See 2013 Toyota Avalon Full Photo Gallery

Toyota pulled the wraps off an all-new version of the Avalon, its flagship sedan, at the recent New York International Auto Show. Now in its fourth-generation, the 2013 Toyota Avalon was designed at Toyota's Calty Design facility with teams in Michigan and Southern California and now features a more sporty exterior design that is slightly smaller than the 2012 Toyota Avalon, with smaller front and rear overhangs and a lower height and a more aerodynamic shape overall. Despite the smaller rear overhang, the trunk capacity has increased by 1.6 cubic feet to 16 cubic feet.

See 2013 Toyota Avalon Full Photo Gallery

Inside, the 2013 Toyota Avalon has been redesigned to be more comfortable. The front seats are slightly lower to provide increased headroom and feature more side bolstering for improved comfort. Engineers have added more soundproofing to provide an even quieter respite from wind, road and engine noise. Premium materials have been used throughout, while there are new switches and display screens for the climate control, audio, navigation and multi-information display. The new Avalon features Toyota's new display audio system with a 6.1-inch touchscreen standard or an optional JBL system with HDD navigation that comes with a 7-inch screen.

See 2013 Toyota Avalon Full Photo Gallery

In terms of safety, the 2013 Toyota Avalon features a class-leading 10 airbags as standard equipment. Available safety features include a pre-collision system, rearview monitor, blind spot monitor and a Rear Cross Traffic Alert system.

One of the criticisms of the current model is that it had somewhat numb handling with substantial body roll. For 2013, Toyota engineers have aimed to change that with a more rigid body, a stiffer chassis and suspension changes. There are now three different drive modes—normal, eco and sport—that the driver can select via a switch to change his driving experience. Toyota made no comment about the engine in the 2013 model, but it is expected to carryover the 268 hp, 3.5-liter V6 in the current model.

The 2013 Toyota Avalon arrives in showrooms late this year.

Here's what others are saying:

Autoblog: "Apparently Toyota is serious about developing more interesting and youthful products, and it's off to a good start with the Avalon, based on what we have heard and seen at the New York Auto Show today."

Cars.com: "Inside is a blend of sporty black surfaces and more luxury-themed contours with stitched leather on the dashboard. The center stack mixes knobs, physical buttons and capacitive touch "buttons" like we've seen on recent vehicle from Ford and now GM."

The Car Connection: "The new Avalon's a brisk lane-change out of that rut: it's truly handsome, not quite an Audi A7 clone but with enough of that car's stance that there's no Camry vapor trail left in its lines."

Wall Street Journal: "Last month Toyota announced its plan to introduce a sleek new sedan in New York, which led some to believe it was replacing the Avalon or at least radically making it over. But the car appears to be more evolution than revolution."