Toyota Improves Safety Specification For Five-Star Avensis

The Toyota Avensis already has the distinction of achieving the highest five-star rating for passenger crash protection in Euro-NCAP testing. Now Toyota is strengthening its standard safety package by introducing Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRC) and Brake Assist (BA) on all 1.8 VVT-i models.

These features are in addition to the standard ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and provide greater levels of control in hazardous driving conditions. VSC automatically controls engine output and braking to each wheel to keep the car under control when a loss of grip is detected. The driver is warned of the system activating by a buzzer and flashing light on the dashboard control panel.

Traction Control reduces wheelspin on slippery surfaces, using computer control to feed appropriate power to the driving wheels for smooth and secure pulling away and acceleration.

Brake Assist recognises emergency braking by monitoring brake pedal speed and pressure. It ensures that maximum braking performance is applied in an emergency situation and that the ABS and EBD functions operate fully.

The new specification will be introduced on 1 March. To take this into account, on-the-road prices for the 1.8 VVT-i models will rise by £382. This compares very favourably with option prices of up to £900 for similar systems from other manufacturers. VSC, TRC and BA are already standard on 2.0 and 2.4-litre VVT-i Avensis models.

At the same time, on-the-road prices for 2.0 and 2.4-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel Avensis models will increase by £132, significantly below the recent rises announced for a number of competitor D segment models. Full pricing details are given in the table below.

UK Avensis range pricing, effective from 1 March 2004

ENDS