[ĐÁNH GIÁ XE] Toyota Avalon TRD 2020: The plus point lies in its impressive design

Current car market trends show that the glorious era of sports sedans is gradually passing. However, sports sedan enthusiasts still have some quite attractive options. Typically, Toyota has three 4-door sedan models in 2020: Camry TRD, Corolla Apex and Avalon TRD.

Among this trio of 4-door sedans, the 2020 version, Avalon is definitely the strangest car model when receiving upgrades from Toyota Racing Development (TRD). Currently, Crossovers and SUVs are gradually becoming a market trend and pushing sedans out of the race. The Avalon is certainly no exception, with poor sales reflecting that. However, the Japanese car company has faith that Avalon will change the situation and return to the track if a sportier, more masculine version appears. Toyota also hopes that this bold action will attract young customers to Avalon TRD.

The appearance of the Toyota Avalon TRD is very impressive with many details with a strong and attractive design. The car will receive a more masculine appearance and some improvements in the cabin, especially the suspension system upgraded by the Toyota Racing Development department. But is the 2020 Avalon TRD really a genuine sports sedan or just wearing a splendid ‘outfit’?

Strong and sporty appearance

Developed based on the TNGA chassis, the Toyota Avalon TRD 2020 has a much sturdier and stronger appearance than the standard version. The overall dimensions LxWxH of Avalon TRD are 4,980 x 1,835 x 1,460 mm, with a wheelbase of 2870mm. Notably, the 2020 Toyota Avalon TRD received a body-kit from Toyota’s sports car development department, making it the most beautiful Avalon ever.

The TRD department will complement the Avalon body-kit with aggressive black details including an expanded grille, front/rear bumpers, side skirts, spoiler, diffuser, 19-inch multi-spoke wheels painted in matte black, and sporty red brake shackles. What is impressive is that although the Avalon TRD has a stronger and sportier appearance, it still maintains the same premium and luxurious feel as other versions. The reason is probably partly due to its huge size and design style, combined with modern equipment such as LED headlights and long taillights at the rear. Toyota Avalon TRD 2020 easily makes many people think it is a luxury sedan from Lexus.

The Avalon TRD’s interior is equally attractive – despite not using leather. However, Toyota will offer the option of Touring and Limited variants with the cabin receiving genuine leather trim. For the standard Avalon TRD, the 2-tone Red/Black Softex leatherette layer is probably enough to make the interior space beautiful. The seating system has a soft design and a sporty style, with the red TRD letters stitched on the headrest. In addition, the Avalon TRD’s seat belts also have prominent red stitching. Thus, at least the 2020 Toyota Avalon TRD deserves to be considered a sports sedan.

Operating performance is not impressive

Under the hood of the 2020 Toyota Avalon TRD is a 3.5L V6 engine – similar to the standard Camry and Avalon – producing a modest capacity of 301 horsepower and maximum torque of 362 Nm. For a 1670 kg sedan like the Avalon TRD, that power is really not enough to meet high performance car standards. For example, rival Kia Stinger GT has a similar price, reaching a capacity of 365 horsepower with the support of dual turbochargers, providing much stronger performance.

The V6 engine of the 2020 Avalon TRD has a bit of difficulty when the car moves at high speeds. The main reason lies in the sluggish response speed of the 8-speed automatic transmission – and the fact that the V6 engine needs a few more horsepower. Besides, the 2020 Avalon TRD will not reach its maximum power level (301 horsepower) until it increases the engine rpm to 6600 rpm. Thus, compared to other naturally aspirated V6 engines, the power of the Toyota Avalon TRD 2020 is not highly appreciated.

Relatively good handling ability

Front-wheel drive and a weight of 1670 kg make the 2020 Avalon TRD not really a high-performance sedan. But TRD engineers removed the soft adaptive suspension of the XSE version, replacing it with stiffer springs (10% at the front and 50% at the rear), and lowered the car’s chassis by about 0.5 inches (12.7mm) to help limit body roll and understeer when cornering. Not only that, Avalon TRD is also equipped with additional braces under the vehicle, ensuring the suspension system operates in the most stable way during travel.

Compared to other sedans of its size, the Avalon TRD handles quite well. Through testing with the XSE version, the Avalon TRD still feels much better when driving. Especially when going through curves, although the body tilt still appears, it is not significant and TRD creates a strong feeling with higher stability. In Sport driving mode, the steering wheel becomes heavier but still ensures sensitivity and provides good feedback from the road surface.

Ineffective braking system

Toyota has made very significant improvements on the suspension system and design of the 2020 Avalon TRD, but did not pay too much attention to the braking system. According to specifications published by Toyota, the TRD version uses 12.9-inch front brake discs – larger than any other Avalon version. Meanwhile, the rear brake disc size is still 11 inches and nothing has changed, except the brake shackles are beautifully painted red.

For a car positioned in the sports sedan segment, the 2020 Avalon TRD should have been equipped with a more advanced braking system. The Avalon’s weight continues to be a major issue, affecting the performance of its relatively small brake discs and rotors. The driver will have to slam on the brakes as the 2020 Avalon TRD slowly rolls downhill. Even when traveling on the street, the brake pedal is a bit “flabby” and requires a strong enough pedal force to stabilize the vehicle.

The question many people ask is: Is the Toyota Avalon TRD a true sports sedan? Perhaps the answer would be no: the Avalon TRD is too slow, the brakes are too soft; Although the suspension system has been significantly improved, it still does not give the Avalon impressive handling like some competitors in the same segment. In reality, however, the Avalon TRD is actually a very attractive sedan, despite its flaws.

The Avalon TRD may not be the fastest or most agile car, but it’s still capable of doing exactly what the driver wants. Besides, Avalon TRD also has an extremely comfortable and spacious cabin and incredible fuel economy. Adding a body-kit from TRD makes this sedan even more attractive in a different sporty style.

Quang Hung (Tuoitrethudo)

According to: Motor1