The Toyota Aurion was a mid-size car built by Toyota in Australia and parts of Asia from 2006 to 2017. It was derived from the Camry, with restyled front and rear ends and a different interior, and in Australasia and the Middle East it replaced the Avalon.
Toyota Aurion at a glance
| Maker | Toyota |
|---|---|
| Production | 2006–2017 |
| Built in | Australia, for Australia, New Zealand and Asia |
| Based on | Toyota Camry |
| Generations | Two (XV40, XV50) |
| Body | Four-door saloon |
| Engine | V6 petrol |
| Replaced | Toyota Avalon (XX10) |
| Name | From the Greek word for “tomorrow” |
| Sold in Australia | 111,140 cars |
| Performance version | TRD Aurion, 537 built |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Toyota Aurion. No free photograph of the Aurion was available, so the article uses the cover already attached to the record.
History of the Toyota Aurion
First generation (XV40; 2006)
The Aurion went on sale in 2006 and replaced the Avalon in Australia and New Zealand, where it was sometimes described as the “prestige” Camry. It shared most of its tooling, drivetrain and centre body with the Camry, including the V6 engine, and differed mainly in its front and rear styling and interior fittings. In August 2007 Toyota Australia added the TRD Aurion, a supercharged V6 with a full bodykit and chassis upgrades. It was discontinued in March 2009 after only 537 cars had been built and sold in a year and a half.
Second generation (XV50; 2011)
Production of the second-generation Aurion began in February 2012, and the car was released in Australia and New Zealand that April. It was again based on the Camry, and for the first time the Japanese-market Camry used the same body as the prestige version rather than the regular one. Australian trim levels were AT-X, Sportivo SX6, Sportivo ZR6, Prodigy and Presara; New Zealand offered AT-X, Touring and Sportivo SX6. A 2012 Touring SE special edition, limited to 1,500 cars and based on the AT-X, added a rear spoiler, fog lamps and a sports grille. After a facelift the Prodigy was dropped and the two Sportivo grades merged into one.
The end of local production
Aurion production in Australia ended in August 2017, after almost eleven years, when Toyota closed its Altona factory and the Camry name returned with a V6 for the first time since 2006. The Aurion-based Camry sold in Japan and other Asian markets was discontinued in Japan in July 2017 and in Southeast Asia in late 2018, replaced by the XV70 Camry. Over the ten-year Australian production run, 111,140 Aurions were sold.
Design and features
- Camry foundation: shared tooling and drivetrain with restyled front and rear ends.
- V6 only: the Australian model was sold with a V6 engine throughout.
- Local production: built in Australia until the Altona plant closed in 2017.
- Prestige positioning: a more luxurious alternative to the four-cylinder Camry.
Toyota Aurion versions
- First generation (XV40; 2006): the original Australian V6 saloon.
- TRD Aurion (2007–2009): supercharged V6 with bodykit, 537 built.
- Second generation (XV50; 2011): AT-X, Sportivo SX6, Sportivo ZR6, Prodigy and Presara.
- Touring SE (2012): 1,500 cars based on the AT-X with a spoiler and fog lamps.
- Facelift: Prodigy deleted and the Sportivo grades merged.
The Aurion was derived from the Camry and replaced the Avalon in Australia. More cars are in the Toyota collection.
Sources
- Toyota Aurion, English Wikipedia: generations, TRD version, production
