The Toyota Avalon has always been something of a stealthy, value-priced luxo-barge . But its never been a vehicle with the means to confidently take on wet or slick conditionsuntil now. Thats thanks to the new availability of all-wheel drive on this previously front-drive-only flagship sedan. The addition of Toyota s Dynamic Torque Control AWD system promises to improve stability and confidence when driving through rain or snow . The Toyota Avalon AWD system can send up to 50 percent of the engines power to the rear wheels, balancing traction if the front wheels start to slip, or smoothing departures from a stop. Dynamic Torque Control has an electromagnetic coupling ahead of the rear axle, allowing it to engage or disengage as required by conditions, benefiting fuel economy. While the standard, front-wheel-drive Avalon is equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine producing 301 hp, all-wheel-drive models get a different engine. Its a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 205 hp, linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Why the big loss of power? As it turns out, the all-wheel-drive Avalon has plenty of SUV in it. Since the vehicle wasnt originally designed to work with all-wheel drive, Toyota engineers had to adapt it with other resources. Both the Avalon and RAV4 are built on Toyotas TNGA modular platform , so components were able to be shared between the two. Underneath the Avalons body structure are the RAV4's engine , transmission, transfer case, and rear differential. The RAV4s rear suspension was also modified for this application, resulting in a 5mm increase in ride height; off-roading is still not recommended in the all-wheel-drive Avalon. Regardless, the additional hardware had no negative effect on interior volume or trunk space, and weight should be similar to front-drive, V-6-powered variants. All-wheel drive will be available as a standalone option on Avalon XLE and Limited trims, beginning in model-year 2021. Source: Toyota The post 2021 Toyota Avalon Borrows AWD System From the RAV4 appeared first on MotorTrend .