Print this page
When Toyota pulled the wraps off the all-new 2013 Avalon sedan at the New York Auto Show this past April, it shared many general details about the fourth-generation model but didn't say a word about the powertrain options. Now, the time has come for Toyota to disclose that the new Avalon will arrive in dealerships later this year with a choice of two engines, a regular V6 gasoline unit and for the first time in the model's history, a fuel-efficient hybrid system. We'll start with the Avalon Hybrid, which borrows its powertrain from the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES 300h and as such, links a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine to a 244.8-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack and a pair of electric motor/generators within the transaxle.
The Avalon Hybrid achieves a combined output of 200-horsepower with a peak torque of 200 lb-ft (271 Nm).
According to Toyota, the hybrid model returns an EPA-rated fuel economy of 40 mpg (5.9lt/100km) in the city, 39 mpg (6.0lt/100km) on the highway and a combined 40 mpg EPA-rating.
The Avalon's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology offers three modes of operation named EV, ECO and SPORT. In EV mode, the sedan can run on pure electric power for a distance up to one mile (1.6 kilometers) at speeds of up to 25mph (40km/h).
The styling differences between the regular Avalon and the Hybrid model appear to be limited to the blue outline on the Toyota logos.
The standard 2013 Avalon is powered by Toyota's 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 268 horsepower and 248 lbs. ft. of torque, matted to a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels.
Toyota says the V6 will propel the new sedan to 60 mph (96km/h) in under seven seconds and return an EPA-rated fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
The new 2013 Avalon will be built at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) plant in Georgetown, with prices to be announced.
