Toyota Australia’s marketing chief has said its soon-to-be-released TRD brand of locally produced performance vehicles will compete directly against premium performance models from Europe and Japan.
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Senior executive director of sales and marketing David Buttner said the upcoming supercharged TRD Aurion (the locally-built Camry V6) would represent a new breed of Toyota ‘down under’ when it is launched in August. He claimed it would compete on refinement, response and performance with models such as the Alfa Romeo 159, Volkswagen R32 and Subaru Liberty (Legacy) GT spec.B.
“There is a range of vehicles priced from $A50,000 to $60,000 that have reshaped the performance-enhanced market in recent years. This is where the sales growth has occurred over the past 10 years – and this is where we are positioning the TRD Aurion,” he said.
Buttner said the TRD philosophy was very different from the “muscle car” approach of other local enhancement companies.
“TRD stands for an optimal blend of performance, refinement, handling and Toyota’s traditional quality, durability and reliability. TRD is a bold innovation for Toyota. It adds individual character and enhanced performance.”
The TRD Aurion’s supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine has a development target of at least 235kW – or more than 15% over the standard engine’s 204kW.
Toyota Style Australia, headed by Paul Beranger, designed the TRD Aurion’s exterior and interior package.
Buttner said TRD would develop a range of vehicles, not just variations based on one locally produced car.
“This is the first time in the world TRD has been established as a separate brand under Toyota,” he said.
The second model to be introduced late this year will be the TRD HiLux. Based on a 4WD Double Cab, it will feature a supercharged four-litre V6 petrol engine that will have substantially more power than the standard engine’s 175kW.
