Toyota is adding all-wheel drive as a standalone option for both the Camry and the Avalon sedans. The AWD option will be offered in the North American market for the 2020-21 model years.
For Toyota, this is the first AWD-equipped Camry since 1991 (then called the Camry AllTrac) and the first-ever Avalon with AWD. The Dynamic Torque Control AWD system used in both sedans comes from the new modular system used in the RAV4 crossover. Toyota says that with the rise in demand for AWD vehicles in North America, offering it in sedans is a clear must.
The new Camry and Avalon AWD models will be built at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Kentucky. Both the 202-horsepower (151 kW) base engine models of the Camry and Avalon as well as the dual exhaust 205-horsepower (153 kW) sport models will have an AWD option. AWD will not be available with the V6 upgrade engines for the cars.
The AWD option comes as Toyota continues to expand in the sedan market for North America, adding Toyota Racing Development (TRD) performance models and continuing with popular hybrid options.
Toyota acknowledged the perseverance of customers and dealerships who asked for a Camry AWD. Using the new-generation RAV4’s system, which debuted for 2019, the Camry and Avalon add better traction control and all-weather operation without significantly impacting fuel economy.
The system works as a front-wheel-biased setup, with most of the power being up front most of the time. Up to 50 percent of torque can be sent to the rear wheels when needed, however, and traction control is then distributed to either side of each axle as required. An electromagnetic coupling disengages the rear axle when it does not need to be driven, such as on long highway drives at speed, preserving fuel economy.
Toyota says that the Camry and Avalon AWD models retain the same interior space, cargo space, and ride comfort of their front-wheel driven siblings. The AWD models of the Camry will be in dealerships in North America in the second quarter of 2020. The Avalon AWD will go on sale as a 2021 model later in 2020. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.
Source: Toyota