Toyota Avensis: an old reliable gets a new styling

Few cars are as much a part of our national identity as the Toyota Avensis. From farmyards to taxi ranks and everywhere in between, the Avensis (or the Carina, as it was in its previous incarnation) is a ubiquitous presence. It has always been seen as a dependable workhorse: economical, functional and with a seeming ability to go on forever. But no one has ever attested to its styling, because its looks have never been its strong point.

Now Toyota has come up with a heavily revised Avensis that it hopes will not only appeal to the faithful but also broaden that appeal to include more fleet buyers, who have never quite embraced the car. While the sides of the new car look familiar, its front and rear have been sharpened, and the result is impressive.

It’s not enough, though, to have people craning their necks when the car passes by, and it does seem something of a missed opportunity to really drag the Avensis into a more direct challenge with its competitors – cars like the Hyundai i40, VW Passat and Ford Mondeo.

Driving personality

Where the car impresses is with its driving personality. The vague steering and indifferent suspension have been addressed, and the Avensis now gets two BMW-derived diesel engines – a 1.6 litre and a 2.0 litre – that give pep where it was lacking. Even if these are not the newest engines around they do lift the performance and economy to newer levels.

The 1.6-litre diesel will be the volume seller, and it now has a degree of previously absent driver involvement. It powers the car very well, but it is not exactly exciting. The mission statement here was clearly economy and overall driving flexibility, and that’s about all Avensis drivers really want.

The interior has also been given a fairly extensive makeover, and the car gets newly designed seats – more than a minor improvement. The older model was uncomfortable on long journeys; the new seats should make a difference in terms of the car’s limited appeal to fleet buyers.

Noise and vibration issues have been addressed also, and, apart from some motorway wind noise, the car is now much smoother and quieter. The improved suspension also makes a big difference to the car. It has a sharpness not normally evident in Toyotas.

Pre-collision system

All cars in the three grade offerings now get a precollision system as standard. This uses a laser and a camera to detect other vehicles in front; it then issues audio and visual warnings.

Prices for the new Avensis start at €25,870 for the 1.6 petrol version; the 1.6 diesel comes in with a starting price of €27,710.

Dramatic change may not have been the order of the day when it came to styling, but the overall result gives the car a more distinctive identity than it had.

Its fans will be impressed, but then they always were.