Toyota AVENSIS 1.8 RANGE
Toyotas Avensis Is A Huge Leap Forward From Its Unspectacular Predecessor. But Is The 1.8-Litre Car Most Customers Will Buy Good Enough To Meet And Beat The Class Best? Andy Enright Reports
Theres a strange rule in car buying behaviour that dictates quite how big a countrys wares can become before we stop buying them. Small French and Italian cars are good, some medium ones tolerable but large ones are usually a joke. The same used to apply to Japanese cars until Toyotas luxury division
Lexus shook up the hierarchy.
Toyota is now aiming to deliver a strident wake up call to the medium range family saloon sector in the bluff shape of the latest Avensis.
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In order to get a true picture of how good the car is, weve taken a look at it in its entry level 1.8-litre guise. With fewer bells, whistles and mechanical whiz-bangs to distract the buyer, perhaps this is where the merits of the Avensis are easiest to assess. Or perhaps not.
One glance at the technical specification reveals that even on first rung of the Avensis ladder theres quite a bit to contend with. Not that
Toyota will punish you for the privilege. The entry-level T2 variant starts at £14,900 which is around £700 cheaper than directly comparable rivals from
Ford,
Vauxhall and
Renault. Whats more the Toyota looks so much more substantial than any of the others.
It really does appear at first glance to be half a class bigger again, but the tape measure doesnt lie and shows the Avensis to be a mite smaller in most key dimensions than a Mondeo. Still, to compete with the best Europe can offer, Toyota have realised that a dodgy Japanese translation rarely cuts it. Hence this Avensis is designed in France and being marketed solely on this continent. Its bigger, bolder and far better looking than the old car and has gone about deconstructing the medium saloon genre with a vengeance.
At present there are three petrol engines on offer, this 129bhp 1.8-litre, a 147bhp 2.0-litre and a 2.4-litre powerplant with 161bhp.
All, including this 1.8, are sophisticated VVT-i set-ups; Toyota speak for variable valve timing system which offers decent torque and fuel economy at low revs and a hefty slug of power at full throttle. No fewer than three bodystyles are available, a saloon, a liftback and an estate. With more power than most rivals, the Avensis is surprisingly quick, feeling not only brisk off the mark, but also pleasantly punchy at the top end.
Despite its apparent size, the Avensis weighs some 120kg less than a 1.8-litre Mondeo and as a result will nudge an average of 40mpg. Its 171g/km CO2 emission is also the best in class and makes the Avensis a tempting choice for company car drivers, even those who have yet to be headhunted or earmarked for the board. Trim levels depend on your choice between five options: T2, the rather clumsily-named T3-S and T3-X and T4. All come with air conditioning, an alarm immobiliser, power windows and mirrors, ABS and an excellent quality stereo system. The T3 grades are basically there to differentiate between those who want satellite navigation (T3-S) from those who simply want extra luxury (T3-X). T4 offers both and represents the top of the 1.
8-litre Avensis tree, the leather trimmed T Spirit not offered with this engine. The 1.8-litre models now also come with vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TRC) and brake assist (BA) to boost the already impressive Avensis safety credentials.
"The Toyota looks so much more substantial than any of its rivals"
Safety has been prioritised with all models getting no fewer than nine airbags as standard, including a driver knee airbag - a UK first. Secreted beneath the steering column, this system protects the drivers knees and lower legs from injury. Step from an old Avensis into the cabin of the current car and youll spot no significant family resemblance. The doors thunk shut like a
Lexus and it was to their luxury division that Toyota looked to imbue the Avensis interior with a genuinely upmarket feel.
It seems to have worked. Soft touch plastics, neat metallic finishes and a huge cabin again make the Avensis feel a class up. Better sound insulation has reduced weight and decreased noise, but to give some illustration as to how seriously Toyota took refinement, they didnt choose the most refined car in the class lets say the Vauxhall Vectra as a comparison. Instead they chose the Lexus LS400 as a benchmark and claim that even at 124mph, there is zero wind noise from the door mirrors.
The Mondeo and the
Peugeot 406 were identified as class leaders in the area of steering feel, handling and ride and Toyota have tuned the steering for better feedback. The compact strut front suspension is similar to that of the Corolla, but the rear is a modified version of the Celicas multilink system. One advantage of this is that it reduces intrusion into the luggage bay, the saloon version featuring a 520-litre boot. The exterior styling is neat, if a little forgettable and perhaps the only area of the latest car thats in any way disappointing.
The nose features the Toyota family face and the bonnet is very compact. Viewed in profile, the stub nose and boot are dominated by the huge sleekly domed cabin, the high waistline giving an impression of rigid solidity. Its almost as if Toyota were overanxious to underline the Avensis new found gravitas. Compared to its predecessor, it is 110mm longer and 55mm higher with a 70mm increase in wheelbase.
The driver sits further forward and higher, maximising rear legroom. Toyota have made a very fine job of transforming the Avensis 1.8 from a middleweight snoozemobile into one of the categorys real heavy hitters. Any car that can marry lowest in class running costs with best in class practicality and mix in a healthy amount of dynamic competence and sheer road presence is usually good enough to claim the number one spot.
Its probably not rocket science to predict that the Avensis 1.8 will fail to outsell the Ford Mondeo or the Vauxhall Vectra but make no mistake its a better all round car. Alongside the Mazda6 and the
Honda Accord, the Toyota Avensis now shows the Japanese have finally got to grips with what was always something of a home banker for the Europeans.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Avensis 1.8 range
PRICES: £14,900 - £18,900 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-10
PERFORMANCE: [1.8] 0-60mph 10.3s / Max Speed 124mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.8 Tourer] (urban) 30.1mpg / (extra urban) 48.7mpg / (combined) 39.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual front, side, and curtain airbags, drivers knee airbag, ABS, EBD, TRC, VSC, BA, ISOFIX child
seat fixings
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4630/1760/1480
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