Toyota AVENSIS RANGE
Rarely Has A Car Been So Thoroughly Overhauled As Toyotas Latest Avensis. Andy Enright Wonders Where To Start...
In theory, for a company as big as
Toyota, designing an all-new car ought to be easy. You simply identify the aspects of rival models you want to benchmark and budget for the level of excellence required. As a result, you finish up with a car like the latest generation Avensis, a family-sized line-up that sets out to comprehensively upset the apple cart in its intended medium range Mondeo-dominated marketplace.
Designed in France, the latest car is firmly Eurocentric, 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. Three bodystyles are available priced from £14,900 saloon, liftback and estate while three petrol engines are initially on offer. Customers can choose either a 129bhp 1.
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8-litre VVT-i engine, a 147bhp 2.0-litre direct injection VVT-i powerplant or a 2.4-litre version of similar direct injection configuration. The VVT-i set-up is Toyotas variable valve timing system which offers decent torque and fuel economy at low revs and a hefty slug of power at full throttle.
You can also order a 114bhp 2.0-litre D-4D common-rail diesel engine or a 148bhp 2.2-litre D-4D second generation common-rail unit. Trim levels depend on your choice between five options: T2, the rather clumsily-named T3-S and T3-X, T4 and T Spirit. 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, while the plushest T Spirit level also includes power seats with leather trim.
All models now also come with vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TRC) and brake assist (BA) to boost the already impressive Avensis safety credentials. Safety has been prioritised with all models getting no fewer than nine airbags as standard, including a driver knee airbag which represents 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 make the Avensis feel a class up.
"Soft touch plastics, neat metallic finishes and a huge cabin 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 are nothing if not ambitious in their plans for the Avensis.
They expect to shift 800,000 cars in 2005 a five per cent European market share and reckon 140,000 of those cars will be Avensis variants of one form or another. Its a tough task. Avensis European sales peaked in 1999 at 123,000 units and slumped to just 85,000 cars in 2001. Will the latest car have what it takes to spark a revival in fortunes? It certainly looks to have the quality to succeed and Toyota have created a quality all rounder.
The 1.8-litre saloon will sprint to 60mph in 10.1 seconds and return 39.2mpg, making it quicker, more powerful and more economical than equivalent 1.
8-litre variants of the Mazda6, the
Renault Laguna, the
Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Vectra. Couple that with the biggest cabin in class and competitive pricing and maybe Toyotas projections dont look as fanciful as they first appeared. All of which leaves only a few practical points. Like its predecessor, this car is the cheapest car in its class to run for all kinds of reasons.
Take residual values: at around 35%, theyre around 7-8% better than Ford, Vauxhall or even VW. Take insurance: in some cases, youll find youre two groups better off. Take servicing: over 70,000 miles this car will spend only half the amount of time in the workshop that a Mondeo or a Passat would. Take accident repair: in a front-end shunt, this car will be 55% less costly to fix and 65% less costly in a rear-end shunt. Take company car tax: an Avensis driver will be between £300 and £1,000 a year better off than with any other rivals. Take fuel economy: no other car in the class can beat it. Even the tyre choice makes the rubber 23% cheaper to replace. Undertake an extended back-to-back drive against best in class rivals and you can form your own opinions as to whether Toyota have hit their marks on chassis dynamics, engine characteristics and overall ergonomics. Whatever your perspective, youll probably have to agree that theyre not far off.
Whether you view the purchase of a car like this practically or passionately, the Avensis looks a class act.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Avensis range
PRICES: £14,900 - £23,150 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-9
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, VSC, TRC, BA, ISOFIX child
seat fixings
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4630/1760/1480
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