Toyota Avensis 2,0 Valvematic 2015 – facelift of the samurai sword
Toyota has never been famous for its serious facelifts, the Japanese believed that there was no point in changing what was good. However, everything changes with the premiere of the updated Avensis model.
It seems that Japanese manufacturers have set to work to even more aggressively deal with German competitors in European markets. First, a very decisive and fast facelift of the new Mazda 6, and now a thorough refresh of the Toyota Avensis. The manufacturer from Tokyo decided on such a massive change that the facelift version can be safely called a completely new generation.
From the very beginning, the completely redesigned front apron attracts attention. Toyota has begun referencing other models on offer, and now the LED lights, new air intakes, and a large brand badge in the middle are arranged in an X-like shape. There are also significant styling changes at the rear. Here, a chrome strip that previously added a rather subtle accent above the license plate now runs from light to light across the entire body. As a result, the rear end looks a little more refined, while the characteristic ribbing and new LEDs adorning the back strap also refer to the shape of the third letter from the end of the alphabet.
Interior rearranged
Speaking of style, let's take a look inside. Here she came completely new dashboard with a completely redesigned center console. Now it is clearly separated from the middle tunnel, and the infotainment system has also been fundamentally changed. Its heart is an 8-inch display surrounded by buttons on either side. In addition, a 4,5-inch display is placed between the even more readable clock on the instrument panel, which, of course, works with all multimedia in the car.
The interior trim used completely new, even better materials. The plastic is soft, sits pretty well, but still in new Toyota Avensis there is something to complain about in terms of functionality. There is only one cup for drinks on the front, which seems unthinkable in the D segment. In addition, there are no small compartments, there is nowhere to put a mobile phone. The only attractive place for this is a narrow shelf between the center console and the center tunnel, which simply does not fit into anything else.
The seats on the new Toyota Avensis are comfortable, but taller passengers will complain about the rather heavily contoured seats, which have been prepared for shorter people who can feel neck and neck pain after a long drive. There is plenty of space above your head, unfortunately, a little less in the back, but this is fully compensated by a flat floor, so it will be more convenient for three passengers on the back sofa to put their feet. Unfortunately, in the back of the central tunnel there is no storage space, airflow control and even ventilation grilles. Another thing that would seem obvious in a car of this class.
Continuation of the news
The luggage compartment of the Avensis sedan holds just over 500 liters, and a definite plus is the low loading threshold, which facilitates the transportation of bulky and heavy items. An interesting fact is that there are two hidden levers in the trunk. One of them for sequential opening of the fuel tank hatch in the event of a failure of the main lock, and the second makes the Toyota Avensis unsuitable as a car for gangs who kidnap people for ransom. There is a lever here that allows you to emergency open the trunk lid from the inside, in case someone somehow improbably crashes into the trunk of a sedan.
Toyota engineers also developed new wishbones and dampers for the refreshed Avensis model, and the entire suspension system was tuned so that the car was as comfortable as possible. The same applies to the steering system, it is not too precise, but allows you to easily travel on a soft Japanese cruiser. It seems like the last thing the Avensis designers thought about was sports. Both the chassis and powertrains are absolutely not suitable for aggressive, fast driving.
Since we got to the engines, it is worth noting that very large, but at the same time very imperceptible changes have taken place here. The power and power of gasoline units remained the same, but the injection systems were improved, the compression ratio of the units was changed and now they are even more economical. The range of gasoline engines includes three positions: the base 1,6 liter with 132 hp, the popular and optimal 1,8 liter with 147 hp. and only 5 hp more powerful than the 2,0 liter unit. Toyota acknowledged that with such a small difference in power between the two top designs, the vast majority of buyers in our market choose the 1,8-liter version, so the largest 2,0-liter engine is offered only with an automated CVT transmission. In the instance we tested, this kit proved to be very worthy, after refueling a 60-liter tank, the car can even travel 1000 km. The new Toyota Avensis, even with this unit, does not belong to the sprinters, because the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in about 10 seconds.
There are two more diesel engines to choose from. Smaller 1,6-liter D-4D with 112 hp. is actually a replacement for the former 2,0-liter D-4D. The Japanese also offer a more powerful 2,0 D-4D variant, which is definitely more suitable for D-segment cars, which already put out 143 hp. and 320 Nm of torque. BMW is responsible for both designs, who was commissioned by Toyota to prepare these units, because the Japanese simply do not have much experience with diesels in the world.
In addition to the design and trim materials, the power units include a whole list of security systems installed in the new Toyota Avensis. These include, for example, systems that read traffic signs, a lane assistant or automatically turn on and off high beams, which ensure that drivers traveling in the oncoming lane are not dazzled. The main changes have definitely benefited the car, as has the fact that now Prices for Toyota Avensis start at PLN 86.because that's what you have to pay for a sedan with a base 1,6-liter petrol unit and base Active trim. Interestingly, this is about PLN 3000 cheaper than the previous price for the old version of this model. The top diesel engine 2,0 D-4D with the Prestige package and station wagon will cost almost PLN 140. The launch of a heavily updated model is also a great opportunity to save money by buying the old version of Avensis, which will now be offered at a discount of PLN 000.
