4:44pm Tuesday 2nd June 2009
By Steve Teale
The next time you walk by a taxi rank, have a close look and count how many Toyotas there are there.
More than one or two, I bet. And many will be the Avensis, the spacious and not unattractive saloon.
The reason? Well, it can’t be the price. Avensis might offer decent value, but there are cheaper big saloons around. So their popularity must be down to one thing: reliability.
If you’re income is dependant on transporting Bradfordians around in all weathers, you’ll want a car which will go... and go... and go.
Toyota triumphs in the JD Power reliability survey year after year, thanks to cars like the Avensis, and that’s why cabbies and others who prize reliability over style sing their praises.
This is the third generation model, which went on sale recently, and it has to be said it has much more character than the previous Avensises – or is that Avenses, or even Avensi? – which were a little bland.
This car, created at Burnaston in Derbyshire, is Bradford’s most locally-built model.
Avensis has always been a car aimed at fleet users, but it also has a little style about it. Better than a Ford or Vauxhall, definitely, but not quite as good as, say, BMW or Audi.
This third generation model is an all new car using a new platform, and is even more focused on attracting drivers and, of course, fleet managers who are keen to secure a vehicle that represents a smart choice as well as a stylish one.
But it majors on high economy and low emissions in a bid to appear ‘green’. Toyota calls it Optimal Drive, a series of technologies which try to make the car as environmentally-friendly as possible.
If there is a word of criticism, it’s that the cabin is a little dull.
There are premium hints all about it; the clamshell bonnet is reminiscent of Saab 93, while the broad shoulders and flared arches offer more than a hint of Lexus.
The Avensis makes no pretensions about being a premium contender, but it feels extremely solid and looks suitably upmarket, regardless.
Key to its appeal is a range of what Toyota believes are highly-efficient and cost-effective engines. There is no outright ‘planet-saver’ in the line-up; instead, the whole range features what Toyota has termed Optimal Drive – revisions across the board to engines and drive-trains to maximise fuel consumption and minimise emissions.
The introduction of a new six-speed Multidrive S CVT gearbox for the petrol engine models, and a brand new six-speed automatic for the diesel powered cars, are intended to make a difference, as are revisions to the engine-mapping and componentry of the four diesel units themselves, varying in output from 126bhp to 177bhp.
The most obvious example of Optimal Drive in action, however, is the introduction of the new Valvematic petrol units. Building on the variable valve timing systems of previous generations, the Valvematic system goes further by continuously adjusting the lift of the inlet and outlet valves for maximum efficiency.
Needless to say, the whys and wherefores are best left to the men in white coats, but the real world returns in terms of fuel economy are impressive. Emissions, particularly from the 1.8-litre Valvematic, have been capped at a rate that will particularly appeal to business-users and fleet managers, while fuel consumption is improved by up to 26 per cent.
While some manufacturers are keen to disassociate themselves from the fleet sector, Toyota has no qualms about aiming the Avensis squarely at the sector.
The previous generation models have been branded as the boring choice for the disinterested driver, and while sharper styling and perkier engines will do a little to improve the image, there’s no getting away from the fact that the Avensis is an outrageously sensible car.
This shouldn’t detract from the Avensis’ appeal. In saloon and Tourer form, it’s a spacious and capable business and family car. The smaller petrol unit is impressive, but here we have the 2.0-litre variant which is splendid. Smooth, powerful and reasonably economical.
It’s smooth, too, and a very easy car to drive. The automatic gearbox is swift and smooth, and the presence of an electric parking brake as standard is good.
Four trim levels offer varying degrees of equipment, but the Avensis is comfortable from the entry level model, thanks to a carefully tuned suspension set-up.
It’s also very safe, with standard stability control system which applies torque to the steering assist in emergency manoeuvres, and all models feature seven airbags.
A definite improvement in terms of equipment, styling and performance, the new Avensis largely carries on where the old model left off. Granted, it’s still not the most exciting car in the segment, but it’s a dependable and sensible choice that should prove more popular than ever with dependable and sensible drivers.
Next time you’re in a Toyota taxi, take note.
PRICE: £21,230. The range starts at £16,560.
ENGINE: A 1,986cc, four cylinder engine generating 150bhp.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 127mph, 0-60mph in ten seconds.
COSTS: Combined 40.4mpg.
INSURANCE: Group 10E.
EMISSIONS: 164g/km.
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