Toyota AVENSIS 2.4 RANGE
Toyotas 2.4-Litre VVT-I Avensis Offers A Sweet Petrol Engine For Buyers Looking For Something More Satisfying. By Andy Enright
Things used to be so easy. You bought a 2.0-litre executive car and, if you needed a little more car park clout, you then traded up to a 2.8-litre or 3.
0-litre six-cylinder model. Yes, they drank fuel like an unplugged bath but there would be little doubt where you stood in the pecking order. All that has changed now. With bigger and better four cylinder engines available, a big petrol six seems a virtual irrelevance.
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Thats what
Toyota would assert in favour of their 2.4-litre Avensis model that acts as the range flagship. With a punchy 161bhp direct injection four under the bonnet, its more than enough to satisfy most.
Most people associate direct injection with diesel engines and whereas once diesels purloined ideas from petrol engines in order to progress the state of the art, now its often the other way round. The 2.4 VVT-i engine found in this Avensis originally saw service in the Previa, but a whole new direct injection system was developed that has boosted power by 7bhp and torque by 5Nm to give a more responsive feel. Its also a good deal more economical.
A revised cylinder head was constructed from lightweight magnesium alloy, developed to combat the increased noise levels of high pressure fuel injection. Twin balancer shafts smooth the effects of the combustion and a variable air intake optimises efficiency. All this means that the Avensis 2.4 VVT-i will zip to 60mph in 8.
9 seconds and top out at 137mph while managing an average of almost 30mpg. The CO2 emissions of 228g/km are a little off the pace set by 2.4-litre rivals like the
Mazda 6 and the
Honda Accord but the Avensis has many other redeeming features that may well swing the balance in its favour. One such refinement is the five-speed multi-mode automatic transmission.
Toyotas first five-speed auto, its lighter and more compact than their previous four-speed unit and allows drivers to use it in a sequential manual mode. By dropping the lever into the S position, the driver can assume greater control, knocking the stick back and forth to zip up and down the gearbox. The gearbox has other tricks up its sleeve too. Unlike most sequential systems, this transmission allows the driver to choose a gear range, rather than one specific gear.
By shifting to 3, the Avensis will automatically use first, second and third. Similarly by selecting 4 this will extend the range to include fourth gear. The software is pretty sharp-witted, the gearbox recognising when youre mid corner or hauling uphill and holds the gear for an appropriate period. Clever stuff.
"The Avensis line has quietly won over the hearts, minds and wallets of many looking for a low key but high quality family saloon/hatch"
As befits a premium quality contender in this sector, the Avensis 2.4 VVT-i is only offered in plush T4 and leather trimmed T Spirit trims priced from £21,650 and can be recognised by the High-Intensity Discharge headlights. Saloon and hatch models are offered although a Tourer can also be ordered. The 2.
4-litre models bolster what has become a formidable Avensis line up that after a slow start has quietly won over the hearts, minds and wallets of many looking for a low key but high quality family saloon/hatch or junior executive. An integral part of the equation for success is that the Toyota looks so much more substantial than any of its rivals. 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 nest 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. 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. The Avensis used to be a very lightweight, two-dimensional car that struggled to make any sort of impact in this most hard fought of market sectors.
All that has changed. The latest Avensis models are recognised as being probably the most bulletproof contenders in the class and the 2.4 VVT-i is the heaviest gauge hitter of the lot. If you prioritise handling or CO2 emissions, it may come up a little shy, but on virtually every other criterion, its at or near the top of the podium.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Avensis 2.4 VVT-i range
PRICES: £21,650 - £23,150 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 12
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.1s / Max Speed 137mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 20.9mpg / (extra urban) 39.2mpg / (combined) 29.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Dual front, side, and curtain airbags, drivers knee airbag, ABS, EBD, VSC, TRC, BA, ISOFIX child
seat fixings
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4630/1760/1480
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