastic engine which allows bmw charge 80k aud for it.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1715760895 Charles Dean
  
  Yeah exactly, Lexus are very good.. And they constantly are the highest rated manufacturer all the time..
- scottjames_12
  
  Lukass, I will own up to not being a fan of Lexus or Toyota. But, I think you will find if you read my posts again, I am refuting the comments made by:
  
  Gr8: ‘And you cannot tell me any of the German 3 make better cars then Lexus, because they simply do not..’
  
  D21: ‘Lexus IS350 kills 3 and C’
  
  Which, you would have to agree, are incorrect. Nowhere did the discussion turn to price, which opens another can of worms.
Raunaq

Very good Toyota Car built in Australia,keeping Aus Jobs unlike other car suppliers
http://www.toyota.com.au Aurion_knight

I would say from pas few years early 2009 till next model (2012), toyota went from good looking car to HONDA-LIKE looking cars. Seriously if you take the badge out for this 2012 Aurion, you won’t able to spot the difference inside/out…question is why?….. I like Aurion model from 2006-early 2009…even front grill from sept 2009 Aurion looks bit ugly…Am I the only one thinking like this???
- Daimbenz
  
  I liked the rear of the facelift one..
HSV

Looks like bigger Corolla
ohlawd

previos model looks modern than the nexT?
Open Minded

I used to drive a Falcon and never considered a toyota aurion, and like a typical ford or holden driver thought it would be rubbish. I had to change work cars and was given a new toyota aurion, and after driving it for 2 years now I would never go back to a ford or holden. Each time I get into one now they just seem like boats. The Holden is just big and the V6 engine feels really harsh and antiquated.

Anyway, this is just my opinion, just saying if you have never tried driving a Toyotas Aurion, give it a go, it may just surprise you.

The only issue I have with the Aurion which you don’t get in a ford, is that trying to accelerate from 80km/hr can be an issue as it won’t go until it changes down a gear and gets the revs up. You almost have to accelerate a second earlier before you want it to go!
Grwillson

I’ve owned 6 Camry / Aurions and they have been great. But in 2012 I expect more. Look at where VW are at the moment – TFSI etc. Hoped to replace my Aurion Sportivo with a supercharged 4WD version. Previous comments on style are correct – Kia are on the improve. Toyota need to get some styling help.
Trf

swift
Jsmith

As far as the 2011 Toyota Aurion is concerned it is rather bizzare that when driven in “D” range it will not change past 4th gear even though it has a 6 speed automatic transmission.

To select 6th gear you need to move the gear stick towards you and select “S” mode, then push the gear stick twice forward to select 6th gear.

I know of no other car that has this sort of transmission– at least Falcon XR6 uses all 6 of its gears in “D” range/ position.

Can this condition on the Aurion be fixed by a software setting on the engine management computer?
- Trade-in2
  
  الاوريون الجديدة بصراحة شكلها قبيح جدا ولا تستحق المشاهدة كذلك كامري 2012
Sherwin

Toyota are currently changing the way they make their cars. Akio Toyoda, the chief of Toyota, and also the great grandson of the founder, has stated along the lines of aiming to make more fun, sporty cars and hopefully return to Toyota’s sporty roots in the near future. So expect some major improvements in terms of driving, and design. I think the GT-86 is just the beginning of that. The new camry, although odd in design, has shown a hit of lively driving dynamics. Toyota, you can do it.
Olov

The 2GR-FE engine totally rockz!