Toyota Reveal Their New 'Third Generation' Diesel Engines
Published: 14th May 2005
"We have decided to delay introducing the 175bhp engine until next year when it will deliver a real ‘halo’ effect for the Avensis range which will undergo minor styling and specification changes at the same time".
Toyota GB says the overall diesel engine passenger car sales in the upper medium sector are now 258,000 units a year or 56 per cent of total segment sales. Overall diesel sales have grown 31 per cent in the sector since 2002.
Harrison said, "Our broad objective this year is to sell 24,000 Avensis models in the UK, a little less than last year. Next year we expect, even after the introduction of these diesel engines, to see sales of 22,000 units. The reducing numbers are due to the declining new car market sales in the UK. The Upper Medium sector is a very difficult because it has become fragmented. You have volume manufacturers at one end of it discounting their products with special price package fleet sales, which we will not compete with, at the other end you have BMW and Audi introducing premium brand models such as the 3 Series and A4".
Toyota say that traditionally retail customers in this sector account for only 30 per cent of sales but Avensis attracts around a 35 per cent of retail buyers.
"We also limit our Avensis daily rental business to around 1,000 units each year to keep our residual values high and we expect the cars to retain at least 40 per cent of their new price over the traditional three year period -. just behind the new VW Passat", said Harrison
He added, "Currently sales of Avensis models in the UK are 50 per-cent 5-Door Hatchbacks, but this number is reducing due to changes in customer preference. Tourers take 20 per cent but now demand for estates is increasing, as is the demand for saloons that currently account for 30 per cent of sales and these are increasing as well. Of the 35 per cent of petrol Avensis models we sell, 20 per cent of these are for 1.8-litre versions".
Outlining the Avensis diesel model line up strategy Harrison said, "We will continue to offer the existing 2.0 D-4D engine on the entry T2 and volume selling T3 grades. The new 2.2 D-4D will be introduced for saloon and hatchback T3-S, T3-X, T4 and T Sprit grades and on all Tourer models".
Prices for the new Avensis 2.2 D-4D models range from £18,145 to £22,145. This represents a £1,000 price premium over the Toyota 2.0 D-4D models. Because the 2.2-litre engine has a low CO2 rating, just 1 g/km more than the 2.0 D-4D unit it is the same company car tax band despite its significant increase in power. Insurance group ratings are just one grade higher that the equivalent 2.0 D-4D Avensis models, 9E or 10E, depending on the grade.
