2019 Toyota Avanza: Is it priced right?

There are a number of factors that determine the success or failure of a vehicle. It is never just the looks or the interior, neither it is all about the engine or the convenient features, in fact, it’s all of them and much more which decides the car’s fate. Especially when it comes down to passenger vehicles. And among all those key factors, price plays a significant role, particularly in a price-sensitive market like ours.

We’re talking about all this because in this story we’ll try to find out whether the new 2019 Toyota Avanza is priced right or not. The new Avanza was recently launched in the Philippines and the MPV carries a starting price of Php 731,000 for its base model. This goes up to Php 1.06 million for the top-end variant.

The 2019 Avanza is more of a facelift than a completely new model. The previous model has been very popular in the country and Toyota didn’t want to spoil that recipe. So, it decided to play with the cosmetics and leave the rest of the already great package as it was.

A quick glance of the new Avanza is enough to let you know that its design is much modern than ever before. Toyota wanted to give its customers a taste of the changing world and that’s why it implemented this new design philosophy on the 2019 Avanza. The front of the car is totally revamped and now features a split LED headlamp setup. The new thicker front grille is more prominent and enhances the overall appearance of the car. The front bumper has been tweaked as well for a bit of sportiness and adding to it is the secondary lower grille that has been completely blacked out.

The view from the side will definitely remind you of the previous model because the silhouette remains the same. However, Toyota has added new dual tone alloy wheels to make things look fresh and exciting. Similarly, the rear end gets a new horizontal chrome garnish and slightly revised tail lights.

These were the changes on the outside of the new 2019 Toyota Avanza. The inside of it has also been given a couple of crucial additions that make the overall ownership experience a bit more premium. The new model comes with a new 6.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system which supports USB, AUX, and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has the new K2 technology which allows smartphone mirroring via the T-Link app. So, this should suffice your entertainment needs. The digital controls for the air-conditioning is another new feature in the cabin.

The 2019 Toyota Avanza specs show the same engine options as before - a 1.3-litre unit that produces 95 PS of maximum power & 121 Nm of peak torque and a 1.5-litre engine with 103 PS of maximum power and 136 Nm of peak torque. The transmission options here include a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. Toyota also didn’t add or remove anything from the list of safety features. The new Avanza continues to get the same stuff as before - dual SRS airbags, anti-lock braking system, ISOFIX seat mounts, and electronic brake-force distribution.

Previously, the base model of the old Avanza was priced at Php 721,000 whereas the 2019 Toyota Avanza price for the base model is set at Php 731,000. So, by paying 10,000 bucks more, you are getting a new design, large touchscreen, and digital controls for the AC among other new features. Talking about the higher variants, the top-end model of the 2019 Avanza is priced at Php 1.06 million which is exactly the same as that of the previous model. So, this will be even a better deal.

Considering all the features that the Avanza used to come with, the characteristics that Toyota has added to the new model, and the difference in the last-gen and the new model prices, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the 2019 Avanza is priced just right. Yes, there are other vehicles like the Suzuki Ertiga, Honda Mobilio, etc. that might offer some more features with a different price tag, but in general, most of the options in this segment fall in the price range of Php 700,000 - Php 1.10 million.