In the Driving Seat with Rosie Ogden
WHEN the Toyota Avensis first arrived in Cyprus in 1998 it slipped quietly onto the market. The second generation, however, has been launched with rather more fanfare.
Toyota aims to raise the stakes in the key D segment with the launch of its all-new Avensis model. It is 50mm shorter overall than the VW Passat and 100mm shorter than the Ford Mondeo, but still looks like a true D segment car, and the high shoulder line is reminiscent of many German models. There’s an appearance of solidity, and the impression stays with you when you get into the car. The interior finish is stylish — there’s no doubt Toyota are working hard to discard the ‘made in Japan’ tag which many European motorists see as a negative.
This class of car should be comfortable, and it is. What’s perhaps more surprising is that it handles so well. The 1.8 I took for a test had automatic transmission featuring sequential shift, so I could change gear manually if I preferred. It’s the perfect combination: automatic takes care of town driving, but if you want to really drive, you still have the manual option.
The double-wishbone-type rear suspension has been derived from the Celica sports coupe, a car which has earned much press and popular acclaim for its handling. The system has been adapted for use in the Avensis and tuned to provide a more compliant ride, better suited to a family vehicle. It is still, however, a fun car to drive, with sure-footed cornering and plenty of driver feedback.
Eliminating road and engine noise has been a high priority: using what Toyota call ‘Ultra Light Concept’. This new sound damping material is highly effective in absorbing noise, and is also very light. Weight savings achieved through its use make an important contribution to fuel economy, while the soundproofing makes for a quiet drive.
I was somewhat put off when I initially sat in the driver’s seat and set about getting comfortable. The seat and steering wheel adjust easily, and the electric wing mirrors also have a retracting feature (very useful if you’re negotiating some of our narrow roads in the old part of town, and thoughtful motorists have parked on the pavement). The problem was the rear view mirror. It’s set so close to the roof that I couldn’t get my fingers round it to adjust it and ended up using two hands to manoeuvre it from both ends. A minor niggle perhaps, but a silly oversight.
From the outset, new Avensis has been designed, developed and engineered for the European market, where it will complete Toyota’s core product line-up alongside Yaris and Corolla. It will enjoy the status of Toyota’s European flagship, targeting 130,000 sales annually.
Taking into account running costs, (which more motorists should perhaps consider when they are buying a new car), competitive cost of ownership qualities were engineered into the new Avensis from the outset. Components were designed for simple repair and replacement at low cost in the event of typical low speed front and rear impacts. Major maintenance services are only needed every 20,000 miles, while more standard checks, including an oil change, are required at 10,000-mile intervals or annually.
The new Avensis is the first model in the world to be offered with an engine range which is fully compliant with EURO IV emissions regulations, but apart from its environmental credentials, Toyota are emphasising the perceived quality of the range, which was designed in Europe, with European drivers very much in mind.
Safety has also been a fundamental priority in the development of the new Avensis. As standard, nine airbags are offered across the range (except on the 1.6, which doesn’t get the side curtain airbags). All the cars include the first European standard-fit driver’s knee SRS airbag, which deploys from beneath the steering column.
Occupant protection is provided through a Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS), which is designed to absorb and disperse impact energies away from the passenger cell through high-strength sheet steel construction and the careful location of reinforcements, cross members and impact beams.
All models are equipped with ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) are standard on all 2.0-litre petrol models.
An (irritating) innovation is a dual-stage seatbelt reminder in the form of an insistent warning buzzer which sounds if the driver and front passenger fail to buckle up (mind you, considering the number of drivers here who still don’t bother with seat belts, perhaps this is not such a bad idea).
Other standard features include the provision of ISO-FIX child seat mounts with top tether anchor and ‘clear view’ Optitron instrumentation.
The 129bhp 1.8-litre VVT-i and 147bhp 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engines are developments of units which appeared in the previous generation Avensis, but they now offer lower CO2 emissions levels.
The new car is larger than the previous model but not as large from the outside as many of its competitors. The essence of the design was not to make it a cumbersome large car but to make it very roomy and spacious from the inside, using intelligent use of space.
Though three body styles — saloon, hatchback and Tourer — are available in some markets, local agents Dickran Ouzounian are bringing only the saloon and Wagon (Tourer) to Cyprus, with three trim levels to choose from, depending on the variant.
Initially there’s a choice of 1.6 litre or 1.8 VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing – intelligent) powertrain, but a 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine will join the line-up by summer. In line with Cypriot motorists’ apparent lack of interest in diesel vehicles, the 2.0-litre D-4D direct injection diesel, which will be available from May 2003 in the UK, is not going to be brought to Cyprus.
Prices start at £15,750 (£8,900 duty free) for the 1.6 manual, with the 1.8 sedan costing £20,000 (£9,800 df) and the Wagon a couple of hundred more.
NEW AVENSIS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE 1.8-litre VVT-i
Type 1ZZ-FE
Valve Mechanism DOHC-16 valve
Fuel System Electronic fuel injection
Fuel type 95 Octane
Displacement (cc) 1794
Bore x stroke 79 x 91.5
Compression ratio 10.0:1
Max. power (bhp/rpm) 129 / 6,000
Max. torque (Nm/rpm) 170 / 4,200
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
