Toyota Avensis test drive 2003 - 2006 sedan

Toyota Avensis car review

General
European specification
Admission to Japan is planned in the fall of 2003.
The power of Toyota in the domestic market is absolute. Along with a strong sales strategy and variety in the assortment, its financial resources are amazing. Even in the segment of the minivans, the only one where Toyota did not occupy a leading position, she finally ahead of Honda and reached the very top. It is quite obvious that she has no worthy opponents. However, Toyota has a good feature to be critical. And now, when the victory in the fight against Honda is almost in her hands, Toyota seriously began to engage in the development of the European market.
Avensis, produced at the factory in England, is a model that was developed to increase the presence of Toyota in Europe. Its peculiarity is that its design, running qualities is a product of complete awareness of the requirements of the European market. So much so that Avensis should be called a European car manufactured by Toyota.
Toyota claims that Yaris (the name in Japan Vitz), the sales of which have already begun, and Avensis will make up a core, due to which until 2005 the company will increase its presence in the European market with 3% (the share that it now occupies) to 5%. Since there was no such thing that Toyota did not reach its planned indicators, this task will be realized. Moreover, it seems to me very likely that it is realized before the intended deadline. The fact is that Avensis has already entered sale in Europe and received good grades.
It is noteworthy that Avensis, as they say, will go on sale in Japan in the same fall. I feel big claims from Toyota here. The fact that the appearance of Avensis in Japan will not be reduced to the simple fact of the sale of a strategic car oriented to Europe there is an unprecedented case when, a few months before the start of sales specifically for the press, they organized a club to make trial trips on this machine. Thus, following the defeat of Honda in the Minivan market, Toyota finally began to scatter her tentacles into the market of imported cars.
Exterior and interior
Avensis is aimed at the market of medium sedans called D-class in Europe. Its rivals are VW Passat, Opel Vectra, Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, Peugeot 406 and others (with the exception of three Mercedes-Benz C-class, BMW 3 series and Audi A4, which are almost the same, but in terms of price range Relate to the D -Premium segment located one rank above the rank). Actually, Mazda Atenza, Subaru Legacy and Honda Accord are also rivals, but the peculiarity of Avensis is that it is more purposefully looking for its way to Europe.
The appearance is clearly expressed with an emphasis on monolithic. The fact is that the refined lines characteristic of the previous Toyota cars look beautiful in Japan, but look weak in Europe. In this sense, the appearance of Avensis with a life -affirming front part and squat form will not be lost on stone streets. It is interesting how Japanese users will appreciate this exterior who denies Toyota values.
The interior is finished in the best European traditions. I wanted to say, in the same way, impeccable quality, however, in fact, then here, the inappropriate Toyota are peeping rude misses so, unprotected mold remains remained along the edges of the door pockets, etc. Apparently, this is a consequence of the fact that production, including the delivery of components, is organized in England. True, we were assured that before the start of sales in Japan, all measures would be taken, therefore, at least, cars of the Japanese specification (and tested the car for England) will acquire the proper quality of Toyota.
 
Performance
Since the driving qualities of the car were polished to such an extent that in this regard to satisfy the most demanding in the world of the European user, the chassis of Avensis is made at a good level. The car makes it possible to feel its capabilities in relation to the running characteristics, which always has confidence - great resistance in withstanding a rectilinear movement at high speeds, which can even be called high, which is not properly present and behavior in turn, when the excellent remains excellent Clutch with a roadless canvas. If you try to drive, you can understand that this model claims to another bar, namely the premio level. True, there is still some dissatisfaction, when comparing Avensis with soundly made European Class D, for example, with Ford Mondeo or Opel Vectra. So, the body, declared by Toyota as an ultra -resistant, can be tough for calculations, but it feels so. It seems that in places of joint of the suspension and body the rigidity is weak, especially on bad roads. In other words, we do not have strength, but an idea of \u200b\u200bstrength. This feeling cannot be obtained by computer analysis. Regarding the sensations on the steering wheel, the impression also appears that Avensis does not reach Peugeot 406, a model that lives its age. Since Toyota began to seriously deal with this topic, it is believed that sooner or later she will receive excellent running characteristics, but today, unfortunately, Avensis is still far from the level of European cars.
Although the undoubted fact is that thanks to Avensis, Toyota cars moved a step away from the previous framework. For example, it is worth noting that Toyota took a step that is not permissible in previous machines, namely, instead of a regular scheme, it began to tightly close the space between the wheel and the body in the wheel of the wheel.
On the eve of the opening of LEXUS stores in Japan, the technical and sales departments of Toyota, scheduled for 2005, conduct systematic preparations for this step, started by the strategy for the displacement of imported cars. Is Toyota really, currently occupying the largest market shares in almost all segments, will succeed in the struggle for users of imported cars? We will monitor her subsequent actions.
 
 

A source: CarView.co.jp