Toyota to Showcase the 2019 Toyota Camry TRD and Avalon TRD in Los Angeles

TopSpeed

By Michael Fira

Published Nov 2, 2018

TRD finally gives Toyota's sedans the treatment they deserve

The Toyota Racing Development division, or TRD, has finally set its sights on Toyota's Camry and Avalon sedans. The TRD-seasoned sporty versions will drop at the upcoming L.A. Auto Show confirming Toyota's drive towards performance cars and trucks.

The Avalon and Camry sedans are really good cars in their own way but they never really had any claim to performance. Now, however, with the involvement of TRD, that's all about to change. Both the mid-size Camry and the full-size Avalon have been peaked at in an announcement released by the Japanese manufacturer which states that the new models will drop at the end of the month.

Keep reading to learn more about the TRD Avalon and Camry

Over the past year or so, TRD has been busy improving Toyota's range of trucks, although a 86 TRD Special Edition also arrived this summer. The upcoming Avalon and Camry will all but complete the range of TRD-ized Toyotas.

We've only got one view of the two cars thanks to a picture showing the front ends from the side. There's a white Camry and, next to it, a deep red Avalon with its gaping mouth clearly visible and clearly lacking any chromed ornamentation - meaning it's probably the XSE or the Touring version. What's also easily noticeable is that both cars received a more aggressive lip attached to the bottom of the front bumper which is painted in black with a thin red line.

Behind those 14-spoke wheels of the Camry in front, you can easily notice the red brake calipers which suggest improved brakes - maybe from Brembo. Historically speaking, TRD has had a tendency to fiddle with a car's road-holding rather than making it go quicker off the line and reach a higher top speed through added power.

As such, you should not find it surprising if the bulk of TRD's work is concentrated around the suspension setup, dampers, and other chassis-related elements. For instance, the 86 TRD Edition makes use of Sachs shock absorbers and benefits from a stiffened chassis with thicker anti-roll bars.

Note: standard 2019 Toyota Avalon pictured here.

Both cars should come with the range-topping 3.5-liter V-6 engine which develops 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque under the hood of both cars. Also, both cars come with the 8-speed automatic transmission so that should stay in place on the TRD versions. What might change, although it's not a given, is the weight of the cars. The Avalon weighs as much as 3,704 pounds, and the Camry comes in a little lighter at 3,241 pounds. That's quite hefty even for a 301 horsepower engine so TRD might try to shed some of that weight, without forgetting about comfort.

That means bucket seats, some red inserts maybe, some dark-tinted metals and maybe sporty drilled pedals and a sporty gear knob. It won't be a quantum leap, but it will follow the more aggressive feel of the body kit which should come complete with side skirts, a rear bumper extension with a diffuser - and room for the quad exhaust tips - and maybe a spoiler on the trunk.

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