Toyota Avensis a new tourer de force

ROAD TEST

When around 87 per cent of your buyers are fleet and business customers it makes sense to design a car that munches the motorway miles as comfortably and efficiently as possible.

This was the brief handed to the style and engineering teams at Toyota as they planned for the latest generation Avensis saloon and Touring Sports estate models.

The feat they have pulled off is impressive by any standard – a car that will appeal not only to its target audience but also to drivers of ‘prestige’ vehicles and families.

With a stylish profile, high quality upholstery and fittings along with a smooth ride quality, the new Avensis is a beautifully engineered piece of kit.

And in the case of the tested Business Edition, one of the two trim levels along with Active trim, a fine balance of performance, economy and quality has been achieved.

British built and sleeker than before, the Avensis majors on keeping its drivers comfortable and connected.

So every model comes with Toyota Touch 2 with Go, an eight-inch touchscreen-controlled multimedia package that includes navigation, Bluetooth, DAB and access to online services for local info and journey planning.

Cruise control, auto air-con and automatic headlights and wipers also help take the stress out of those longer journeys, while Business Edition Plus models add combination leather and Alcantara upholstery, LED headlights and daytime running lights, rear privacy glass and smart entry with push-button start.

All have a redesigned driver’s seat offering extra support and comfort while improved noise vibration and harshness measures make the cabin quieter.

A pair of fleet-friendly D-4D diesel engines are at the heart of the new Avensis range in the shape of a 110bhp 1.6 unit and a new 141bhp 2.0-litre powerplant, making its Toyota debut.

The latter, a strong and extremely smooth unit, gives the estate ample performance and as you would imagine excels on the motorway.

Its official average fuel figure is a useful 61.4 miles per gallon, impressive for a vehicle of this size, though my own principally urban return was just under 48mpg.

This is a fine car to drive though and the user-friendliness is heightened by the feeling of quality evident throughout, not least from the chunky steering wheel and accessibly placed switches.

It also has safety as a priority – with a laser-controlled Pre-Crash Safety system with Autonomous Emergency Braking on all Avensis models.

And on all grades bar entry-level Active there’s also Automatic High Beam headlights, Road Sign Assist and Lane Departure Alert.

Of course if you pitch for an estate car it usually equals a need for space and the Tourer’s load capacity is immense.

It ranges from 543 to 1,609 litres with the rear seats folded and the load area is wide and flat with extra underfloor space too.

Families are also well catered for, with enough room for three rear passengers to stretch out their legs – in a car that’s sure to attract envious looks from other motorists.