Photo: edited by autoevolution
Slow sales in the mid-segment are pushing Toyota to exclude the Avensis sedan from the soon-to-receive-a-hybrid-powertrain list, which will pretty much mean its extinction from the European market soon enough.
The UK-made Toyota Avensis is almost at the end of its third generation now, soon needing a replacement... or not. This year, the Avensis’ sales number in Wester Europe are expected to go bellow half they were in 2010, as clients tend to move towards upper class marques, compact or crossovers more than ever.
Which means Toyota has no solid reasons to further develop a new model and equip it with an optional hybrid powertrain as part of its plan to offer one for each car in the lineup until 2020.
"Do we plan to introduce an Avensis hybrid? No," Toyota Europe chief Didier Leroy told Automotive News Europe. "Do we have a plan to introduce in the next five to seven years a hybrid model in the mid-sized segment? The answer is clearly, yes."
However, just dropping the model is not easy and the automaker has to decide whether an all-new Europe-specific sedan and wagon should be made or offer another global product to fit the empty space.
With Nissan having left the segment in 2008 when the Primera was axed and Honda also planing to end the Accord sales in 2016, we guess Toyota will just have to offer the another model instead.
And if it’s sticking to the plan, the Toyota Camry seems to be the perfect replacement. It is a bit more upmarket, slightly bigger, it comes equipped with the optional 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain (which will also be exempt from taxes in some countries) and is also the only other model available worldwide, Australia and Russia included.
The Camry was also refreshed recently, with the 2015 model being unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, and if you take a closer look at it, you might notice the Avensis styling can be seen in some of its lines. It will be available with a 180 hp 2.5-liter gasoline unit, a 203 hp hybrid powertrain and a 272 hp V6.
Which means Toyota has no solid reasons to further develop a new model and equip it with an optional hybrid powertrain as part of its plan to offer one for each car in the lineup until 2020.
"Do we plan to introduce an Avensis hybrid? No," Toyota Europe chief Didier Leroy told Automotive News Europe. "Do we have a plan to introduce in the next five to seven years a hybrid model in the mid-sized segment? The answer is clearly, yes."
However, just dropping the model is not easy and the automaker has to decide whether an all-new Europe-specific sedan and wagon should be made or offer another global product to fit the empty space.
With Nissan having left the segment in 2008 when the Primera was axed and Honda also planing to end the Accord sales in 2016, we guess Toyota will just have to offer the another model instead.
And if it’s sticking to the plan, the Toyota Camry seems to be the perfect replacement. It is a bit more upmarket, slightly bigger, it comes equipped with the optional 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain (which will also be exempt from taxes in some countries) and is also the only other model available worldwide, Australia and Russia included.
The Camry was also refreshed recently, with the 2015 model being unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, and if you take a closer look at it, you might notice the Avensis styling can be seen in some of its lines. It will be available with a 180 hp 2.5-liter gasoline unit, a 203 hp hybrid powertrain and a 272 hp V6.
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