As predicted for the new Toyota Avanza, this affordable people mover is definitely taking the South African buyer's market by storm. A week into the release of the new 2006 Toyota Avanza, some dealers are running out of brochures, and demonstration rides often have to be booked in advance.
And affordable it is, especially with an entry-level 7-seat Avanza 1.3 S - with many excellent features! - coming in at just under R100 000, according to the latest news stories. The price alone is enough to make it a winner! The affordable price is also beneficial when it comes to getting an e-quoted car insurance rate from Dial Direct, Outsurance, or Budget Insurance.
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However, not everyone would need to transport 6 passengers all the time, and the good designers at Toyota South Africa seem to have made it impossible to remove the row of seats in the boot area.
Trying to free up luggage space for that holiday trip with the two kids, leaves you only with the option of folding the seat forward, seriously compromising the otherwise huge luggage area!
The trademark trim of the manufacturer is what you can expect to see, albeit in new color schemes. The overall effect is quite pleasing and doesn't look cheap. An extensive Toyota Avanza accessory list is available for the new 1.5 Avanza Toyota or Toyota Avanza 1.3 to personalize the interior and styling of the vehicles.
At the price one might expect a fairly small vehicle, but space is not a problem, and even the back row is designed to carry adults over medium distances - without luggage!
As can be expected with a relatively big car able to seat seven adults, the entry level models are somewhat sluggish at 1.3 liters, even with 67kW of power (120Nm torque). The 1.5 liter models - the SX and TX - would definitely be a safer option (at 80kW and 141Nm) when overtaking with a full complement of passengers on board.
The view is great all around, and you can just see the sloped nose to judge your parking distances.
The dials are clear and visible, with all the main controls where you would expect to find them - still following the time-tested layout!
On the safety side, all the models - except the entry model - have dual front airbags and ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.
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A boot lid: if you've folded forward the rear bench to make way for your shopping bags, don't expect to hide your purchases away from prying eyes under a lid - the vehicle unfortunately doesn't make provision for a luggage area cover.
A comfortable middle seat: the middle bench is split in two halves to fold forward individually, which means the person sitting in the middle seat could be in for a somewhat uncomfortable ride over longer distances. A two-thirds split would have made much more sense in what is clearly a family car!
Despite these shortcomings, and judging by the reaction to Toyota Avanza pictures, the new model will probably sell like hot cakes. It offers a lot for very little: even the entry-model 1.3 S has power steering, electric windows and remote central locking.
If the South African public's reaction to the new car is anything close to the experience of Toyota Avanza Malaysia or Indonesia, Toyota will have to speed up assembly lines in a hurry, and Dial Direct and their counterparts will have to get their car insurance quotes ready to roll...
Very soon this car will be as in demand at repossessed car auctions as Cadillac Escalades overseas.
In fact, at the current price, Toyota Avanza South Africa hardly has any direct competition to contend with!
