Avensis Tourer

Toyota has announced two new Optimal Drive engines for the Avensis range with a 1.6-litre Valvematic and 2.2-litre D-CAT 150 plus making the popular 1.8-litre Valvematic more widely available. The headlines of the three new additions are as follows.

1.6 Valvematic 

- 130bhp, 152g/km CO2 emissions(153g/km for the tourer), 43.5mpg on the combined cycle.

- Six-speed manual transmission and accelerates from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds (tourer in 10.6)

- Available in T2 and TR grade saloon and tourer models.

1.8 Valvematic

- Now available in T2, TR and T4 grade saloons and tourer models with manual or Multidrive S transmissions

2.2 D-CAT 150 with automatic transmission

- CO2 emissions of 169g/km (174 for tourer) and 44.1mpg in combined cycle (42.8 tourer)

- The new six speed automatic transmission (as a standard option) helps the car accelerate from 0-62mph on 9.5 for the saloon and 9.8 seconds for the tourer.

- In addition T Spirit versions of the Avensis with this new engine can have the option of the “Pre-Crash Safety Pack” which uses minature radar to predict a collision and initiates warnings and safety systems to counter the occurence. The safety features are Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure warning.

Vauxhall adds an Estate to the Insignia range.

On April the 10th, Vauxhall are launching a new Estate version of the Insignia.  The current car has also been voted as 2009 European Car of Year, so this new model looks likely to be winner too. The Sports Tourer is available in a 1.6 180ps Turbo, 1.8, 2.0T and 2.8T V6 in the petrol range and 2.0 CDTi 130ps and 160ps diesels. All engines meet Euro 5 emissions standards.

The innovative FlexRide system allows three drive settings, Standard, Tour and Sport to enhance the driving experience. The 2.0 CDTi 130ps and 160 ps diesel engines also have a CO2 figure of 159g/km which brings them under the new 160g/km tax threshold, coming in April.

The load area with the seats up is 540-litres and dropping the 60:40 rear seats increases the load area to 1530-litres.