Advanced Avensis

A long-standing player in the fleet market, the Toyota Avensis has undergone a refresh for 2016. GreenFleet finds increased efficiency, comfort, refinement, space, and technology are among the key attractions for fleet buyers.

What is it?

The Toyota Avensis has offered fleet drivers a mid-sized Japanese car choice for almost 20 years. It replaced the popular Carina E in 1997, and like its Ford Mondeo rival, was available in five-door ‘liftback’, four-door saloon and five-door estate models. Unlike its American-badged competition, though, the Avensis has been (and still is) proudly built in Britain, at Toyota’s Derbyshire factory at Burnaston. Now, only saloon and ‘Touring Sports’ estate versions are available, but with four trim levels to choose from, there’s still plenty of choice, especially with the recently-introduced Business Edition and Business Edition Plus models.

The latest Avensis is the third-generation model, which was introduced in 2009. Following minor changes in 2012, a more major refresh was introduced in 2015, which brought a revised front grille, new headlights and rear tail lamps, as well as a new interior.

The refresh works well, with the new car adopting the pinched face also applied to the smaller Aygo and Yaris, and the 2016 Avensis looks more stylish for it. The optional Orion Blue metallic paint of our test car gave an appearance similar to that of the Avensis’ stablemate, the hydrogen-powered Mirai.

The comprehensive Toyota Safety Sense package appeared for the first time with the 2015 revisions, and a 1.6-litre diesel engine replaced the previous 2.0 unit for better efficiency and economy. It might be surprising to learn that the Avensis also has a motorsport career, with four independent teams running versions of the Japanese mid-sized saloon in the British Touring Car Championship.

How does it drive?

The Euro 6 diesel engines in the new Avensis range are, maybe surprisingly, BMW-sourced and the 1.6-litre unit in our test car had adequate performance – 0-62mph comes up in 9.5 seconds – and with 199lb ft (270Nm) of torque available between 1,750 to 2,250rpm, low to mid-range responses are good. But, with the limited rev range window, the six-speed manual gearbox needs to be used frequently to make good progress.

Toyota has tweaked most of the mechanicals, so the car is better to drive than before, too. But while responses are sharp enough, selected rivals such as the Ford Mondeo may prove to be more fun off the motorway. With the Avensis being a fleet favourite, the car fares well at speeds at which it will spend a great deal of its time. When cruising at legal limits outside urban areas, it’s a refined and quiet machine. 

While excitement may be in short supply, comfort, refinement and technology are not, and it’s here where the big Toyota scores. The new Avensis’ cabin feels cocooning and extremely comfortable, if a little short on style. The new dashboard takes styling cues from Toyota’s other more recent models, with the infotainment system graphics recognisable from cars such as the new Prius. While the economy readings can be difficult to read sometimes, the system responds well and the standard satellite navigation system is a worthwhile and clear addition.

How economical is it?

Claimed economy for the Avensis Business Edition Plus is 67.3mpg on the combined cycle, although over our 376-mile test, we averaged 48.4mpg. The best figure we read off the car’s computer system was 55.5mpg. It is worth noting that in most cases, the claimed economy of the Touring Sports model is lower than that of the more traditional saloon, with the poorest performing version the 1.8-litre petrol‑powered estate, for which Toyota quotes 45.6mpg with manual transmission.

What does it cost?

The Avensis Business Edition Plus starts at £23,115 for the 1.8-litre petrol Valvematic 18PV (147bhp) six-speed saloon, with our lower-powered 110bhp 1.6 D-4D test car coming in at £23,955 for the six-speed manual version. Specify the automatic gearbox and the price rises to £24,365 for the petrol‑powered car. The top-spec 2.0 D-4D diesel saloon with 141bhp manual is £24,955, while Business Edition Touring Sport models around £1,200 more than their notchback siblings. Our test car featured optional £450 Orion Blue metallic paint.

While Business Edition models are cheaper, there is some useful extra kit on the upgraded Plus specification. Additional features include 17-inch ‘machine-faced’ alloys wheels, leather seats with alcantara inserts, LED headlamps and daytime running lights (with automatic levelling), font fog lamps with cornering function, keyless entry, as well as privacy glass from the B-pillar back. Shared equipment with the lower-priced Business Edition models includes Toyota Touch 2 with Go satellite navigation system, auto lights and wipers, electric, windows, automatic air conditioning, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with DAB/Bluetooth/USB/iPod/AUX connectivity, a colour 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display ahead of the driver, a reversing camera, as well as Toyota’s Safety Sense package (auto high-beam, lane departure alert, (pre‑collision, and road sign assist systems).

Among the Avensis Business Edition Plus’ competition, the five-door, 148bhp 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel-powered Ford Mondeo costs from £24,745 in near-equivalent Titanium specification, while the four-door Volkswagen Passat SE Business is £25,045 with a 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel engine. Unlike the Toyota and Ford, there is no petrol‑powered version of the German car.

The South Korean Hyundai i40 SE Nav Business 1.7 CRDi with 139bhp starts at £23,995, while the 134bhp Vauxhall Insignia Tech Line 1.6 CDTi Start/Stop ecoFLEX costs £22,764, but is cheaper to tax, with emissions of just 99g/km. Another key rival is the good-looking and practical Skoda Superb – the 108g/km SE Business 1.6 TDI 120 is priced at £22,055.

How much does it cost to tax?

Toyota quotes CO2 emissions of 109g/km for the 1.6 D-4D Business Edition Plus. This means it just slots into VED Band B, which has first-year tax rate of £0, followed by £20 per year thereafter. Interestingly, the smaller-wheeled Avensis 1.6 D-4D models emit 1g/km of CO2 less, while the ‘dirtiest’ model sits squarely into VED Band F, which attracts a first-year and standard rate of £145. Benefit in Kind 2016-2017 rates range from the 21 per cent of our test car to 28 per cent for the 143g/km versions.

Why does my fleet need one?

Approved by environmental transport website Next Green Car, and with an NGC Rating of 36, the Toyota Avensis saloon is one of the greenest cars in the large family class. While the drive might not be as sharp as the new looks, the big Toyota enjoys a five‑year/100,000-mile warranty, and is immensely practical with a colossal 509-litre boot. Competitively priced with increased efficiency, and with both more on-board and safety technology, the new Toyota Avensis enjoys the reputation built up and shared by its predecessors: for fleet buyers, it remains a comfortable and dependable choice.