CAR GARAGE | Toyota Aurion (2012) | The Aurion has Previously managed approximately a 12 per cent sales share in the large car segment and Toyota expects to lift That to around 15 per cent this year and even higher in 2013. There's no doubt the new Toyota Aurion is an excellent package and a superb vehicle, it simply Remains to be seen whether or not the public's taste buds are still attuned to large cars. Sporting exterior and interior redesigns substantial as well as improvements to the driveline, the new Toyota Aurion is now being pitched as an attainable luxury vehicle with the Japanese company private Hoping to entice more buyers into the range. When the original Toyota Aurion came out in 2006, the large-car segment was the second largest in Australia with annual sales of over 136.000 units.
he demise of the large-car segment has, undoubtedly, led to the huge rise in popularity of SUVs. So the first question is, why would you buy a Toyota Aurion? This brings us back to the Toyota's new positioning strategy. Since the large-car segment has lost its appeal as a default choice for car buyers, Toyota sees the Aurion moving higher up into the prestige segment and appealing to Those who want a luxury car without having to pay the luxury car tax (which comes into effect for cars valued at more than $ 57,000). In essence, Toyota Believes the Aurion is a vehicle the general public and aspire to own one That enhances the owner's social status.
It's fair to say the folks at Toyota Australia (which played a leading role in the vehicle's design and development) have spent considerable time and resources to improve the look and feel of the new car. Sit inside and it's obvious the Aurion shares much of its DNA with the recently launched and almost identically proportioned Toyota Camry. The steering wheel, interior fit and finish, audio system, design layout and overall feel of the cabin is very Camry. The range-topping Presara Aurion's interior, for example, is a truly pleasant place to be.
Around South Australia's twisty countryside where we came to test drive the new Aurion, we found the car's ride and handling more confident-inspiring than That of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore (if you take into account the rear-wheel-drive and front- wheel-drive differences). Toyota says the Aurion is an Emotionally appealing car, but one That maintains its core values of quality, durability and reliability. It's offering fixed-price servicing for the first five-services or 75.000 miles at just $ 130 a service. That's noticeably cheaper servicing costs than both the Falcon and Commodore and a great reason to pick an Aurion.
On the safety front the Toyota Aurion is also leading the pack with locally produced seven airbags (including a knee airbag) and a five-star safety rating under the new 2012 ANCAP scoring system. Toyota has included innovative technologies assists Such as the blind spot (which detects if there is a car in your blind spot and provides an audible and visual warning) and auto high beam (which will automatically dip the headlamps if the distance to an oncoming vehicle is less than 800 meters, and then turn them back on - a great feature if you frequent country roads) the which go unmatched by Ford and Holden.
