Toyota Avanza Expert Review

Modern Seven-Seater MPV Design

The latest Toyota Avanza has moved a long way from the boxy people carrier it once was. The current design is sharper, longer and considerably more modern, with a prominent front grille, slim LED headlights and strong body lines.

At 4395 mm long and 1730 mm wide, it is still manageable in Bangladesh traffic while offering substantially more cabin space than a small hatchback.

Practical Dimensions for Bangladesh

The 2750 mm wheelbase gives the Avanza a useful balance between exterior size and interior room. Its 180 mm ground clearance is particularly valuable in Bangladesh, where speed breakers, potholes and uneven road surfaces are unavoidable parts of daily driving.

The relatively compact 4.9-metre turning radius also helps when manoeuvring through narrow urban roads and crowded parking areas.

The side profile makes it clear that this is a family MPV rather than a sports car. It prioritises passenger space, visibility and practicality.

The LED lighting gives the front end a modern appearance, while alloy wheels and electrically adjustable mirrors add useful everyday convenience.

There is no need for unnecessary drama here. The Avanza looks like what it is: a modern seven-seat family vehicle designed to move people efficiently.

Seven Seats and Flexible Space

The Avanza's biggest selling point is inside.

The seven-seat cabin provides three rows of seating, while the second and third rows can be folded or adjusted to create different combinations of passenger and cargo space.

The long 2750 mm wheelbase helps provide useful second-row space, while the third row is best suited to children or smaller adults on longer journeys.

Family-Friendly Cabin

The driving position is upright and gives you a useful view over surrounding traffic. The steering column is tilt- and telescopic-adjustable, making it easier to find a comfortable driving position.

The Bangladesh specification includes front and rear air-conditioning, which is particularly important in the country's hot and humid climate.

The cabin uses practical fabric upholstery rather than luxury materials. That means it is easy to live with, but it does not have the premium feel of a much more expensive MPV.

Storage spaces, cup holders and folding seats make the cabin genuinely useful for family trips.

Luggage Space

The Avanza can provide approximately 498 litres of luggage capacity in the relevant seating configuration, with additional flexibility when the rear seats are folded.

This is one of the car's major advantages over conventional five-seat sedans.

For family holidays, airport runs or transporting several passengers around Dhaka, the flexible cabin is far more useful than a large sedan boot.

Useful Everyday Equipment

The Avanza focuses on features that are useful rather than extravagant.

The Bangladesh-market specification includes power windows, electric power steering, automatic air-conditioning, rear air-conditioning, LED headlights, alloy wheels, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and a display-audio system.

The touchscreen and smartphone connectivity make everyday entertainment straightforward, while the rear air-conditioning is especially useful when all three rows are occupied.

Family Practicality

The second-row tumble-slide function and third-row folding arrangement are particularly useful. You can prioritise passenger space when carrying people or create more luggage room when travelling with fewer passengers.

The electrically retractable mirrors are another small but useful feature for crowded urban parking.

Where It Falls Short

The Avanza is not packed with the kind of technology found in more expensive MPVs.

Features such as wireless charging, panoramic cameras, adaptive cruise control, automated parking and a large suite of ADAS functions are not part of the standard Bangladesh specification.

That is not necessarily a disaster.

For many families, a reliable AC system, seven seats, Bluetooth, USB, power windows and a sensible infotainment system are more valuable than a dashboard full of technology.

Core Safety Equipment

Toyota has given the Avanza a useful baseline safety package.

The Bangladesh distributor lists ABS, Electronic Parking Brake, Vehicle Stability Control, Hill-Start Assist Control, airbags, three-point rear seat belts and seatbelt warnings.

The vehicle also uses ventilated front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.

These systems provide the fundamentals you want from a family vehicle.

Bangladesh Road Conditions

The biggest advantage is not a single electronic feature. It is the overall driving position, stability systems and ground clearance.

With 180 mm of ground clearance, the Avanza is better prepared for Bangladesh's uneven roads than many low-slung sedans.

Vehicle stability control and traction management are particularly useful when road surfaces become slippery during heavy rain.

However, equipment can vary between markets and grades. Imported Avanzas may therefore have different airbags, cameras, ADAS systems and infotainment equipment from the Bangladesh distributor's specification.

Real-World Safety

A family MPV is ultimately about keeping people protected while carrying them every day.

The Avanza provides the basic electronic and passive safety equipment required for normal use, but it does not offer the full advanced-driver-assistance package found in more expensive Toyota models.

Smooth and Easy in Traffic

The Avanza's 1.5L engine produces 105 hp and 138 Nm, which sounds modest until you remember what the vehicle is designed to do.

This is not a performance MPV.

It is a family transport machine.

The CVT is smooth and keeps the engine in a useful operating range without conventional gear changes. In Dhaka traffic, that makes the Avanza easy to drive and less tiring than a manual seven-seater.

The FWD layout also contributes to the spacious cabin and predictable road behaviour.

City Driving

Around Dhaka, the Avanza's upright driving position gives you good visibility. The 180 mm ground clearance provides useful confidence over speed breakers and uneven streets.

The biggest challenge is the size of the vehicle when compared with a hatchback. It is still manageable, but tight parking spaces require more attention.

Fuel economy can be respectable when traffic is flowing, but heavy congestion and constant AC use will reduce mileage.

Highway Driving

On highways, the Avanza is comfortable at normal cruising speeds.

The problem appears when you load all seven seats and luggage and then ask the 1.5L engine for rapid overtaking.

The engine has enough power for normal driving, but acceleration is not its greatest talent. Independent testing of the 1.5L CVT has recorded approximately 12.7 seconds for 0–100 km/h.

So the Avanza rewards patience.