Toyota has started production of its 2015 Avensis family car at its British car plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire. First deliveries will take place later this month and pricing starts at £17,765 for the saloon and £18,945 for the Touring Sports estate.
Details of the 2015 Avensis range were first announced back in April, which confirmed that the new Avensis has a heavily revised design and more efficient engines compared to its predecessor. With these changes, the Avensis aims to challenge the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, which both received new-generation models not so long ago.
Highlights of the design include the new LED headlight clusters, a lower front-grille and an ‘X’ motif on the nose which is reminiscent of the latest Toyota Aygo.
Engines include an 110bhp 1.6-litre D-4D diesel, a 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a 1.8-litre petrol engine with 145bhp. The 1.6-litre diesel is the pick for customers prioritising running costs, as it can return 67.3mpg on the combined fuel cycle and CO2 emissions range between just 119g/km and 108g/km.
The petrol engine has the edge in terms of performance, covering the 0-62mph sprint in 9.4 seconds. That time is increased to 10.4 seconds with the new and improved CVT automatic gearbox. Without CVT, the petrol-driven Avensis, like the diesel models, uses the standard six-speed manual ‘box.
There are four trim levels for the 2015 Avensis line-up, starting with Active and followed by Business Edition (from £20,995), Business Edition Plus (from £22,795) and Excel (from £26,635). Standard equipment for all 2015 Avensis models includes air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and a CD/radio audio system. Also featured is a new 4.2-inch colour TFT screen which can display a wide range of data.
