The fourth and, as it proved, final generation Toronado was on the market from 1986 to 1992. It was even smaller, lost its body-on-frame construction in favor of a unibody platform, and was the first Toronado since 1969 to feature hidden headlights.
V8 engines were gone, with the fuel-injected version of the Buick 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6, now the only powerplant available. A good, powerful engine, it was well-suited to this much smaller, lighter car.
Inside, a new digital instrument panel and optional voice alert system were employed and the same luxury trappings were offered as standard equipment and options as before. Standard seating was a cloth 60/40 bench with center armrest. For the first time since 1970, Strato bucket seats were offered as an option, and they included a full-length center console with a horseshoe-like "basket handle" gear shift similar to that found in some 1960s and 1970s Buicks and Chevrolets. Upholstery choices included cloth or leather.
Unfortunately, GM's timing with this latest downsizing proved to be off the mark. Gasoline prices had dropped dramatically — below $1.00 per gallon in many parts of the U.S. — by the fall of 1985, against corporate soothsayers' predictions of $3.00 and up. Buyers, faced with GM's spate of stubby new choices across the board, chose instead to "buy big" in 1986, with cars like the Lincoln Town Car and Chrysler's long-in-the-tooth, V8-powered Fifth Avenue setting sales records for the '86 model year.
Sadly, along with its shrunken sisters, the Eldorado and Riviera, the Toronado suffered a serious sales decline which would never be reversed. Critics blamed the downsizing, as well as "cookie cutter" styling that looked too much like the cheaper, less-luxurious compacts at GM, notably the Oldsmobile Calais and Pontiac Grand Am.
In mid-1987, Oldsmobile attempted to bolster sagging Toronado sales by introducing a sportier model called the Troféo, which boasted standard leather bucket seats, faux dual exhaust, more-aggressive styling, and a stiffer suspension (the highly-regarded corporate FE3 package, with retuned shocks, struts and other components).
For 1988, the Troféo was no longer badged externally as a Toronado. Other changes for the Troféo included new seats and monochromatic paint; both Toro and Troféo benefitted from larger climate control buttons and rear three-point seatbelts. Additionally, power increased with the introduction of the new Buick 3800 LN3 V6 engine. Wire wheelcovers were deleted from the options sheet. Other changes were minor and mainly cosmetic.
The 1989 Troféo could be ordered with the Visual Information Center: a dash mounted touch-screen CRT that controlled the vehicle's thermostat and radio and also supplied advanced instrumentation such as a trip computer. The following is a link to pictures of various CRT screens [5]. The VIC could also serve as the interface to an in-car hands-free cell phone. Troféo also received standard anti-lock brakes and a new steering wheel that featured buttons for radio and climate controls. Toronados now had standard bucket seats with console, although the split-bench seat was still offered as an option
1990 saw Oldsmobile literally and figuratively going to great lengths to revive Toronado and Troféo sales. The hood was the only carryover piece of exterior sheetmetal as Olds designers completely redesigned the body, particularly in the rear, increasing the overall length by about 1-foot (30 cm). While the redesign did not increase passenger space, it did answer criticism of the car's trunk space. Toronado/Troféo owners could easily carry enough luggage for a long vacation or four golf bags with room to spare.
On the safety front, for the first time since 1976, an airbag was installed, this time for the driver only, and it was standard equipment; it was fitted in a new steering wheel shared by both models. The new steering wheel framed the driver's view of new analog gauges and information center, as well. The bulky owner's manual for the '90 Toro and Troféo had more room, as well, thanks to a larger glovebox.
Unfortunately, the new look did not help stem the tide of sagging sales. Even so, Olds was not ready to throw in the towel just yet. The 1991 models added a couple of new features at no extra cost: previously optional remote keyless entry and anti-lock brakes were made standard across the board. The engine got another small horsepower bump. Troféos got a new interior choice over the standard leather upholstery — Ultrasuede — which must have sold poorly, as it is extremely rare today. The moonroof option no longer required bucket seats to be ordered.
The '92 models debuted with a new old option: wire wheelcover fans could indulge themselves on Toronados for the first time since 1987. Troféos got a stiffer standard suspension (the formerly-optional FE3 package).
Although the Toronado and Troféo were, by this time, as good as GM's designers and engineers could make them, buyers were not buying them since the "SUV craze" was in its infancy and personal luxury coupes, in general, were declining in sales. Oldsmobile management realized this, and decided to cancel the Toronado and Troféo at the end of the 1992 model year. They were replaced in the lineup by the Aurora sports sedan which debuted in early 1994 as a 1995 model.
The last Toronado rolled off the assembly line on May 28, 1992
Source: Wikipedia
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