Toyota Aurion Sportivo ZR6 2007 Review

As far as Toyota front-drive V6 sedans go, the Aussie Aurion is the most handsome and head-turning yet. Modern deep flanks, stronger rear treatment and a more horizontal look at the front lift the Aurion well clear of its more humble Camry origins and deliver a presence that turns heads. So more of the same should create a striking Sportivo sports sedan range, right?

Wrong -- the Sportivo's add-ons seem to make the normally sleek Aurion look stubby and narrow.  Its bulky side profile and open grille can link it to the previous Camry series as much as the Aurion if the reaction to the test car is any indication. This upright look moves it away from its local rear-drive rivals, yet it's probably too gimmicky for those European buyers who would otherwise accept its front-drive layout. That said, the Sportivo's chassis improvements, more compact size and extra luxury gear are not so easily dismissed.

When the Aurion Sportivo's homegrown rivals, including the similar-sized front drive Mitsubishi 380 VRX, accentuate the low, horizontal stance loved by Aussies, it has to come from behind to establish its credibility.  And credibility is what this niche is all about hence Toyota's big investment in the coming TRD Aurion.

This entry band of sports models based on Australia's large family cars is critical to winning salary-sacrifice executive purchases and private operators of small businesses trying hard not to look like a rep or renter. Although the Aurion Sportivo ZR6 certainly looks different from fleet models, the body bits are more 'fast four' than the integrated factory look of rivals.

It is also fundamentally different in the way it drives. Its quad-cam V6 with 200kW and 336Nm from 3.5-litres is Australia's current six-cylinder power and economy benchmark especially in a car with a weight of just over 1600kg (around 100kg less than its bigger rear-drive rivals). On paper, it should give V8 rivals a nudge with its outstanding six-speed auto, but cannot for reasons that become obvious at the first drive.

Toyota adds extra bracing behind the Sportivo back seat over the base Aurion shell and beefs-up the suspension including stronger lower control arms at the rear.

Unlike previous upper level Camrys and Vientas, the Aurion doesn't offer a fold-down back seat which Toyota further exploits in the Sportivo.

It is an outstanding starting point when noise levels, refinement and stiffness are so good and Sportivo can offer exceptional ride compliance over local roads without sacrificing handling. Toyota Australia has established a front-drive ride and handling benchmark in the Sportivo that exposes the washboard rides of some pricey European and Japanese imports.  

Despite the 17-inch alloy wheels (and same size alloy spare), quality Michelin tyres and the exceptional chassis composure, Toyota has been forced to knobble the marvellous V6 engine so it doesn't overwhelm the front wheels. As soon as you try to access maximum launch from rest, a range of electronic trickery kicks in to hose out the fires including a massive dose of ignition retard.

Yet ease the Sportivo off the line quietly and the smooth rush of power that is available (as soon as the electronic ropes are cut), is something to be experienced. For an informed driver, this difference in delivery might be too stark.

The Sportivo ZR6 therefore joins a long list of highly competent Camry-based Touring and Sportivo V6 models that never quite delivered on their potential.

How can it be any different when the Aurion's big boost in grunt is still fed through the same old Camry layout?

Because of the huge difference between the way the Sportivo behaves around town and outside city limits, the 770km Sportivo test included a gentle urban coastal drive followed by a ferry trip across Victoria's Port Phillip Bay so we could access the swooping roads of the Otway Ranges. At the back door of Toyota's own Proving Ground, this is one area where the Sportivo should shine.

If you never leave city limits in an Aurion Sportivo, you won't know what you are missing. Around town it offers no more excitement than a base Aurion or Camry for that matter. Indeed its finer ride and handling qualities and strong engine don't begin to shine until well into highway speeds.

When driving a long and winding road, the trick is to brake early, maintain momentum by straightening every corner then apply even power for an exit speed high enough not to activate the electronic nobbling. Just occasionally you can beat the system and provoke a little torque steer but the extra launch rewards any effort to set it up for each corner. At least, the Aurion's more compact size allows you to do this without crossing the centre line.

Brake late and rely on the grunt to haul you out quickly and you will be met with scrub understeer and tamed power delivery. Unlike its rear-drive rivals, the Sportivo won't make a bad driver look good if you are pushing on through the twisties.

If you are a purist driver who likes to switch off the electronics and enjoy a car that behaves consistently no matter what you do to it, this engine knobbling is locked in. It's why a big, boofy Volvo XC90 V8 is a heap more fun around town when its clever all-wheel drive system instantly sends excess torque to the rear axle without having to hose out the engine.

Until Toyota offers the same in an Aurion, the Aurion's class-leading V6 will always be compromised by its front-drive layout. The deadened steering also has a rubber-band front-drive feel so you can't feel what is really going on.

It is critical then that the Sportivo's application is identified when none of its local rivals get it right in every situation either. The VE Commodore SV6 hauls extra weight with five kW less and minus one ratio in the auto. It can sound coarse as it works to make up the deficit. The less powerful Mitsubishi 380 VRX ultimately succumbs to the same front-drive compromises yet it is quicker off the line as it doesn't need to be restrained as much as the Toyota. The ageing BFII XR6 has terrific punch from down low with the optional six-speed auto but it is not as pleasant to exploit in the upper reaches as the Aurion engine.

The Sportivo's forte is fast highway cruising with effortless overtaking and safe, tenacious grip through open sweepers. Over tight, challenging roads, there is no point pretending it has sporty pretensions.

After a long and varied rural journey like the test drive, you will arrive relaxed but will struggle to remember any exciting moments over the journey. By contrast, the satisfaction of improving entry and exit lines through a series of corners as encouraged by the VE Commodore and BFII Falcon chassis is not only memorable but something to look forward to.

This doesn't mean there isn't a lot to like in the top Sportivo ZR6's cabin for long distances. The front seats are outstanding with separate bolsters, the steering wheel is a good one and the cabin has a quality feel. The auto's wiggly gate can be annoying to those used to a straight-through design but the offset location makes it more accessible for manual changes. It's a pity then that Toyota has opted for a sequential shift pattern that is the reverse of most of today's quality sporting cars. The leather trim features "Crossbar" inserts with an embossed pattern that could have escaped from a saddlebag of an old Harley. It's an odd but endearing touch in a very Japanese cabin.

Don't go looking for a CD loading dock or instructions in the owner's manual. Buried in the separate SatNav booklet are instructions on how to drop the centre screen and access the CD slot behind it.

Although the tiny heater-ventilation controls are difficult to access in a hurry, especially at night, the dual-zone climate control was one of the most effective against blistering 40-degree-plus heat in any recent test car.

The calibration of the main instruments is yet another example of local factory sporty models trying to be too clever. It looks like Toyota combed the garage sales for a swag of large stick-on numbers and a job lot of old plastic school protractors that were too small. To read either main gauges, you have to line up numbers and scales that don't even look they belong in the same car let alone the same dial.

Memo to all local instrument designers: take a long look at the Chrysler 300C instrument panel and notice how its dials remain classy and legible day and night.

And that sums up the Sportivo ZR6 -- a beautifully built, superb-riding, tight and fast luxury express trying too hard to be something that it can't.

It can deliver under 9.0lt/100km in certain cruising situations and has the ability to reel in a B-double in a blink of the eye. Its turning circle is better than expected, driver vision is reasonably good, headlights are outstanding and the cabin and boot space would suit most Australians as well as any larger model. Its tighter body and suspension would also make a wonderful option for the top shelf Aurion Presara...

But where does that leave the Sportivo ZR6? We would swap the extra plastic body bits, faux grille mesh and low-speed engine nobbling for a rear or all-wheel-drive chassis any day.  

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