2019 Toyota Avanza: First impression

Ever since Toyota launched the 2019 Avanza in Indonesia, we had a strong feeling that it will be launched in the Philippines as well. The only question was when? We were waiting for it to happen and finally, Toyota did it last week. So, the 2019 Avanza is officially here, launched at a starting price of Php 731,000.

Just like we had a feeling about the imminent launch of the facelifted Avanza in the country, we were also pretty confident about all the new features that it would be getting, of course, because Indonesia already had it. But now since it’s here in flesh, let’s go through it and see what’s all new and share with you guys the first impression of the MPV.

On the outside

The 2019 Toyota Avanza is nothing but a facelift of the outgoing model. Therefore, the main changes that Toyota made are on the outside. To begin with, the front fascia of the 2019 Avanza has been completely revamped in a way that there is a lot of ‘new’ stuff here. We indeed like the way it looks. Its split headlamp setup is clearly a modern touch which should be sufficient to attract new buyers. Apart from these headlamps, we also see a new front grille which is definitely visible thanks to its thickness. We also like how Toyota has added a black secondary grille to keep the chrome to a minimum.

The side profile of the 2019 Toyota Avanza is more or less the same except the new dual tone alloy wheels which look super cool and go very well with the new modern look of the car. The rear end also gets some revision. There is a thick horizontal chrome strip that joins the two taillights adding a bit of premium-ness. Even after all these changes, the new Avanza still has the silhouette of the outgoing model.

On the inside

Toyota did not change the dimensions of the 2019 Avanza so the interior space and storage remain unchanged. However, there is an addition of a new 6.8-inch touch screen infotainment system which supports various connectivity options. You would be thinking whether it has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay or not? Well, sadly no.

Both these smartphone integration features still remain absent but Toyota has provided a different method to connect your smartphone with the infotainment system - the K2 technology. It is a smartphone mirroring feature done via the T-Link app. Another new feature inside the 2019 Avanza is the inclusion of digital AC controls. It might not be a huge deal for many but it can be counted as a premium feature.

Under the hood

There are no major mechanical changes on the 2019 Toyota Avanza specs sheet. It comes with the same two engine options that we have seen in the previous model. There is a 1.3-litre engine which produces 96 PS of max power and 121 Nm of peak torque and a 1.5-litre mill that has got 104 PS of max power and 136 Nm of peak torque. For the transmission, you can have either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission unit.

Safety features

Toyota continues to provide a number of main safety features on the new Avanza - dual SRS airbags, anti-lock braking system, ISOFIX seat mounts, electronic brake-force distribution, etc. However, we would have certainly liked to see a few more safety features in the new model.

The new Avanza has given a good first impression mostly because of the way it looks from the front. We also appreciate the implementation of the 6.5-inch touch screen display and digital AC controls. However, we were expecting a bit more. Toyota could have done a bit more. Even after getting all these new features, the 2019 Avanza still remains the most affordable Toyota MPV in the country.

The 2019 Toyota Avanza price starts at Php 731,000 and goes up to Php 1.06 million. It is available in 6 variants and 7 colours - White, Gray Metallic, Silver Mica Metallic, Dark Blue SE, Black Metallic, Beige Metallic, and Dark Red Mica Metallic which is exclusive to the range-topping model.