Next Toyota Avalon Rumored To Have Looks Of A7, XJ (Stop Laughing)

[William Maley]

Next Toyota Avalon Rumored To Have Looks Of A7, XJ (Stop Laughing)

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

August 5, 2011

The Toyota Avalon; the official car of AARP. Ok, not really, but the Avalon has become the Japanese Buick and Toyota isn't happy about it. At gathering of Toyota dealers in June, Toyota showed off the next gen Avalon due out next fall. Toyota says the Avalon's design borrows from the Audi A7, Jaguar XJ, and upcoming Lexus models.

The Avalon will keep its 3.5L V6 and FWD layout but Toyota says the handling will be improved.

We'll be holding our breath to see if this comes to any fruition.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

[Drew Dowdell]

Yeah... because they can't come up with a successful design language of their own.

[Camino LS6]

[smk4565]

Everyone wants to copy Mercedes and Jaguar styling, or once Mercedes makes a 4-door coupe, everyone else wants one. The number of copy cats out there is sad, it would be nice if more companies had some creativity because it would challenge everyone to do better. As it is, a few companies innovate, and most just copy it or water it down, and it is boring. Toyota is so boring, from the Yaris to the Lexus LS460 and everything in between, boring, boring, boring.

[riviera74]

Boring, yes. Then again, Lexus is still the #1 seller of luxury vehicles in the USA, mostly because of the ES350 and the RX350. A discernible design language for Toyota or Lexus undermines the bottom line. Lexus has never really innovated since 1990s LS400. I doubt they will really innovate much now.

[regfootball]

toyota can't style their way out of a pickle jar....

[balthazar]

Everyone wants to copy Mercedes and Jaguar styling, or once Mercedes makes a 4-door coupe, everyone else wants one. The number of copy cats out there is sad, it would be nice if more companies had some creativity because it would challenge everyone to do better. As it is, a few companies innovate, and most just copy it or water it down, and it is boring. Toyota is so boring, from the Yaris to the Lexus LS460 and everything in between, boring, boring, boring.

Funny, when the current jag sedan came out (because nobody was copying prior jag designs)- many comments RE 'Subaru headlights' were heard. They've since been changed.

Mercedees has been moving forward by issuing a cheap copy of Cadillac's A&S language... IF you pick that one leg of mercedee's numerous design directions...

Another oft-heard comment was the strong mazda-esque fenders on the current s-class.

Problem at large is that most design is utterly uninspired, most of the rest is derivative.

If styling were at the forefront, there'd be hope for something unique, but instead it's mostly finance and regulation steering the ship.

Good luck with that.