Avensis has mid-life makeover

Three years into its model cycle, Toyota has made some cosmetic improvements to its Avensis, and some significant under-the-skin changes.

As far as the Irish franchisees are concerned, the combination of changes should help them keep the Avensis at the top of its segment in this country, a position held unbroken by the car and its predecessor Carina for 16 years.

And they also believe they have a range of Avensis versions now which will allow them to penetrate further into the fleet segment.

The visual changes are small enough, but do make the Avensis rather more noticeable than the earlier version. Some chrome-type detailing on the grille area, with a shift of the badge onto the grille itself about sum it up. The 'jewel effect' treatment of the headlamps brings Avensis into line with trends. At the rear, the lights clusters have been altered. From a side view, new 15' wheels give the car more presence.

But the big news is the provision of VVTi-technology engines. First used in the Yaris, this particular Toyota technology is now standard in its other offerings, including the Corolla, new RAV 4 and sporty Celica and MR2.

Also on offer is a new 2-litre direct-injection petrol engine outputting 144bhp, and what on first drive appears to be a really outstanding new diesel, using what the company describes as its D4-D technology. It's a direct-injection, common-rail unit, and is claimed to be 11% more economical than its predecessor.

The other petrol engines come in 1.6- and 1.8-litre sizes, outputting 118 and 126bhp respectively, the latter already meeting emissions specifications which won't be required for another seven years.

All models have ABS and electronic brake force distribution as standard, and a fair bit of new work has been done on the suspension components to improve high-speed stability, ride comfort and steering feel.

Inside, there's been a fairly significant upgrading of trim and materials, although there's still a fair bit of a grey feel to things — lightened by some wood-effect details in the more expensive models. The now-familiar multi-function display from other Toyota cars has been incorporated into the dashboard, along with redesigned climate and audio controls. Following trends elsewhere, there's a degree of chroming on controls and vents.

At launch, we had a fairly limited time to evaluate the new car, but some things were quite clear. First, the Avensis is probably still top of its class in terms of quietness and refinement. The driving position, slightly higher than some in the class, is very good, and the seats supportive.

The 1.6-litre entry-level engine has the same power output as its predecessor, but has somewhat more torque and can do the 0-62 sprint in 11.3 seconds. It felt quite perky, given that we were driving cars from which the protective coating on the exhaust system hadn't yet burned off.

The new 1.8-litre has 17% more power than the engine it replaces, a 10sec 0-62, and 38mpg economy. It will be no doubt the one which will be most in demand in that middle-executive fleet area where the company is targeting growth. Like the same size engine in the Nissan Primera, it feels particularly right in this class of car.

What really impressed, though, was the new turbo-diesel, which pulls a massive 250Nm of torque at 2400rpm, and this shows particularly when pulling away in fourth gear, a typical overtaking situation. It is really good, and I also reckon this version will be highly popular with taxi-drivers, significant buyers of Avensis. Even in city driving, they'll enjoy 36mpg-plus, while on country driving, a whisker short of 60mpg will be achievable.

The quietness of the diesel version must also be mentioned. The predecessor engine was by no means noisy, but this is setting a new benchmark. And with a sprint capability of 11.5 seconds, it's no slouch.

It was too soon to get a real feel for the improvements claimed to the suspension — a car needs a few thousand miles on the clock before components settle down — but the Avensis still feels taut and composed.

The revamped version is available, as before, in saloon, liftback and estate form. I've often felt that, while Avensis is the top seller in its class, it has not been the most visible car on the road. I think the small visual changes made are going to improve that.

In the meantime, be aware that the new versions have price increases of around 1.5% for the petrol cars and 3.9% for the diesel. The price of progress, I suppose.

In a 22-version range, you'll pay from £17,150-£24,985 for progressing in Avensis. Rather unfortunately in these days and in this class, you'll have to pay almost £22,000 before you get A/C as standard.

There's a weather-change overdue here.

by Brian Byrne.