Toyota’s new Avensis (2008): more photos and details

By Nick Eaton

First Official Pictures

10 September 2008 12:30

Two weeks ago, Toyota showed a solitary rear three-quarters photograph of the new Avensis. Today, it has released a slew of new photos to show how the saloon and estate will look from all angles.

Toyota’s new Mondeo rival arrives at the 2008 Paris motor show, but here are our first impressions of the new Avensis ahead of its French debut.

The first photograph of the Avensis made it look remarkably like the Lexus IS, with a dose of BMW styling thrown in around the back for good measure.

Now we can see the snout of the Avensis, we can see the family lineage shared with the outgoing model. Thankfully it doesn’t have the same boxy feel that the old car had, thanks to lights that have been stretched up the sides of the bonnet and a more pointed nose.

Don’t expect the new car to be a sporty coupe-inspired saloon though – a VW Passat CC it is not. Instead Toyota claims the new Avensis has been developed with comfort in mind, not sporting pretensions.

It is designed to be more refined, with an emphasis on ride comfort and a feel of quality (perhaps a deliberate echo of Lexus-inspired styling). That’s why we won’t get a hatchback version of the new model, but Toyota claims that previous hatchback owners will be catered for by the new Touring.

Click ‘Next’ to read all about the new Toyota Avensis estate

By Nick Eaton