The Toyota Avalon is a full-size sedan that has served as Toyota’s largest front-wheel-drive car in the United States since the mid-1990s. The 2021 Avalon belongs to the fifth generation, coded XX50, which was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2018 and reached U.S. dealers that May as a 2019 model. It was built at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant and stayed on sale through the 2022 model year, when Toyota ended U.S. production of the nameplate as buyers moved toward SUVs and electrified vehicles.
What Changed for 2021
For the 2021 model year Toyota made all-wheel drive available on the Avalon for the first time in the car’s history, added an XSE Nightshade Edition, made Android Auto standard, and replaced the hybrid’s nickel-metal hydride battery with a more compact lithium-ion pack. Toyota announced the changes on July 15, 2020. The naming remained the same across the line, and no new trim below XLE was introduced. The fifth-generation car had debuted with a new TNGA platform, and the 2021 updates built on that foundation rather than replacing it.
Cabin and Interior
The Avalon seats five. It rides on a 113.0-inch wheelbase and measures about 196.0 inches long, 72.8 inches wide and 56.5 inches tall. Toyota noted that adding all-wheel drive did not change passenger space or trunk room. Cabin volume is about 103 cubic feet and the trunk holds about 16 cubic feet. Depending on grade, the cabin includes a 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, synthetic or leather-trimmed seats, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, a 10-inch color head-up display and, on Limited models, a 14-speaker JBL audio system.
Exterior and Design
The fifth-generation Avalon moved to Toyota’s TNGA GA-K platform, the same foundation used by the Camry and Lexus ES. Toyota quoted a drag coefficient of 0.27, helped by lateral front vents, a rear spoiler and extensive underbody paneling. The XSE Nightshade Edition added black 19-inch wheels, black exterior accents and dark badges. The 2021 range comprised the XLE, XSE, XSE Nightshade, Touring, Limited and TRD, with the hybrid offered on the XLE, XSE and Limited. The V6 grades carried dual chrome-tipped exhaust outlets, while the hybrid used a single outlet.
Engines and Powertrains
- 3.5-liter V6 (2GR-FKS): 301 hp at 6,600 rpm and 267 lb-ft of torque at 4,700 rpm, with D-4S direct and port injection and VVT-iW variable valve timing; paired with an eight-speed Direct Shift automatic and front-wheel drive.
- 2.5-liter Dynamic Force four-cylinder: 205 hp at 6,600 rpm and 185 lb-ft, with a 13:1 compression ratio; this is the engine used with the new all-wheel-drive option, again with the eight-speed automatic.
- 2.5-liter hybrid: a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with a 14:1 compression ratio and an electric motor, for a combined 215 hp through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT).
The V6 engine uses Toyota’s D-4S fuel injection, which combines direct injection with supplemental port injectors, and a VVT-iW intake system that can switch the engine to the Atkinson cycle to cut pumping losses. The hybrid’s four-cylinder uses an even higher 14:1 compression ratio, a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system and a variable oil pump, and is paired with Toyota’s power-split Hybrid Synergy Drive.
How the All-Wheel-Drive System Works
Dynamic Torque Control AWD can send up to 50 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels when accelerating from a stop or when the front wheels slip. When traction is not needed, an electromagnetically controlled coupling on the rear axle disengages the propeller shaft to reduce drag and save fuel, and the system re-engages instantly when grip is lost. Toyota offered the system only on the XLE and Limited, and only with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder; the V6 and hybrid stayed front-wheel drive.
Fuel Economy
Toyota’s projected EPA ratings for the 2021 Avalon were 22 mpg city, 32 highway and 26 combined for the V6 XLE, and 22/31/25 for the other V6 grades. The four-cylinder AWD was rated 25/34/28 combined. The Avalon Hybrid XLE was rated 43/44/44, with the other hybrid grades at 43/43/43. The hybrid system output of 215 hp sits well below the V6’s 301 hp but roughly matches the four-cylinder AWD, and it delivers by far the best fuel economy of the three.
Avalon Generations and Timeline
The Avalon name has been used across five generations. The first car entered production in September 1994 at Georgetown, Kentucky and went on sale for the 1995 model year as a replacement for the rear-wheel-drive Cressida. A second generation followed for 2000, a third for 2005, and a fourth, coded XX40, for 2013. Toyota also built the Avalon in Australia from 2000 to 2005, where it was later replaced by the Aurion. The fifth generation, introduced for 2019, moved the car to the GA-K platform and, for the first time, added all-wheel drive for 2021.
Safety
The 2021 Avalon came standard with Toyota Safety Sense P, which bundles a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist and automatic high beams, along with the Star Safety System of stability and traction control. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had named the Avalon a Top Safety Pick+ for 2019, with a “Good” rating in most of its crash tests.
Release Date and Pricing
The 2021 Avalon went on sale in the fall of 2020. Pricing started at $35,875 for the XLE, according to Kelley Blue Book’s 2021 Avalon review. The XSE started at $38,375 and the XSE Nightshade at $39,110. All-wheel drive carried no price premium over the equivalent front-wheel-drive V6, so an AWD XLE listed at $35,875 and an AWD Limited at $42,175. The Avalon Hybrid began at $37,000. Cross-shoppers also weighed Toyota’s SUVs, such as the 2020 Toyota Fortuner Review, against the sedan. The Avalon shared its 3.5-liter V6 with the 2020 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Review, and more Toyota Review pages cover the rest of the range.
The End of U.S. Production
Toyota announced on August 4, 2021 that it would stop building the Avalon for the United States after the 2022 model year, as the market shifted toward SUVs and electrified vehicles. The nameplate was effectively replaced in North America by the Crown crossover for 2023, while the Avalon continued in production in China for that market.
