Toyota Sedans Get All-Wheel-Drive Option

Toyota Motor Corp. will begin offering all-wheel-drive variants of its Camry and Avalon sedans in the U.S. next year.

The stand-alone option will be the first time awd has been available on the midsize Camry since 1991. The larger Avalon, which was introduced in 1994, has never offered the technology.

Both cars are built on Toyota’s New Global Architecture platform, which also carries the RAV4 compact crossover. The RAV4’s dynamic torque control awd system is being adapted for use in the sedans.

Toyota says the awd system, which the company developed at its engineering center in Saline, Mich., can transfer as much as half of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels as needed if slippage from the front wheels is detected. When additional traction isn't required, the rear prop shaft is disengaged from the differential to boost fuel efficiency. The propeller shaft is a modified version of the unit introduced in the all-new Highlander SUV.

The Camry and Avalon also share the RAV4’s powertrain, transfer case and rear differential. A modified version of the crossover vehicle’s multi-link rear suspension was optimized for the sedans.

The changes add 165 lbs to the Camry. The weight of the awd Avalon is similar to that of its front-wheel-drive counterpart equipped with a V-6 engine, Toyota says.

The awd models will have the same ride comfort, NVH characteristics and interior and trunk volume as the base fwd cars, according to Toyota. The carmaker also claims its awd system has less negative impact on fuel efficiency than do those of competitors, but it didn’t provide any specifications.

The awd models will be publicly unveiled next week at the Los Angeles auto show. The Camry will bow next spring, while the awd Avalon will be added in the autumn as a 2021 model, Toyota said. Pricing will be announced later.