2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic

2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic The elongated, dramatic styling of the 2013 Toyota Avalon – which officially debuted this morning at the 2012 New York International Auto Show — may be polarizing and inspire plenty of debate, but we’ll give it this: it’s far more progressive in terms of design than any of its stodgy predecessors.

2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic

2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic

 2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic

2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic

2012 New York: 2013 Toyota Avalon Moves From Milquetoast to Modernistic 

2013 Toyota Avalon rear three quarters 2 300x187 imageFor the 2013 model, the Avalon takes a big step forward in the design department. Although it’s certainly not a direct competitor in any way, it’s still evident Toyota was inspired by designer luxury sedans like the rakish Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS. The long arch of the roof leads into an extremely short decklid – though it is still has a traditional trunk, unlike the hatchback on the A7. In profile, the Avalon has a shoulder crease that creates a concave detailing framing the door handles. Mercedes’ influence can be seen in the Avalon’s taillights: two red rows of LEDs frame a row of white LEDs that house the reverse lights and turn signals.

Up front, the 2013 Avalon boasts a large, upright hexagonal lower grille, but also wears a narrow, pointed grille similar to that of the 2012 Camry. The headlights include Toyota’s new Double-eye PES (Projector Ellipsoid System), which has a two-piece headlight similar to what Infiniti offered on the third-generation 2001-2006 Q45, outlined by LED daytime running lights. Below the headlights are trapezoidal foglight and turn signal clusters which remind us a bit of those used on the Scion FR-S.

2013 Toyota Avalon cockpit 300x187 imageInside, Toyota may be trying to rival its Lexus division – the interior is awash in premium leather, and the new instrument panel prominently sports the company’s Entune infotainment system. In the Avalon, Entune is controlled through capacitive touch buttons similar to Ford’s MyFordTouch or Cadillac’s CUE system. Since the 2013 Avalon rides on a two-inch longer version of the Camry’s platform, all of the mechanicals from Toyota’s bestseller carry over to its flagship sedan. Toyota has yet to announce powertrain details, but don’t be surprised to see the familiar 3.5-liter V-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission. We wouldn’t be surprised to see an a hybrid variant in the future – if so, expect it to use the same that packs the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine as the Camry Hybrid and the all-new Lexus ES 300h.

The 2013 Toyota Avalon will go on sale later this year, though pricing — and technical details — should be announced just prior to the car’s on-sale date.