Dealers near Tustin auto center are still grieving over the sad news that Toyota will cease production on the Avalon in 2022. The Toyota Avalon, known dearly as the Camry’s older sibling, will shortly exit the shriveling large sedan segment. As many sales associates serving Tustin car dealerships can tell you, the Toyota Avalon was a solid car that had a 28-year production run that stretched over five generations.
The Japanese car company has confirmed to the dealers near Tustin auto center that 2022 will sadly be the last model year for the Toyota Avalon large sedan. The Avalon was first introduced in 1994 and made its five generations available for the U.S. market.
Since the sedan market has constantly been dwindling due to the rise in popularity of SUVs, Toyota will let go of the Avalon large sedan from its lineup after the 2022 model year. Officially the vehicle’s production will call it a day in August 2022 at Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, where the company also manufactures the Camry and Lexus ES sedans.
It Isn’t Entirely Over
The news broke when there was formal communication between Toyota and its suppliers. As a matter of fact, Toyota’s purchasing department leaked the information, informing suppliers in correspondence that Avalon production at the automaker’s Georgetown, Kentucky manufacturing plant would wrap up after the 2022 model year.
However, if you think it is all over the Avalon and we won’t see this magnificent beast ever again, you are completely wrong! A spokesperson for Toyota has revealed that Avalon production will carry on for the Chinese market at the car company’s Tianjin, China manufacturing plant. So, for the time being, the Avalon still has a little more to give, but only for Chinese buyers.
The History Of The Avalon
Toyota launched the Avalon in 1994, during the Chicago Auto Show as a 1995 model. This is when the sedan proved itself to be a strong contender in the auto industry but never a market leader. On the other hand, it can be said that the Avalon was never supposed to be a high-end alternative to the Camry, even though the Avalon shares the Camry’s platform.
The present generation Avalon was introduced in 2018 as a 2019 model, and this is when Toyota made the transition from the much loved K platform to the TNGA-K architecture. Also, Toyota made the vehicle available in a racier TRD trim for the first time, even though the Japanese car company did not go out of their way to alter the horsepower. In lieu of this factor, Toyota gave the Avalon TRD a more aggro appearance with suspension tuning and a more boisterous exhaust system to put more excitement into your driving experience.
Nevertheless, over the years, sales figures have revealed that car buyers were not too head over heels in the new Avalon, TRD, or anything else that resembles a large sedan, for that matter. For example, when the Dealers near Tustin auto center take 2019, which was the first full year for the fifth-generation Avalon and the last standard year for new car sales, only 27,767 Avalon purchases were logged in within the U.S.
This is quite a significant 17.3 percent decrease from 2018, and without a shadow of a doubt, everything took a nosedive in 2020 with only 18,421 sales. That represents a disastrous 33.7 percent reduction, but halfway through 2021, Toyota accounted for 10,328 Avalon sales, a hike of 36.6 percent. Besides all this, when you take a look at the Camry’s 177,671 sales and the RAV4’s 183,360 mid-year performance history, the Avalon is extremely slacking behind.
Any New Changes For The 2022 Toyota Avalon?
Although Toyota is sending away the Avalon after 2022, the car company still made a couple of changes here and there. So, if you are planning to purchase the Avalon in its last model year, you have to bear in mind that you won’t be able to choose the previously optional all-wheel-drive system, and the sporty TRD model has also been canned. If you want a hybrid option, there is only the Hybrid XSE model in the Nightshade appearance package, and every model receives a new rear-seat reminder feature. Furthermore, the vehicle’s driver-assistance features have been upgraded with an additional advanced camera- and radar-based collision avoidance systems.
The base XLE trim is probably the most popular choice since it has various features to keep car buyers satisfied. The XLE is outfitted with exterior features such as heated power-adjustable side mirrors and LED headlights. Dual-zone automatic climate control comes as standard, as well as heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a tilt-and-telescoping steering column. All Avalon sedans are equipped with tech features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio, along with driver-assistance amenities, such as blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
We still do not know whether Toyota will offer any type of final-edition hurrah for the Avalon. Also, no one is sure whether Toyota will replace the Avalon with the production of another vehicle at its Kentucky facility.