Toyota Aurion

by Pankaj Dev

You must be wondering, what the hell am I talking about and what car is this and from which manufacturer. Well, the car in question is the new Aurion - and the name forerunning it is Toyota - the big daddy of the mid-size sedan class.

The Aurion shares many panels and parts with the Camry, chiefly the central section, which is absolutely similar. And while many would say that it looks oh so similar to the Camry from most angles, it is not so as it has its own distinctive fore and aft styling giving credence to its own unique identity.

On start up through the big start/stop button on the dash, the traditional V6 gurgle surges through and continues at low speeds. When given the stick, it increases in frequency to match the driver's intentions. The engine feels ordinary at low speeds but at around the 3500rpm mark a distinct surge is felt and from there on it pulls strongly all the way to the top-end, with the melody emanating from the twin exhausts now in full scream. Power is supplied to the front wheels via a new 6-speed automatic with manual shift mode. In automatic mode, the transmission shifts smoothly but when in manual mode the adaptive software quickly analyses the mood of the driver and makes the necessary changes in shifting pattern.

We tested the Aurion for well over 500 kilometers over inter and intra city conditions and it did not disappoint. Well, it aspires to be a sports sedan and it is. But there's much to catch up on if it wants to really compete with the European competition. Alright, in many ways it's not fair to compare it thus but then as the Toyota juggernaut rushes along, swiping aside all opposition on its way to being the world's numero uno car maker then such comparisons will come into play.

Handling is good if not excellent (read that as not sporty enough); the steering is reasonably tactile but is well weighed and quite direct. Cornering hard did not produce much torque steer (the front wheel drive did help in this regard even if it weighed up the steering). One thing that surprised me was a rattle from the right rear. It did not make itself felt all the time but did spring up from time to time, especially when negotiating left hand corners. Puzzling it was, as I just could not put my finger on it. Maybe it was particular to this car but it did raise the quality issue within my mind. Hmmm, now what could it be?

Our test car was the fully loaded Luxury version with all the possible gizmos that Toyota could cramp in for the price. So one gets smart entry, dual automatic air conditioning, rear powered sunshade, HID headlamps, satellite navigation, leather seats, front dual airbags as well as side and curtain bags, steering with audio and multi-information controls and much more. Noise and refinement levels are very good, bordering on the best, I must say, Toyota having lifted their game to stratospheric levels in recent years.

That brings me back to the name. Aurion is derived from a fusion of ancient Latin and Greek and means 'First Light'. To me it seems that Toyota is hoping that the Aurion will be yet another shining star that will usher in a new dawn as the Japanese company looks to shed its shackles of being a manufacturer of dull, staid cars with models oozing of passion, sportiness and drive.