The King is dead — long live the King! Nah — that’s not really true. The Camry never was King in this country. It was a big car that often didn’t match the specification levels of its rivals, and it lacked something in the desirability stakes, so it never sold in huge numbers here.
The Avensis replaces the Camry as South Africa’s Toyota flagship, although the bigger car continues to be sold elsewhere. The Avensis was designed to suit European tastes and it shows. The cockpit area is cosy, the suspension feels taut and the car delivers the ride and handling of a German sedan.
Toyota has settled on a four-model line-up to kick-off the Avensis in South Africa, with prices ranging between R213 600 and R257Â 100. The cheapest of the bunch is the five-speed manual Avensis 2,0-litre Advanced, with a four-speed auto version of the same car selling for R223 700.
Next up comes a 2,4-litre petrol Exclusive version, which comes only with a five-speed auto gearbox for R257 100, while the range-topping D-4D 2,2-litre turbodiesel with a six-speed manual transmission sells for marginally more, at R 257 500. The cars all come with loads of safety and luxury features, including front, side, knee and curtain airbags — nine in all. All models also have ABS brakes with brake assist, traction control and vehicle stability control.
Of the engine and transmission combinations available, I found that the petrol 2,0-litre with the manual transmission was a more involving car to drive than the 2,4-litre auto. With 108kW of power and 196Nm of torque available, the car reaches 100kph in about nine seconds and, according to Toyota, attains a top speed of more than 200kph.
The D-4D diesel with the six-speed manual was the one that impressed me the most. After the launch in East London I opted to drive the car back to Durban rather than hang around the airport and on the way I discovered what a superb high-speed tourer it is. Travelling at 120kph sees the rev-counter lurking at about 2 000rpm, just below peak torque and the car pulls strongly from there in top gear.
Toyota has built a superb driver’s car here, with its strength lying in fast touring, preferably along winding roads. Now we just need a 170kW sports version to put the cherry on the top.