Yeah yeah yeah, Toyota sucks, blah blah blah.

I'm just here to pass along what was mentioned this morning in my sales meeting.

There's going to be a new Avalon for 2005. We weren't really told any specs, but here's some "info" (dunno how reliable this is) from The Car Connection:



Word from insiders in Japan...reports that the next generation Avalon will have much more modern styling, with a long, rounded roofline sweeping into a high tail. The windshield slopes down to a fairly short, curving hood, and tall, narrow headlights sweep up the front fenders. The overall result is a thoroughly new, modern look for Toyota's flagship sedan.

Along with the new styling comes an upgrade to the latest Camry platform, since the current Avalon is now built on the last-generation Camry platform. The new Avalon will be stretched in length for extra interior room. Rear-seat legroom is said to be equal to or more than the big Lexus LS430. The engine will also be upgraded to a new 3.5-liter V-6 producing 270 hp.

This artist's sketch gives an idea of what this new, longer Avalon will look like when it is introduced for the 2005 model year.

Also some not-quite-breaking news, there is going to be a hybrid version of the Highlander SUV, using the same powertrain from the upcoming Lexus RX400h (3.3 liter V6, front and rear electric motors totalling 270 hp). We don't have pricing info yet but it is only going to be available as an upgrade of the V6 4x4 Limited model. Those typically sticker at about $35k without navigation or $37k with it, and we're expecting that the hybrid version is going to add another $5000 to the price. No word on mileage numbers yet, and I'm not really going to make an estimate since this is the first V6 hybrid on the market and it's in a much heavier vehicle than say, a Prius.

Oh and a couple of people asked if we would be getting a new Supra anytime soon and the response was that we have a TRD supercharger for the Solara.