By Bill Buys, Community Newspaper Group motoring editor
TAKE the best large car produced in Australia, pack it with desirable features and offer it at a drive-away price that would leave its rivals reeling and it has to be a dream.
Right?
Wrong.
We’re talking about Toyota’s Aurion, multiple winner of the best large car by the nation’s motoring clubs, and more recently identified as having the lowest running costs of any large family car sold in Australia (by the NRMA).
It’s a class act. And Kalamunda Toyota is selling the Aurion Touring at $31,888, drive away.
Last month nearly 1000 people in Australia bought an Aurion.
The sizeable sedan uses a 3.5litre quad-cam V6 with dual variable valve timing that develops 200kW and 336Nm of torque on regular unleaded petrol.
Fill up with premium and the power goes up to 204kW.
That’s more power than any other normally-aspirated Oz-made six-cylinder, and it returns an average 9.9 litres/100km fuel economy.
Transmission is a six-speed automatic, switchable to manual sequential shift, and the car also comes with dual-spoke design 17-inch alloy wheels (including the spare), a rear wing spoiler, Sportivo grille, sports headlights and rear combination lamps, and sports alloy pedals.
Also standard are front fog lights, reversing camera, multi-information display, six-disc CD player, and front and rear parking sensors.
There’s also dual-zone climate control and a comprehensive safety suite including six airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control and ABS.
Other standard fare includes power driver’s seat, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, dual exhausts and a security alarm.
The Aurion is a delight to drive.
Give the accelerator a bit of a nudge and it will run to 100km/h in less than 7.5 seconds.
It’s smooth and silent with plenty of performance throughout the range; it’s spacious, comfortable, a good handler and we reckon Toyota can be proud of this vehicle.
It’s as good as anything from anywhere else at the same or more money. And better than most.
More good news is the Aurion benefits Australia by being a major export item, especially to the Middle East.
- Get up close and personal to one at Kalamunda Toyota.