ride. The Cressida was sold until the end of 1995 in the Middle East with the Camry immediately positioned as the successor. In Australia, the Cressida was sold from April 1977 to February 1993, when it was replaced by the Vienta (and later the Avalon in the full-size bracket). The Cressida also played a part in the design of the first Lexus models, most closely resembling the LS 400. However, some of the shared concepts and similarity between the Cressida and early Lexus models in turn led to the decision to eventually discontinue the Cressida in most markets, as it would overlap with vehicles sold under the Lexus marque. The 1992 redesign of the Camry and introduction of the XLE V6 model helped cover the Cressida's market as well, despite the fact it was a more economy-oriented and front-wheel-drive vehicle, while the Cressida was high-end and rear-wheel-drive. The introduction of the Toyota Avalon in the American market in 1995 filled the gap left by the cancellation of the Toyota Cressida in 1992. The Avalon was a front-wheel drive full-size car, powered by a V6 engine, as the third-generation Camry remained in the mid-market but now had grown in proportions to be classified as a mid-size. The Cressida was an upper-level mid-size rear-wheel drive car with a straight-six engine, as the mid-market second-generation Camry was still classified as a compact car in the early 1990s. The Lexus GS, introduced in 1993 – one year after the Cressida's discontinuation – could also be considered a spiritual successor to the Cressida, as a midsize rear-wheel drive Toyota luxury vehicle with a strong kinship to the Toyota Supra and also derived from a shortened version of the Toyota Crown platform. Comfort (XS10; 1995–2018) The Comfort was released on December 19, 1995 as a fleet-oriented replacement for the X80 series Mark II in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau and Singapore. The Comfort was based on the X80 chassis but featured a new body design for increased interior space. A long-wheelbase version called Crown Comfort was also available, while a better-appointed version of the Crown Comfort called Crown Sedan (not to be confused with the Crown executive car) was available in Japan only. The Crown Comfort was popular among taxicab operators in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, but is gradually falling out of favour as better-appointed vehicles become available at competitive cost. In Japan, it was