New Toyota Avensis

You can always rely on a Toyota Avensis and the latest model is unlikely to be any exception. Improvements across the board with a particular focus on safety and the environment should go down well with buyers.

Toyota is eager to emphasis that this Avensis has been designed to appeal to European tastes. Created in the South of France and manufactured in the UK at Toyota's Burnaston plant, today's Avensis is off to a promisingly European start.

Toyota has wheeled out its latest engine technology to power the Avensis. The petrol engines are of the Valvematic configuration which improve efficiency and increase power through an advanced combustion process. There's a 1.8-litre engine with 145bhp and a 2.0-litre packing 150bhp that can reach 60mph in a swift 9s when fitted to the saloon body. The diesels use the latest generation of Toyota's tried and tested D-4D technology and comprise a 130bhp 2.0-litre with 310Nm or torque, a 150bhp 2.2-litre with 340Nm and another 2.2-litre with 180bhp and 400Nm. That later engine has some serious firepower behind it and is capable of hitting 60mph in 8.5s. There's a manual gearbox as standard or the option for petrol buyers of the Multidrive S CVT gearbox which is available with wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The diesels are available with a conventional six speed automatic.

Toyota has achieved a suitably sleek shape for both saloon and Tourer estate models. At the front, diamond headlamps smear dramatically back in to the front wings and the chrome-ringed grille sits above a large central air intake.

This Toyota is 50mm longer than the previous model and is wider by the same amount with a lengthy wheelbase of 2,700mm. This all adds up to a generously proportioned cabin and a good-sized boot tagging along behind. In the Tourer model, cargo rails help to keep unruly loads in check and the seats have a one-touch folding mechanism.

The Avensis is available with a sizable haul of equipment that includes dual-zone air-conditioning, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and cruise control. Other high tech additions include a touch screen satellite navigation system, keyless entry and start technology and an 11-speaker stereo with a 10Gb hard drive. The Tourer model can also be ordered with a panoramic glass roof.

From a safety perspective, the car has seven airbags and active headrests featuring on every model. VSC+ stability control is available which can make steering inputs and apply selective braking to pull the car out of a slide and there's the option of the AFS Adaptive Front lighting System for improved visibility at night. Toyota even offers ACC Adaptive Cruise Control that maintains a set speed and distance from the car in front when cruising.

Toyota has been hard at work minimising the cost of running an Avensis and the figures make impressive reading. 41mpg and 163g/km emissions from the 1.8-litre petrol engine is a decent showing but the 2.0-litre diesel trumps it emphatically with a 55mpg average and a tax-friendly CO2 reading of 134g/km.

All Avensis models with automatic gearboxes are also equipped with an ECO driving indicator that shows the driver how efficient their driving style is. On manual cars, this is replaced by a shift indicator that advises on the best time to shift up or down.

The design builds on the solid foundations laid down by the previous model and its attempts to bring a little extra sparkle to the look and feel of the package appear to have been successful.

The increased focus on the environment and safety in the latest Avensis should pay dividends and Toyota has also introduced a raft of new technologies both in the engine bay and elsewhere on the car.