Toyota to unveil 'all-new' sedan at N.Y. auto show
Car will likely replace Avalon, dealers say
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- 2012 European Automakers: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen
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LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Corp. will unveil an "all-new" sedan next week at the New York auto show that likely will be a replacement for the full-sized Avalon.
Dealers who saw a preview of the car last year said Toyota called it the Avalon successor that is due this fall.
One dealer said the sedan represents a dramatic styling change for the brand.
Toyota has previously declined to comment on future plans and spokesmen weren't immediately available for comment today.
A teaser sketch of the vehicle released today shows fastback styling similar to the coupe-sedan lines of the Volkswagen CC, Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS.
In a statement, Toyota called the sedan's styling "elegant yet athletic."
The sedan is one of 19 new or redesigned U.S. models coming from the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands this year. The automaker is trying to rebound from two years of declining sales due to the unintended-acceleration recall crisis in 2010 and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
The Avalon has been Toyota's mainstay full-sized sedan since 1995, when it replaced the Cressida as the brand's top-line vehicle. Sales of the car, now in its third generation, have tapered off as the segment has slumped.
Last year, the Avalon accounted for 28,935 U.S. sales -- less than a third of the peak of 104,078 reached in 2000. This year's demand is up 76 percent through February.
The debut will take place at 10:30 a.m. EDT on April 5, Toyota said.
PRESS RELEASE: Toyota to Debut a Stunning U.S.-Designed Sedan at the 2012 New York International Auto Show
TORRANCE, Calif., March 27, 2012 - Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. will debut an all-new U.S.-designed sedan at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. This global premiere will take place in the Galleria room within the Jacob Javits Center at 10:30 a.m. EDT on April 5, 2012.
The sedan's exciting new design features an elegant yet athletic look.
Media and the public will have the opportunity to participate in a live-streaming video chat with the designers of the new sedan by submitting questions via Twitter and Facebook with the #ToyotaDesign hashtag. The Toyota Design Live chat is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2012 and hosted on http://www.facebook.com/toyota.
You can reach Mark Rechtin at mrechtin@crain.com. -- Follow Mark on 
