2015 Toyota Avensis

bazz26

Not a lot of details on this yet but it's a facelift of the current 2009 model rather than a new car from the ground up. Interior gets an overhaul and the chassis gets tweaked. New engines including the BMW 1.6 diesel and turbo petrol units. On sale in June apparently. Riveting stuff.

TheBigGreen

Avensis is probably the car I hate looking at the most!

166man

That estate looks very Mazda 6 estate-esque...

Still, as you say yourself, riveting stuff! Will sell in its thousands because it's the best built car in the world though....!

ofcork

Turbo petrol could be interesting as petrol avensis are as rare as hens teeth,definitely only a facelift though same crease along the doors.

Damien360

The interiors of Toyota's are dull as ditch water. We have an 07 petrol avensis as family car and I can't stand driving it but the damn thing is the most reliable car we have ever had. Have it since 08 with very minor issues relating to age (battery, wiper motor)

colm_mcm

This is one of the first times they've facelifted/reskinned a facelift.
Same idea as the current lexus IS.


To be fair, the outgoing passat is a good example of how to get the most out of a model run.
They ran it for 9 years by keeping it fresh with new engines.

If you get the basic architecture right to start with, you don't need to keep starting from scratch to respond to competition.
All the avensis needs is a better feel of quality, a usable handbrake and new engines. Toyota did a good job on the auris interior, so I'd be confident they can find life in the old girl

bazz26

Besides Ireland and a few other small countries the Avensis isn't selling in large enough numbers across Europe. Seems a chicken and egg situation to me - it doesn't sell well because it doesn't lead the class in any area so in turn Toyota don't seem to want to invest in future models, hence the rehash.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

colm_mcm

Ironically If it were built in Japan it'd have a more certain future as a model. And if it were, it would be so expensive that it'd die a death in Europe either way.

Its a shame that saloons are going out of fashion. Lookalike 5 door hatchbacks. Faux jeeps and MPVs are all we'll see eventually

Duke O Smiley

166man wrote: »

Still, as you say yourself, riveting stuff! Will sell in its thousands because it's the best built car in the world though....!

No doubt every second owner will be announcing "its got a BEE-EM engine" to no end

colm_mcm

Yeah, the donedeal ads in 10 years time!
It'll be the Rover 75 all over again!

bazz26

I'm not sure having a BMW diesel engine fitted is something to be boasting about these days. :pac:

colm_mcm

Is this engine somehow related to the PSA HDI. Its the one that replaced the HDI in the mini isn't it?

Duke O Smiley

Thered a HDI in the Mini?

I'm losing track now, thats the new new Minis I presume?

colm_mcm

Not HDI any more, bmw unit now.

It was toyota 1.4, PSA 1.6 , then bmw 1.6

ninty9er

Is this an attempt at competing with Hyundai/Kia on price??

The Insignia, Mondeo and Passat are fleet favourites, whereas the Avensis was top of the retail pile.

One of the larger fleet companies has dozens of unwanted, undriven, unloved Insignia's in its car park with the new Mondeo and Passat on the scene.

colm_mcm

ninty9er wrote: »

Is this an attempt at competing with Hyundai/Kia on price??
.

How do you mean?

Drummerboy08

colm_mcm wrote: »

Not HDI any more, bmw unit now.

It was toyota 1.4, PSA 1.6 , then bmw 1.6

Its the PSA unit in the Toyota i think? The new diesel engine in the MINI and certain new BMW'S is a 3 cylinder 1.5

Damien360

ninty9er wrote: »

Is this an attempt at competing with Hyundai/Kia on price??

The Insignia, Mondeo and Passat are fleet favourites, whereas the Avensis was top of the retail pile.

One of the larger fleet companies has dozens of unwanted, undriven, unloved Insignia's in its car park with the new Mondeo and Passat on the scene.

Are they base model insignia's ? Horrible yokes. Mid spec is lovely machine and I had one of them. Bit thirsty on diesel. The BIK on mid spec ones used to be steeper than it's competitors. Still think mid spec superb is best value and practical car all round.

ninty9er

colm_mcm wrote: »

How do you mean?

Cut the price as the development cost has been pretty much amortised at this stage.

colm_mcm

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Its the PSA unit in the Toyota i think? The new diesel engine in the MINI and certain new BMW'S is a 3 cylinder 1.5

Bmw build the new 1.6 engine in the uk afaik

bazz26

It's not the same engine as the new MINI. The new MINI's 1.5 litre is 3 cylinder. The 1.6 litre Toyota is using is 4 cylinder and found in the 114d/116d and previous model MINI afaik.

colm_mcm

Yeah, think they used it in the mini from 2011 or so.
Just curious as to whether it was a rip off of the PSA engine, which ironically toyota use in the badge engineered proace.

bazz26

What's even funnier is that Ford are replacing the 1.6 litre PSA engine as it won't meet Euro VI regulations.

colm_mcm

Hopefully they replace it with something better.
What's the craic with the ford 1.5 tdci in the fiesta, that's a development of the 1.6, seems odd to only shed 100cc, maybe that'll replace the 1.6?

bazz26

That's slowly replacing the 1.6 in the Focus and Mondeo too. I guess they probably have a license agreement with PSA to produce/fit x number of 1.6 TDCi engines first.

BdaraB

colm_mcm wrote: »

Hopefully they replace it with something better.
What's the craic with the ford 1.5 tdci in the fiesta, that's a development of the 1.6, seems odd to only shed 100cc, maybe that'll replace the 1.6?

It's to do with tax in China and India, lessens the retail price and the annual tax rate. It's the same reason why the 1.6 Ecoboost is being replaced with a 1.5 too.

On the topic of the Avensis anybody else remember the last time they facelifted it and said it was the biggest facelift they ever gave a car while it stayed pretty similar?

colm_mcm

That was the 03 model, they facelifted it in 06 and called it the "remastered" avensis.

Oafley Jones

colm_mcm wrote: »

This is one of the first times they've facelifted/reskinned a facelift.
Same idea as the current lexus IS.

The IS is a completely new car. Rest of the older Lexus range just got the spindle nose. It is hard to get excited by the avensis.

Stallingrad

God it must be soul destroying working in the Toyota design department. The company has all the engineering might in the world, yet wraps it in up such anodyne, bland, dross.

ba_barabus

colm_mcm wrote: »

Yeah, the donedeal ads in 10 years time!
It'll be the Rover 75 all over again!

I bet it'll end up as desirable as the Corollas fitted with the PSA diesel engines.

mailforkev

Stallingrad wrote: »

God it must be soul destroying working in the Toyota design department. The company has all the engineering might in the world, yet wraps it in up such anodyne, bland, dross.

Have you sat in one? Father in law has a decent spec 2014 one and it has some of the cheapest feeling plastics I've seen in a while.

Every other car in its class is significantly nicer, My own father has a new model Mazda 6 and you would guess it was a way more expensive car. Never mind the new Passat.

They also have a newish Yaris which feels no better in quality than a 2003 one I used to own.