2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Better than ever
It’s no secret that the Philippine market is fond of seven-seater vehicles. Last year, four out of the top 10 best-selling cars in the country come with seven seats including the Innova, Fortuner, Rush, and Xpander.
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has been performing well in terms of sales due to its extensive range of seven-seater cars. The car brand aims to maintain its foothold in the said market by launching its revamped compact MPV that aims to challenge the Mitsubishi Xpander.
Say hello to the all-new Toyota Avanza, an MPV that’s driven to make a statement in the local market. Here’s a first impressions review of the 2022 Toyota Avanza.
2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Exterior
The Avanza’s exterior now comes with a more assertive design. I find the 2022 Toyota Avanza more appealing as it has better design execution as compared to the outgoing model.
It features a bolder and more aggressive exterior that’s easily noticeable to the MPV’s new grille. The all-new Avanza is also fitted with LED headlights, and an angular bumper that houses the fog lamps. The Avanza’s fascia sort of reminds you of how the Toyota Raize looks like when viewed upfront. But, Toyota’s MPV has a more imposing demeanor.
Turning at the side, the all-new Avanza is integrated with a crisp character line that makes it more angular than the outgoing model. The top-spec variant also gets power-folding side mirrors, and it rides on a set of new 16-inch alloy wheels. Speaking of the alloy wheels, the one fitted on the new Avanza has a simpler design, which I find more appropriate as it gives balance to the MPV’s angular look.
The rear now comes with a more streamlined look while the angular design detail continues to be seen. But, unlike the old Avanza, the all-new version comes with a more surefooted design by not trying to look like a vehicle that came out from a Japanese anime series. The LED taillights come with a simpler yet more distinctive design while the spoiler and the bumper complete the all-new Avanza’s assertive design package.
2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Interior
Similar to the exterior, the all-new Avanza’s interior has also been redesigned. It has an updated dashboard layout that gives the Avanza’s cabin a more modern feel. The use of hard plastic materials is still plentiful, but that’s already expected considering how other Toyota models are designed. But, the Japanese automaker added texture to the dashboard to make the overall interior look a notch higher.
Aside from the new dashboard layout, I also find the Avanza’s new steering wheel design to be more appealing. It’s not too bulging as compared to the one you find in the old model. The steering wheel design is now sleeker and offers a more premium-like finish. The top-spec Toyota Avanza G comes with a tilt & telescopic adjustment. To add, the aircon vents have also been redesigned.
Another thing I noticed with the all-new Avanza is that it comes with a restyled gear lever. It doesn’t come with the usual zigzag pattern as it now features a straight pattern. On the other hand, all 2022 Toyota Avanza variants have fabric seats with black and brown two-tone accents. And yes, the seating capacity can accommodate up to seven individuals.
Second-row seats offer enough leg- and head-room for the average Filipino passenger. It has a slide function that can give extra legroom for passengers seated in the third row.
The first row seats of the Avanza can be folded back to link with the second-row seats. Also, the second-row seats can be folded to the front to provide a long sofa-like space for the third-row seats. This seat configuration is what Toyota calls a long-sofa mode. Expect a more detailed review when it comes to passenger comfort on our full review of the 2022 Toyota Avanza.
2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Tech & Safety
The all-new Avanza now comes with a floating-type eight-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new touchscreen adds a refreshing appeal to the cabin but the black plastic surrounding the unit is a bit too thick for my liking. I also find it to be out of sync in regards to the all-new Avanza’s revamped dashboard layout.
To make up for it, the touchscreen serves as the monitor of the reverse camera. I only wished that the reverse camera already comes with guidelines. But good thing the 2022 Avanza also comes with rear sensors.
Safety-wise, the all-new Avanza comes with the usual features one could expect from a modern car. It has anti-lock brakes, brake assist, hill-start assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, and ISOFIX anchors for child seats. It is also made secure via its built-in car alarm, engine immobilizer, and speed sensing door locks.
The top-spec Avanza G is equipped with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as well as six airbags. Lower-grade Avanzas, on the other hand, comes with two airbags.
2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Driving & Handling
The 2022 Toyota Avanza G is powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that delivers 105 hp and 138 Nm of torque. The said power unit is carried over from the outgoing Avanza but it now comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The new Avanza now also comes with monocoque or unibody construction as compared to the old ladder-frame design. Aside from that, Toyota’s MPV now features a front-wheel-drive setup.
The mechanical changes applied to the all-new Toyota Avanza are instantly felt during my quick drive around Bonifacio Global City (BGC). The CVT gives a smoother drive compared to the old Avanza’s four-speed automatic. Toyota’s MPV is now more relaxed when accelerating from a standstill, and it also has minimal shift shocks.
The decision to have a CVT makes the Avanza an urban cruiser. Although it is a bit daunted when the road suddenly goes uphill. But that’s not much of a problem once the gear ratio has adjusted. It also comes with a manual mode, giving you more control over how the engine and transmission perform.
The driver’s seat has a good cushion and has relatively decent side bolsters, keeping you in place when you drive through wide turns. I find the seat comfortable enough during my quick test drive within BGC.
Another thing I notice is that the steering wheel feels nice to the grip. The size is just right, and it has a light steering feel resulting in a pleasant drive. It also has a better ride comfort than the outgoing Avanza. This is primarily due to the new unibody platform, which sort of resembles a crossover-like feel. Expect more driving details on how the 2022 Toyota Avanza performs once we fully review the vehicle.
2022 Toyota Avanza First Impressions Review: Initial Verdict
The 2022 Toyota Avanza is available in four variants with a starting price of Php 813,000. The top-spec G variant, on the other hand, retails at Php 1,039,000.
It’s not that difficult to see that the 2022 Toyota Avanza is looking to have its revenge in the seven-seater compact MPV segment. It’s back for more and seems to be driven to make a statement in the local market. If all goes well, the Avanza could even make its way on the top 10 best-selling vehicles by the end of 2022. It can also be said that it now has a better fighting chance against its segment rival – the Mitsubishi Xpander.