Toyota in Paris

By David Wrottesley

03rd October 2008

Making three world debuts at this year’s Paris Motorshow looks like a clever move by Toyota.

The Japanese giant’s stand featured a final production ready version of its diminutive iQ city runabout, as well as the all-new third generation Avensis saloon and a B-segment mini MPV crossover called the Urban Cruiser.

The iQ will be available in two trim levels - iQ and iQ2 - when it hits the streets in 2009. A CVT automatic transmission is on offer from launch, while stop-start technology will come some time next year.

The Avensis, meanwhile, is a totally new car and previously unseen in the metal. Side on, its styling shares a lot with Lexus’s IS and looks like it has a far more attitude than its predecessors. Toyota’s Senior Vice President of Europe, Andrea Formica, explained the Avensis has been engineered to have a 'European' feel, with a dynamic driving experience and very low CO2 outputs -152g/km for the base petrol and 134g/km for the entry-level diesel. The car will go on sale in January 2009 and rival Vauxhall's Insignia.

The Urban Cruiser will come with four-wheel drive and a 1.4 D-4D diesel engine when it goes on sale in May 2009. Two-wheel drive and petrol engines with standard stop-start technology will follow.

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