Let's The All-New 2019 Avalon Blazes a High-Tech Trail - THE MAGAZINE FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS - Toyota Today
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may/june2018 THE MAGAZINE FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS Let's The All-New 2019 Avalon Blazes a High-Tech Trail
may/june2018
©2018 Al Seib/Los Angeles Times. Used with permission.
2 Dealer Doings
Thomasville Toyota goes pink to save lives, Flow Toyota
9 Dealers in the Big D
Dallas hosts the National Dealer Meeting to build brand
refurbishes a customer’s beloved Camry, Carlock Toyota awareness, celebrate success and plan for the year ahead.
makes a generous donation and more.
13 A Smarter, Sleeker Avalon
7 Gone in a Heartbeat
Toyota of Santa Barbara rallies to help a colleague’s
The all-new 2019 Avalon is packed with technology
to keep you connected.
family after devastating, historic mudslides.
E D I T O R I A L S T A F F toyotatoday.com
Sr. Manager Scott DeYager Published six times per year for Toyota dealers and dealership personnel
by the Corporate Communications Division of Toyota Motor North America.
Manager Lisa Yamada Copyright ©2018 by Toyota Motor North America.
Contents may be reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Editor Kristen Orsborn Address magazine inquiries to:
Kristen Orsborn
Writers Dan Miller TEL: 469.344.8427 eMAIL: toyota_today@toyota.com
Dan Nied For customer inquiries, please contact
the Toyota Customer Experience Center:
Design AkinsParker
TEL: 800.331.4331
For product and company information:
WEB: toyota.com TEL: 800.GO.TOYOTA
DEALER DOINGS:
Thomasville Toyota
Georgia Dealership Makes Big Donation to Help Families Affected by Breast Cancer
by Kristen Orsborn
may/june2018
A Life-Saving Donation 2
Thomasville Toyota presented a $10,000 check to the Archbold Foundation at the Pink Affair event.
toyotatoday
Usually, fashion is about expressing yourself. But for the a check for $10,000 to support the Archbold Foundation.
models in the Pink Affair fashion show in Thomasville, Georgia, Money raised this year helped cover the cost of breast
it was about survival. prostheses and mastectomy bras for cancer patients who
Their walk down the runway came after grueling breast couldn’t otherwise afford them. In the past, donations have
cancer fights. Fights they won. raised money for state-of-the-art equipment, like a 3-D
Archbold’s Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center hosted mammogram machine.
the Pink Affair fashion show last October. Thomasville Toyota
For the team at Thomasville Toyota, getting involved
made it possible.
was an easy decision.
“We were looking for some way to reach out to the
“We know we wouldn’t be the dealership we are today
community and show our appreciation,” says Service Manager
without the community’s support, Ramsey says. If we can do
Brad Ramsey. “We’re a small town. It seems pretty much
something that’s good and helps people, then it helps everyone
everyone has a mom, sister, aunt — someone affected by
this nasty disease. We thought this was a way to reach understand our loyalty to the community. We didn’t go into the
everyone and do something.” situation with sales in mind. We just wanted to be able to see
This marked the sixth year for the event, which included these survivors show off their fashion. It was awesome.”
a silent auction featuring art by cancer survivors and live music If you would like to learn more about the Archbold
from local band Bleu Burden. Thomasville Toyota presented Foundation, check out archboldfoundation.org.
DEALER DOINGS:
Greater New York Toyota Dealer Association/
Parkway Toyota
Toyota, Go Baby Go and Children’s Hospital Get Revved Up for a Good Cause
by Kerry Curry
Children with disabilities got the ride of their life after the Board President Dennis Lauzon on behalf of the Greater
Greater New York Toyota Dealer Association, nonprofit Go New York Toyota dealers. Lauzon is president of Parkway
Baby Go and the staff at Children’s Specialized Hospital Toyota in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
worked together to adapt motorized cars for patients with The day included a check presentation to announce
special healthcare needs. Toyota’s commitment to fund 100 customized cars for
About a dozen Toyota volunteers helped assemble 15 children that will be built over the course of a year.
customized vehicles at the Children’s Specialized Hospital Go Baby Go is a nonprofit research program with 75
in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and then enjoyed the fruits chapters nationwide that offers a wheelchair alternative
of their labor when they got to watch children drive the for children who aren’t able to walk or need assistance.
cars for the first time. It doesn’t replace wheelchairs but rather provides a fun,
The cars, which the children were allowed to take home temporary supplement.
with them, were modified with a push-button switch and Children’s Specialized Hospital treats children and
extra seatbelt straps to allow the children to operate the adolescents facing special health challenges — from
may/june2018
vehicles without assistance. chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities to
“The Greater New York Toyota Dealer Association is developmental and behavioral issues.
proud to have contributed to the Children’s Specialized “Thanks to corporate partners like Toyota, we’re able
3 Hospital’s Go Baby Go program, helping to provide fun and to help children with limited mobility get into the action,”
functional ride-on cars that allow children with disabilities said Philip Salerno III, president and chief development
toyotatoday
to enjoy independence while exploring their world,” said officer, Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation.
New Wheels
Volunteers from Toyota were among those helping to assemble and modify motorized cars to be used by children
with disabilities. Left to right: Ethan Janson, Rebecca Buer, Christina Zor, Christian Guzman, Mark Montenero,
John Spielman, Trey Crawford, Nick Poupakis and Vince Luppino.
DEALER DOINGS:
Flow Toyota
North Carolina Dealership Refurbishes Customer’s 1994 Camry
by Kristen Orsborn
may/june2018
4
Before After
toyotatoday
A lot has changed since 1994. Back then, a dozen eggs cost loyal Flow Toyota customer since the very beginning, visiting
about 86 cents. A gallon of regular unleaded gasoline set us regularly for all of his prescribed service and maintenance
you back just over a buck. Bill Clinton was president of the needs,” says Todd Harkins, the dealership’s general manager.
United States. And Lionel Withers had just bought a brand “Our team really enjoyed refurbishing his vehicle. Working
new 1994 Camry. with our suppliers and friends throughout the region to do
While the cost of eggs and gas has changed — and something like this was a fun challenge, and we hope that
so has the president — Withers is still driving that Camry Mr. Withers will be able to drive his ‘new’ ride for another
more than 20 years later. He affectionately calls it “Bessie.” 500,000 miles.”
But with 500,000 miles on the odometer, Bessie needed a The Flow Toyota team discovered there was a lot of
little work. interest in the project on social media, too. The dealership
Withers recently brought the car to Flow Toyota of documented the Camry’s transformation on Facebook Live
Statesville for a tune-up, like he has for decades. That’s throughout different phases of the redesign process. The
when the dealership’s dedicated team members decided dealership loaned Withers a Sienna XLE to use in the
to do something special. meantime.
The team completely refurbished the Camry — replacing “I don’t have the adjective to describe it,” Withers told the
almost everything but the vehicle’s shell. Flow Toyota Statesville Record & Landmark. “I bought the car in ’94 brand
collaborated with local partners to make Bessie like new again. spanking new, right here. I’m just so excited and tickled. It’s a
“We are honored to help Mr. Withers, who has been a great blessing.”
DEALER DOINGS:
Carlock Toyota
Mississippi Plant, Tupelo Dealer Help Sanctuary Hospice Update its Fleet
by Dan Miller
Sanctuary Hospice had the need. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, the nursing staff’s continuing education in palliative care.
Mississippi, (TMMMS) had the funds. But it took Carlock Toyota And one of their own, Specialist Bethanie Humphries, was
to make it happen. named to Sanctuary’s board. So, partnering with the charity
The “it” in this instance was the last four 2017 Corollas to acquire new vehicles — to be built, sold and serviced
on the Tupelo, Mississippi, dealership’s lot that it offered to locally — was a natural next step.
sell to the local charity below cost. That made it possible for “It’s a great relationship that’s only continued to deepen
the plant’s $60,000 donation to all but cover the cost of the over the years,” says Emily Camille Wilemon-Holland, special
vehicles, which Sanctuary Hospice desperately needed to projects analyst at TMMMS. “This opportunity came along
begin rejuvenating its nurses’ fleet.
at the same time we were going to produce our millionth
Sanctuary Hospice ministers to people with advanced
vehicle in our 10th year of operation and Sanctuary was
illnesses who are facing end-of-life issues. While the nonprofit
on track to serve its 5,000th patient. It all kind of fell into
has its own facility, much of its comfort care takes place in
place, in a really good way.”
patients’ homes across 18 counties in northeast Mississippi.
Meanwhile, Carlock Toyota Fleet Manager Jim Nichols
As such, a fleet of vehicles that can reliably transport nurses
was thrilled to coordinate delivery of the vehicles, complete
may/june2018
and their aides at a moment’s notice is, often, a life-and-death
with vinyl wraps touting the collaboration. He also had no
necessity.
“Many of our cars had more than 200,000 miles on them,” complaints when Sanctuary Hospice, thanks in part to another
donor’s gift, approached him about buying two Camrys and
5 says Harold Plunkett, executive director of Sanctuary Hospice.
“The maintenance costs were going up. And there was a very making a plan to eventually replace the remaining 13 vehicles
toyotatoday
real safety concern. If a car broke down, one of our nurses in their fleet with Toyotas.
could be left stranded in the middle of the night.” “We’re on a first-name basis with the people at the plant,
TMMMS was well acquainted with the organization’s which is just 10 miles down the road from us,” Nichols says.
challenges. In 2012, it helped underwrite the cost of medication “So when they call, we’re overjoyed to help. We want to be a
for hospice patients. A year later, it made a grant toward part of it.”
Help for Hospice
Toyota Motor Manufacturing,
Mississippi, at its 10th
anniversary celebration,
unveils the two Corollas it
helped Sanctuary Hospice
purchase from Carlock
Toyota. Representing that
collaboration (left to right) are:
Jim Nichols, fleet manager
at Carlock; Sean Suggs,
TMMMS president; Harold
Plunkett, Sanctuary Hospice
executive director; and
Akitoshi Ichino, TMNA vice
president.
DEALER DOINGS:
Mitchell Toyota
Son and Service Manager Surprise Dealership Owner with Restored Land Cruiser
by Susan Johnston Taylor
may/june2018
Cruisin’ in a Classic 6
From left: Service Manager Tony Palmer and Mike Mitchell Jr. restored a 1982 FJ40 for Mike Mitchell Sr.
toyotatoday
What do you get a dealer principal who loves classic cars? “He had actually restored it partially on his time.”
You get him a classic car, of course. Over the next 10 months, Mitchell Toyota technicians
As Mitchell Toyota approached its 30th anniversary, Tony and local specialists finished the restoration. Luckily, they
Palmer had an idea. A service manager who’s been with the managed to keep it a secret from their boss.
San Angelo, Texas, dealership for 28 years, Palmer knew that “We were able to hide it from my father,” says
owner Mike Mitchell Sr. loved classic cars, but didn’t have a Mitchell Jr. “It’s been in our shop quite a bit. When they
classic Toyota in his collection. So, Palmer approached the were doing all the mechanical stuff to it, we bought a cover
owner’s son, Mike Mitchell Jr., about finding and restoring a for it. He doesn’t go into the dealership much anymore [since]
Land Cruiser as a surprise for the elder Mitchell. he’s pretty much retired. We put taller vehicles next to it.
“He started telling me about a couple that he’d already He never even noticed.”
found,” says the younger Mitchell. “He’d already talked to On December 5, two days before the dealership’s
our technicians, and they were willing to do the work on it.” anniversary, Palmer presented the FJ40 to Mitchell with
Some of the Land Cruisers Palmer identified weren’t family members, employees and a few loyal customers.
in great condition, but one stood out: a 1982 FJ40 that “We had a slide show and movie professionally made that
belonged to a loyal service customer. we played for my dad before presenting it to him,” the younger
“Her husband passed away in 2006, and she kept it Mitchell says. “It showed pictures of the FJ40 from the day we
locked up in a metal building,” the younger Mitchell says. picked it up all the way to when it was complete.”
gone
in a
heartbeat
Dealership and community come
together to help team member’s
family devastated by mudslide
by Dan Miller
Pinit Sutthithepa had found his place in the world.
may/june2018
A native of Thailand, he was in his third year
as a porter at Toyota of Santa Barbara in the
7 scenic Southern California coastal city. He had
just celebrated his 30th birthday. And he had the
toyotatoday
support of Mike Caldwell, the general manager,
to begin T-TEN training that would lead Oom —
as his colleagues knew him — to become a Toyota
technician, his dream job.
Then, seemingly in a heartbeat, it all disappeared.
At 4 a.m. on January 9, a freak storm dumped
over half an inch of rain in 30 seconds on a
mountainside that — just the week before — Heartbreaking Loss
Pinit Sutthithepa with his son Pasta, 6, and daughter Lydia, 2.
had been scorched by a runaway wildfire. It was a
deadly combination.
Mud and boulders gave way, sweeping through
Oom’s Montecito home while he, his 6-year-old
son Pasta, his 2-year-old daughter Lydia, his father-
in-law Loring and another relative were fast asleep.
Only the relative survived, along with Oom’s wife got through, they could see that their entire home
Yuphawan (Aw) and his mother Banphoem (Perm) was gone.”
who had been working the late shift at a local Meanwhile, his wife and mother were left with
supermarket. literally nothing more than the clothes on their
“Aw and Perm were oblivious to what happened,” backs and the car the family had bought from the
says Caldwell. “The road was cut off. But when they dealership.
“But when they got through, they
could see that their entire home
was gone … His daughter’s body
was never found.”
“They don’t speak much English,” says Caldwell.
“They didn’t know what to do.”
So Caldwell, along with a few other locals,
stepped up. In the immediate aftermath, they found
emergency shelter, food and clothing. Longer term,
they guided them through the process of restoring
passports and bank accounts, setting up a post office
box, sorting through the insurance claims and taking
care of other basic necessities.
And Caldwell created an online GoFundMe
page to raise money to help them start to rebuild
their lives. He set an initial goal of $25,000. At last
count, it had raised about $166,000.
“The dealership was very generous in its assistance,
but this was really about the community — and
people from around the world — responding,” says
Caldwell. “When we got an interpreter to explain to
Aw and Perm how many people were sharing in their
grief and making donations to help them, they were
overwhelmed.”
Caldwell says several Toyota of Santa Barbara
employees wanted to reach out directly. But it soon
became clear that, in this instance, less was more.
“There were some attempts to come in and
console them, but it was just more than Aw and Perm
could handle,” he says. “They were so confused in
the early days. They kept thinking that Oom would
reappear. But our people were definitely there in
spirit, even if they couldn’t be there in person.”
Eventually, Aw and Perm returned to Thailand
to regroup with their families there. But Caldwell
says both plan to return to Santa Barbara. Meanwhile,
the dealership is left with a hole in its collective heart.
“Oom was such a well-respected and well-liked Swept Away
individual,” says Caldwell. “He always had a smile Historic, catastrophic mudslides destroyed homes in
the Santa Barbara area, leaving a mess of mud and
on his face and always went above and beyond in rubble in their wake.
his work. You could tell he really enjoyed being here In all, some 120 homes in the area were destroyed.
The mudslide was so fierce that it carried Oom and his
and planned to be with us for the long run. He and son more than two miles away. His daughter, pictured
his family continue to be on everyone’s mind.” above, was never found.
A
Homecoming
Dealers get revved up with new
products and optimism for the year
ahead at 2018 National Dealer Meeting
by Kristen Orsborn
With equal parts Texas hospitality, cowboy swagger
and heart-pounding product reveals, Toyota laid out
Welcome Home the company’s vision at the 2018 National Dealer
Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz opens
the 2018 National Dealer Meeting in Dallas. He Meeting. Above all, it was a homecoming: CEO
welcomed dealers from across the country to Jim Lentz welcomed dealers to the company’s new
TMNA’s new headquarters, a capstone of the
“One Toyota” vision. North American headquarters in Plano, Texas —
Photos by Daniel Motta emphasizing his “One Toyota” mission.
TEAM TOYOTA
The meeting began with a rousing highlight
video showcasing Team Toyota’s achievements in
Driving Success
Jack Hollis, group vice president PyeongChang at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games
and general manager of the
Toyota Division, introduced
and Paralympic Games.
highly anticipated products. “I have to say, it was really refreshing to see
countries come together from around the world,
with no other agenda than to celebrate athletic
competition,” Lentz said. “Watching those
athletes realize their dreams after years of training
and sacrifice was really exhilarating. It was also
very rewarding to watch our sponsorship of the
Olympics and Paralympics come to life through
our Start Your Impossible campaign. I think we
definitely succeeded in sharing our values as a
company and what we stand for as One Toyota.”ONE TOYOTA SALES SUCCESS
That singular vision of “One Toyota” was a Bill Fay, senior vice president of automotive
central message echoed throughout the meeting. operations for Toyota Motor North America, was
Lentz explained to dealers why combining R&D, next. He shared the overall industry outlook,
engineering, manufacturing and sales into Toyota including current challenges and sales projections
Motor North America (TMNA) was important for for 2019.
our shared success and how the consolidation is “We also want to thank dealers for the fact that
already proving beneficial. we ended 2017 as the No. 1 retail brand, and the
“We’re discovering new capabilities and new No. 1 Certified Pre-Owned brand. Prius was the
opportunities to better serve you and our customers,” best-selling hybrid for the 18th year in a row, and
Lentz said. “Just by getting our sales and manu- Camry was again the best-selling passenger car in the
facturing teams in the same room, working now U.S. for the 16th consecutive year. How about that?”
as One Toyota, we’ve been able to reduce our Despite flattening numbers for the industry
production guides, or constraints, by 50 percent. overall, Fay explained that 2018 looks to be
That means when demand spikes for, say, red leather another promising year with the addition of the
interiors, we’re able to change our production plans all-new Avalon, Corolla Hatchback, plus a minor
50 percent faster than before.” change in the Yaris iA. And, the all-new RAV4
That efficiency has a ripple effect felt all the arrives in showrooms this December.
way to the service floor. Service technicians can Fay also touched on Toyota’s commitment
access new products faster. Training materials are to making cars in North America.
developed quicker. Accessorized vehicles are getting “We continue to invest in manufacturing here
may/june2018
to dealership sooner, and with higher volume. to the tune of over $5 billion dollars,” Fay said.
Lentz also highlighted opportunities for “The recent announcement of a joint venture with
innovation that lay ahead — name-checking Mazda in Alabama will allow us to build, among
artificial intelligence, Mobility as a Service (MaaS), other things, 150,000 new Corollas annually. But 10
autonomous vehicle technology and electrification beyond additional production, the real story here
toyotatoday
as key focus areas. is the increased flexibility we will gain to change
“Every OEM has their own version of a crystal production lines as needed based on demand. And
ball, and who’s got the right answer is anybody’s hopefully these investments add up to zero supply
guess,” Lentz said. “But to quote the great Abraham issues for all of you in the not-so-distant future.”
Lincoln, perhaps ‘the best way to predict the future
is to create it.’” continued on page 11
Industry Outlook
Bill Fay, senior vice president of automotive
operations, shared the industry outlook and
Toyota’s sales projections for 2019.continued from page 10
AN EXCEPTIONAL
GUEST EXPERIENCE
The theme of “One Toyota” extends to our
dealerships as well — something Jack Hollis, group
vice president and general manager of the Toyota
Division, explained.
“We want every guest at every dealership to
have just one kind of experience: an exceptional one,”
Hollis said. “We recognize that the user experience
is key for today’s customer, both inside the car and
inside the dealership. Together, as one team, let’s work
to find ways to make it truly exceptional, personal
and worth your guest’s time.”
Toward that end, Hollis outlined exciting
changes happening with Toyota’s telematics
technology. The U.S. team now has complete and
total responsibility for creating and implementing
the next generation of telematics for the entire
global Toyota market. A new division, Connected
Technologies, will be tasked with developing not
just the next generation of Entune, but entirely new
telematics hardware and software that will deliver a
satisfying, intuitive experience for guests.
Hollis also highlighted the growing use of
Toyota SmartPath technology, which allows guests
to complete most of the car-shopping process
online — including payment options, trade-in
valuation, and credit application. He announced
that strategy discussions will begin later this year,
establishing a timetable for the integration of
SmartPath at more dealerships.
“There’s no going back,” Hollis said. “We must
adapt or risk becoming extinct. Recent studies report
A Bright Future
that most consumers want online shopping tools to Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales, touched on the
improve time and transparency of the sales process. company’s investments in ride-sharing and autonomous vehicle
technologies.
But almost all of them still want to complete the
transaction at the dealership, which is why we have
invested in our SmartPath solutions for you and
our guests.”
In Focus
Bobby and Brenda Wells from Everett Toyota of Paris (Texas)
take in all the action at the Product Salon.Start Your Impossible The Hatch is Back
Toyota’s partnership with the Olympics and Paralympics was highlighted John Darvish of DARCARS checks out the new
as a critical component of the company’s “Start Your Impossible” 2019 Corolla Hatchback.
campaign at the Product Salon, alongside the i-Road concept.
may/june2018
EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS Finally, dealers got a look at the all-new RAV4
Dealers got a look at the Corolla Hatchback, Limited, RAV4 Adventure and RAV4 XSE Hybrid.
featuring a lower center of gravity for dynamic As the best-selling small SUV in the U.S., and the
handling and sporty new lines. On top of that, it best-selling vehicle of the entire Toyota line-up, 12
comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. the much-anticipated reveal didn’t disappoint.
toyotatoday
Connectivity is key, too. Corolla will also come The RAV4 Limited and Adventure models will
hooked up with smartwatch connectivity, Amazon arrive in showrooms in early December, with the
Alexa, and Apple CarPlay. And the Hatchback SE Hybrid XSE following in March.
has a special treat: a sporty manual transmission.
Avalon was next. Hollis described it as two COMING OUT ON TOP
all-new vehicles in one, appealing to a wide range The meeting ended with a return to
of buyers. the message that opened it: a call to unite as
“Younger buyers will appreciate the aggressive One Toyota.
styling, sportiness and athletic personality of the “When you look back the times that were
XSE and Touring. Our more traditional Avalon toughest for the industry, who always rose to the
customers will be attracted to luxury, craftmanship occasion and came out on top?” Hollis asked. “We
and sophistication of the XLE and Limited.” did. And who has the best partners in the industry?
On the outside, the new Avalon is longer, We do. Together, we can handle anything. Together,
wider and lower thanks to the Toyota New Global we can be anything we want to be. Because together,
Architecture (TNGA) platform. It comes with we are One Toyota.”
new all-LED headlamps and tail lights. And you
can’t miss the distinctive quad exhaust tips. Inside,
the cabin pushes the boundaries of luxury, and is
available with real wood accents and rich, cognac
leather interior.Avalon's
Top 6
Tech
The all-new Avalon blazes a high-tech
trail that could set the path for other
Toyota vehicles
F E A T U R E S by Dan Miller
Visualize “Toyota Avalon” and, odds are, says Randy Stephens, chief engineer of the latest
stereotypical thoughts such as “big sedan,” iteration. “That gave us the freedom, if not the
“conservative styling ” and “older customer base” mandate, to introduce features that had never been
will soon begin dancing in your head. seen before on a Toyota vehicle.”
But the all-new 2019 model is anything but Simply put, the new Avalon is blazing a trail
stereotypical. that other Toyota vehicles could follow. Who knew?
“Avalon is positioned as the Toyota brand catalyst,” Check out some of Avalon’s high-tech features:1
Apple CarPlay Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS). At the touch
The 2019 Avalon of a button, AVS allows you to engage real-time
is the first Toyota damping control in two distinct modes. Choose
vehicle to include Apple “Normal” and the system prioritizes a comfortable
CarPlay integration, and ride. Go with “Sport+” and the emphasis is on
it’s standard across all handling with tauter, highly responsive footing.
grades. Basically, this
5
technology allows iPhone owners to connect their New Lighting
device to the car and have many of their favorite Technology
apps — such as maps, music and podcasts — The headlamps
appear on the 9-inch touchscreen display built on all versions of the new
into the floating center stack. It’s a big step in the Avalon employ energy-
direction of the digital nirvana of plug and play.
efficient LED lights. But
2
the Limited and Touring
Alexa
grades go several steps further.
Connectivity
Take, for instance, Adaptive LED cornering lamps.
Also standard
When the steering wheel is turned by 25 degrees
across all Avalon models,
and also a Toyota first, or more, the cornering lamps turn on — increasing
is connectivity with Alexa, foreground illumination by up to 60 percent. This
Amazon’s voice-activated feature also engages when the turn signal is on or
virtual assistant. So, you can cue up music, check the transmission is shifted into reverse.
may/june2018
traffic, play an audiobook, access Toyota Entune 3.0 And, in a first for Toyota, the Limited and Touring
and much more. This connectivity applies both headlamps give off a metallic shine when unlit thanks
within the car, from the vehicle to your home and to their laser ablation finish. This distinctive look was
from your home to the vehicle. So, for example, you
could be in your home and say, “Alexa, ask Toyota
created by irradiating the metallized surface of the
lamp housing with a laser beam, thereby removing
14
toyotatoday
how much fuel I have left.” Or, “Alexa, ask Toyota
material and creating this signature look.
to start my car.”
3 6
JBL 14-
Smart Speaker
Wearables Surround
Here’s another
Sound System
Toyota first: Use your Apple
The standard audio
or Android smartwatch to
system on XLE and XSE
start the Avalon’s engine
grades incorporates eight
remotely, check fuel levels,
speakers. But opt for the JBL audio package or the
check door locks and locate the vehicle. This can be
Limited or Touring grades and you get the aural
done with a tap within the app or by voice control.
indulgence of a 1,200-watt surround sound system that
This feature, too, is standard on all grades.
drives 14 speakers, from a 10.1-inch subwoofer to horn
4
Adaptive Variable Suspension tweeters fitted into the front pillars and rear doors.
The 2019 Avalon takes full advantage of Once again, this is a Toyota first.
its Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) Of course, the 2019 Avalon’s list of features goes
platform. That includes a suspension incorporating well beyond this subset of new goodies — with such
an independent MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar items as five USB ports, dual-zone automatic climate
in the front and multi-link with stabilizer bar in the rear. control, 10 airbags, electronic parking brake and
But the Touring grade pushes this envelope Toyota Safety Sense-P.
further with, in a first for Toyota, the addition of Bottom line: This is one slick, high-tech machine.From the urban jungle to the great outdoors, RAV4 Adventure Grade is ready for almost any expedition. With a rugged new look, available Dynamic Torque-Control AWD and up to 3500-lb. towing capacity,1 it’s easily the quickest way to adventure. Prototype shown with options. 1 Never tow beyond a vehicle’s towing capacities. Always consult your Owner’s Manual. ©2017 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
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