I cannot confirm whether anyone has ever said “Nice car! What is it?” to owners of the previous two generations of the Avensis Tourer, but I can exclusively reveal variations on those words have been said to my face, without irony, on a few occasions already about our new long-term Toyota.
The third-generation model really does have presence, especially in side profile. Compare its short bonnet, raked-back windscreen and sloping roof – some 32mm lower than both my previous long-term incumbents the Ford Mondeo estate and Citroen C5 Tourer – for evidence.
Factor in the high waistline, muscular rear wheel arch shoulder flare plus, in T4 trim, a chrome accent around the whole window graphic, rear privacy glass and some decent alloys, and you have a bold and coherent look.
The quality continues inside. One below the top T-spirit spec, our T4 trim adds waxy-feel cream leather seats, a soft-touch textured dashboard and smart and unusually grained centre stack and door trims [1] that have the look of upmarket slate.
This Avensis Tourer’s cabin really feels slick – another ‘first’ statement for the model I suspect. Beyond the comfort appointments we’ve opted for the ‘Premium navigation’ pack that adds a useful full-colour satnav, 10GB music hard drive and rear parking camera for £1470, plus the obligatory metallic paint for £370.
The Tourer’s functionality has also impressed. Its boot boasts a wide load floor that lifts to reveal various trays [2] for steadying heavy shopping [3] and a decent 543/1609-litre min/max overall load volume.
It’s early days on driving impressions – our car arrived from Toyota’s stock after some 5000 miles so it’s run-in already – but the engine seems refined and the ride excellent, with just a few niggles regarding a reluctant electronic handbrake light and slightly unresponsive steering. We’ll come back to those in future reports as the new Avensis settles down into real life.
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