Cosmo

"In China, the Camry's competition targets are BMW and Mercedes-Benz sedans." - http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=114963#2 Which explains the intensity of luxury in those photos. I would be surprised if the Aurion here came standard with leather, since it's supposed to be up against Falcadores (XT/Executive anyone?), but for sure, it will be standard on the top model.

Camry leads the charge Coming soon: new-look Camry will hit Australian showrooms this year, ahead of the launch of the VE Commodore Other Top stories Survey results in: 87pc of Aussies suffer road rage Another new Holden sprung Driving Ferrari's new $600,000 supercar Return of Nissan's Godzilla 19 May 2006 Paul Gover The all-new Toyota Camry will be the first of the homegrown heavyweights to hit showrooms in 2006. The new Camry, which is already on the road in the US and going through final on-road trials in Victoria, will beat the VE Holden Commodore, Holden Statesman and Toyota's own V6 Aurion. The official on-sale date for the four-cylinder Camry, just confirmed by the boss of the company, is July 22. "We'll be doing the first deliveries in early August. Aurion will be later, about three months," says the executive chairman of Toyota Australia, John Conomos. "Aurion is [coming in] November. I cannot tell you the exact date." The Toyota news sets up the major confrontation of 2006, as Mitsubishi already has its 380 – with the starter price down to $27,990 – and GM Holden is still expected to wait until late August or early September before the start of its VE roll-out. Ford will not have its next new Falcon, with an $1.8 billion investment from head office in Detroit, until late 2007 or early in 2008. Conomos is hoping the petrol price will stabilise by the time the Camry and Aurion are both in showrooms, but says Toyota has more flexibility than its rivals. The 380 is only built with a V6, although there is an investigation into a possible four-powered model. And Holden will have its Global V6 as the starter motor in the VE. "Is this the wrong time for the V6 Aurion? We don't think so," Conomos says. "We can change relatively quickly. We have that capability. The salvation is the massive resources of Toyota and the product flexibility. The global line at Altona has been upgraded to go from 110,000 to 140,000 cars and was completely gutted over Christmas." According to Conomos, the flexibility at Altona will allow Toyota Australia to mix the match of Camry four with Aurion V6, as well as boosting production for overseas sales – mostly to the Middle East – if the large-car downturn in Australia continues. He feels it's a crucial advantage, although he believes Toyota Australia has made the right move into the Aurion V6 program to challenge the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. "Is it the wrong time? Maybe if $US100-a-barrel oil is coming," Conomos says. "But we can switch to Camry four. What can Ford switch to? What can Holden switch to?" Conomos is hopeful that the drop in big-six sales has ended and believes the new product offensive this year will bring people back to the local heroes. "Where do large cars settle? About now," he says. "We will force the market. I think we'll arrest the decline for a period of time." The growing energy crisis could play in Toyota's favour, but he says there's no plan to introduce the Camry hybrid, which is just going on the road in the US, to Australia. According to Conomos, it would be far too costly, without suitable local suppliers for many of the key components, to add it to the production line at Altona. "We cannot justify the expense and the investment," he says. "If we could justify it we'd do it, just like that. Australia is the only market raising its hand for a right-hand drive Camry hybrid." Conomos has also ruled out a return of fuel-miser Daihatsu vehicles, after closing the brand this year, even under the Toyota brand. "First of all, we need products," Conomos says. "At the moment, the cars are too expensive." Toyota will base its new special vehicle division, pitched as a competitor to Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Racing, in Sydney. While the timing of the creation of Toyota Racing Developments (TRD) is all about brand building for the upcoming Aurion V6 car, the whole brand will be touched by it. In fact, the company will use its Corolla rally team as the spearhead. The TRD operation will be under the direction of engineering guru Greg Gardner. Toyota knows it needs something extra-special to give the Aurion a performance halo and so it is pushing TRD ahead. It will be able to plug into the TRD products created and produced in both Japan and the US, although details are still being finalised. The intention is that all Toyota owners will eventually have access to go-faster and styling gear which fits the TRD profile, as well as clothing, stickers and all the other merchandising items. That is why Toyota Australia has begun the roll-out of the TRD program by re-branding its Corolla Sportivo rally cars, driven by Neal Bates and Simon Evans, under the TRD umbrella. But the Aurion V6 is still the priority. "We now have a product, with Aurion, where we can produce a TRD-based product," Toyota Australia executive chairman John Conomos says. "The opportunity presented itself with that car. We have the platform to do it, as opposed to a product that people were not happy to accept." Toyota has already previewed the TRD Aurion with a life-sized styling model at the Melbourne Motor Show, and confirms it will have a supercharged V6 engine with a whole range of brake, suspension and cabin upgrades. It is the first time Toyota has gone remotely close to the cars from Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles, although the company admits it will not convince some people. "We cannot compete with those famous brands. We cannot do massive conversions," Conomos says. "We only have the ability to do one car, at one time, with one specification." He admits the rear-drive V8s still have a special place here. "We'll never overcome the rear-wheel-drive resistance because we don't have a rear-wheel-drive car. We think that, over time, consumers will accept it."

The one down here definintely won't be that luxurious. The gen5 camrys in HK/China are much nicer than the ones here. They're more..."premo". But from what I can see, the aurion's interior is pretty much like the camry's.

I like the sounds of that 250kw and AWD. Whether it's a true competitor to HSV and FPV, I don't think so. I think it's more like an S(The VE one should be looking nice)/XR6T competitor.

lol... different styling though ;)

Camry will be 4 cylinder only. The Aurion will have the 3.5L V6 though.

The only exterior difference between a camry and the aurion are the front and back. Here are some photos i took of the aurion from the motor show. But the best part of it was that I got into the M3, M5 and M6 :D

hell yeah! Looks awesome! Check it out at www.makeyourmove.com.au

Thought i'd just check my usual sites before I slept, and wham. News of the avalon replacement is out, it's called the Toyota Aurion. It means "tomorrow" in Ancient Greek, read more about it here: Oh yeah, no news of specs just yet, we'll have to wait till tomorrow... Toyota releases Aurion at Melbourne Motor Show Toyota's Aurion: The manufacturer's new V6 it hopes will compete front-on with Holden's Commodore and Ford's Falcon. 09 February 2006 Paul Gover Aurion - get used to it. It is the new name that Toyota plans to make as popular in Australia as Commodore and Falcon. Aurion was chosen for the all-new V6 family car that is being unwrapped this morning at the press preview for the Melbourne International Motor Show. It will be set straight up against the Holden and Ford family favourites when sales begin at the back end of 2006. The Aurion is based on an all-new Camry, which is missing from the Melbourne Exhibition Centre despite being previewed in the USA, but has a very different and more upmarket look. There will also be an Aurion Sportivo. Toyota has tried before to challenge Australia's showroom leaders, first with the Lexcen - a poor-quality re-badged Commodore in the 1980s - and then with the outdated and unimpressive Avalon. It has always believed that it must have a credible and successful big-six contender if it is to win the heartland support it craves so desperately. Toyota Australia has tried everything else to become accepted as more than just a Japanese brand, even buying the major sponsorship rights to the AFL and signing on as vehicle supplier for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. This time it believes it has the right approach, as the Aurion was designed by an Aussie - 31-year-old Nick Hogios of Toyota Style Australia - and has been developed locally for Australian roads and owners. It took a big push to convince Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan that the Australian team had the people and skills to do the job, which including sending Hogios to work in Nagoya and regular visits by Paul Beranger, the veteran head of Toyota Style Australia, to oversee the project. Beranger produced the X-Runner pick-up and Sportivo Coupe which starred at earlier Melbourne Motor Shows. The unveiling this morning will be one of the biggest in Toyota's local history, including a webcast to dealerships around the country and a major news stunt. But nothing is bigger than the Aurion story, which includes direct support from Japan, which plans to make the car a major export earner. "It's all part of a global strategy," Beranger says. The plan is to sell the Aurion only as a V6, with the Camry only available with a four-cylinder engine, using a premium position closer to the Holden Berlina and Ford Fairmont. Toyota says it is far to early to talk about price or models or even the mechanical specification, but everything points to a $35,000 starter price with a full list of standard equipment. The production target is also being kept quiet, but Toyota Australia's factory at Altona has recently been upgraded to produce as many as 140,000 cars a year, split between the Camry and Aurion. The Camry is still likely to dominate the production line, with Aurion numbers growing slowly. The newcomer will also be built in China, Taiwan and Thailand with the Hogios looks, but wearing a premium Camry badge. And what about the Aurion name? Toyota admits that it is a made-up name, but says it wanted to avoid anything too obviously ocker Aussie - Kakadu or kangaroo - or a continuation of Avalon. Cressida, the name of a premium Toyota import in the 1980s, was also rejected because of its history. "Aurion means 'tomorrow' in ancient Greek," Beranger says. "The name also has overtones of Australia and Aurora - the Latin word for 'the dawn'. News Interactive http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384...5002663,00.html

yep here too. Got it replaced under warranty. So far so good.

I get squeaking with the front driver seat belt buckle when I'm driving. Not when anyone else is in the seat though...strange...

Which corolla model/grade do you guys own?

My sister is about to buy a brand new Levin :D and saw that we could get sat nav in it. Just wanting to know, do any of you corolla-owners have sat nav?

I've driven this car, and it is pretty nimble. The six speed transmission is an excellent addition. Whoa, where did you drive it? And yeah, I reckon it's got a bit of the Mazda 6/Accord Euro in the front. But it looks like it fits in perfectly here.

wow, looks like a great repair. Just hope it rides and drives the same :)

Damnit, the V6 the US are getting is the 3.5L with 200kw and 336Nm AND a newly developed 6-speed auto.

Yeah, they may have the supercharger from the Sportivo Concept (which was a 4 cylinder 2.4L Engine) in the next camry. Also, if Toyota gets the Avalon-replacement right this time, resale values for the new gen will be high. Current and previous avalons will still remain low. More pics (In red!) more Oh yeah, one more of the satnav screen in the hybrid, looks awesome

Has anyone taken their camry to a track and seen how it performs when given the chance?

Any other learner drivers around here? Or am I the only youngun :D

We are only getting the 4 cylinder camry because Toyota wants the Avalon replacement to be the only V6 in their lineup so it'd be a clearer competitor to the falcodores. From our friends at autoblog, are some few photos of the next camry (including one with a sports kit...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....)

I posted those photos a while back in the other thread :P

BMW M5 for the day, then a DB9 for some sunday driving :D

So is your friend ok?

Did some calculations and the new Camry is: 10mm Longer Overall 55mm Longer Wheelbase 25mm Shorter in height

This is probably the top spec one, seeing as it has satnav and woodgrain, so probably the Azura/Grande replacement. Then just strip off the good bits, put in some cloth seats and some aircon dials, and you've got the altise. Hopefully Toyota will have a body kit as standard on some models :)