Business Fleet, September/October 2018

WWW BUSINESSFLEET COM 18 BUSINESS FLEET September October 2018 DRIVING NOTES Toyota is offering several upgrades to its flagship 2019 Avalon sedan including boosted power a revamped infotainment system and suspension upgrades that enhance this nearly full size sedan for executives who drive it as a perk vehicle Yes buyers are flocking to utility vehicles and sales of the Avalon as with many other cars have flagged But Toyota hasnt followed the route of making its Avalon more SUV like as a nod to these buyers with a higher ride height or SUV exterior design modifications Its hard to imagine roof rails on this vehicle The sporty exterior that came into play with the fourth generation model has been slightly modified in earlier years it seems to make the front end look more Camry like and this was a sound design choice The massive crosshatch grille gives the sedan a commanding presence Under the hood the gasoline powered Avalon is equipped with a 35 liter V 6 that adds 33 horsepower to 310 horsepower and 19 lb ft of torque to 267 lb ft The engine is paired with an eight speed automatic transmission Toyota also offers a hybrid model but we tested the 2019 Avalon Touring With the slight power boost the Avalon is also a more efficient sedan that arrives with improved fuel economy of 31 mpg on the highway from 30 mpg 22 mpg in the city from 21 mpg and 25 mpg combined from 24 mpg Those who drive the Avalon will notice interior upgrades including the new Entune 30 Audio Plus infotainment system that features connected navigation and new thirdparty applications including Apple CarPlay across the lineup The Avalon shows you its content on a sharp 9 inch touchscreen The Avalon is also a more connected car with new services such as Safety Connect and Service Connect Remote Connect comes with a six month trial Wi Fi Connect is powered by Verizon and includes up to 2 gigabytes in six months The 2019 Avalon retails for at least 35500 It arrives in four trim grades including XLE XSE Limited and Touring The Touring model starts at 42200 Toyota no longer offers the Avalon Livery Edition to livery fleets but continues to sell sedans including Avalons in exterior colors other than black into that commercial segment 2019 TOYOTA AVALON TOURING BY PAUL CLINTON