It’s time to try out the Toyota Avanza and see what the fuss is about this machine.
It’s time to try out the Toyota Avanza and see what the fuss is about this machine.
1 931 vehicles have been delivered in South Africa in its first month, while Settler City Toyota have already sold 10 since its launch here three weeks ago.
I drove the Avanza 1.3 SX, which offers multi-purpose utility and good looks. The Avanza is an entry level multi-purpose vehicle that attracts the families and will be great as a mom’s taxi.
Toyota have stated that this could also be a replacement for the Tazz, for those who wanted something a little larger than the Yaris.
Inside, the spacious Avanza brags of anti-lock brakes, air bags, built-in radio, air conditioning, a nifty bottle holder to the right of the steering wheel, on the dash, as well as digital clock in the middle of the dash.
There’s plenty of head and shoulder space and lots of room for both driver and passenger and comfortable seating. The instrument panel houses the speedometer and rev counter.
The deep side doors open wide and the high seating position makes climbing in and out the vehicle easy for all. The door panels are plastic and are robust and rattle-free. There are magazine pockets behind the front seat, bins and cup holders in all four doors.
The passenger airbag unit first made me think it was a drawer on top of the dash, but then I realised it’s the airbag cover. There is not much boot space with all seats in place, but the back row and the middle row can fold flat for that extra space.
So, pack the car full for mom’s taxi during the week and fold the back seat for the extra cases for a family weekend. Fuel consumption is about 8.6 litres per 100km.
The McPherson suspension in front and a four-link coil spring system at the back provides a stable and balanced feel with great passenger comfort on all road surfaces. It also has ABS brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution.
The base model is the 1.3 S, followed by the 1.3SX, the 1.5 SX and the 1.5 TX. The vehicle is also a lot cheaper than other vehicles its size, but they come with smaller engines. The 1.3 litre engine has a maximum power of 67kW at 6 000rpm with a maximum torque of 120Nm at 4 400rpm.
It reaches 100km/h from stand still in 12.8 seconds and has a top speed of 165km/h. The 1.3 SX is priced at R116 300, while the bottom of the range 1.3 S goes for R99 900 and the 1.5 SX sells for R122 900. The top-of-the-range 1.6 TX goes for R139 900.
Go for a test drive at Settler City Toyota.
