Toyota Avanza G Expert Review

Design and Road Presence

The Toyota Avanza has never been the sort of MPV that needs to shout. Its job is rather more sensible: carry seven people, survive the daily abuse of city roads and still look respectable when parked outside a restaurant. The latest generation does this with a much sharper design than the old Avanza.

The front end is the strongest part of the design. The large grille, sharp LED headlamps and sculpted bumper give the Avanza a much more substantial appearance than its dimensions suggest. The 1.5 G also gets 16-inch alloy wheels, which fill the wheel arches better and give the vehicle a more planted appearance.

Bangladesh Road Suitability

For Bangladesh, the important exterior number is not actually the styling. It is the 205 mm ground clearance. That gives the Avanza useful breathing room over speed breakers, broken patches and uneven urban roads.

The 4,395 mm body length also keeps it manageable in Dhaka. The 4.9-metre turning radius is particularly useful when you are attempting one of those wonderfully optimistic U-turns that appear in Bangladeshi traffic.

The rear is clean and practical rather than dramatic. The tall body provides useful interior volume, while the rear wiper and defogger are genuinely useful during Bangladesh's rainy season.

Cabin Space and Comfort

This is where the Avanza makes its argument. Open the doors and the vehicle's exterior dimensions suddenly make more sense. The cabin is designed around seven occupants, with three rows and flexible rear seating that can be folded when passenger capacity is not required.

The second row provides useful legroom, while the third row is much more usable than the tiny emergency seats found in many nominal seven-seaters. It remains most comfortable for children or shorter adults on longer journeys, but the flexibility is valuable.

The dashboard is straightforward and easy to understand. The instrument display provides the information you actually need without turning the driver's view into an aircraft cockpit.

What Could Be Better

The cabin is practical rather than luxurious. Harder plastics are noticeable, and the standard fabric upholstery does not create a particularly premium atmosphere. There is also no electric seat adjustment or sophisticated seat ventilation.

For Bangladesh, however, the simplicity has advantages. A family MPV spends plenty of time dealing with dust, humidity, spilled drinks and passengers who apparently believe that footwear belongs everywhere except the floor.

Storage spaces and cup holders are useful, and the foldable rear seats increase cargo flexibility considerably.

Practical Equipment

What Is Missing

Standard Protection

The Toyota Avanza G has a respectable basic safety package. ABS, EBD and Brake Assist help the braking system remain controllable during emergency stops, while Vehicle Stability Control helps maintain stability when grip is reduced.

Hill Start Assist is particularly useful in Bangladesh's stop-start traffic and on ramps. ISOFIX child-seat mounts are also important for families travelling with young children.

The standard G specification uses front driver and passenger airbags, while the TSS version available in some markets adds side and curtain airbags. This is another reason to identify the exact grade before purchasing.

Real-World Bangladesh Safety

In everyday Bangladesh driving, safety is not only about airbags and electronic systems. Road conditions, motorcycles appearing from impossible angles, pedestrians and unpredictable traffic all matter.

The Avanza's relatively high seating position gives you a useful view of surrounding traffic. The compact dimensions also make it easier to position the vehicle in narrow streets.

Rear parking sensors are particularly useful in Dhaka, where parking spaces appear to have been designed by someone with a personal dislike of large vehicles.

The important limitation is that the standard G does not have the full Toyota Safety Sense package. Features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure assistance, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert belong to the TSS-equipped version rather than the ordinary G.

City Driving

The Avanza's 1.5L 2NR-VE engine is not interested in winning races. It is interested in getting seven people from one place to another without drama.

With around 105 hp and 138 Nm, performance is adequate rather than exciting. The CVT is smooth in traffic and keeps the engine operating efficiently instead of constantly hunting between conventional gears.

In Dhaka traffic, this character makes sense. The steering is light, visibility is good and the 4.9-metre turning radius helps when navigating tight streets and parking areas.

The suspension is tuned for comfort, so broken patches and speed breakers are handled reasonably well. You will still feel large potholes, particularly when the vehicle is heavily loaded, but the 205 mm ground clearance provides useful protection.

Highway Driving

Once outside Dhaka, the Avanza settles into a relaxed rhythm. At highway speeds, the engine has enough power for normal overtaking, although you need to plan overtakes more carefully with seven passengers and luggage.

The CVT keeps acceleration smooth, but enthusiastic drivers will notice that the engine becomes noisy when pushed hard.

Long-distance comfort is one of the Avanza's stronger qualities. The seating position, cabin space and suspension make it suitable for family trips from Dhaka to Chattogram, Sylhet or other major destinations.