Priced from £17,765, the new model brings higher equipment specifications across the board as well as new fleet-focused trims, plus the Toyota Safety Sense package of active safety features and upgraded engines.

Both the saloon and Touring Sports wagon models continue to be built exclusively in the UK and

The new Avensis also brings a revised grade structure. The established Active and Excel grades mark the entry point and top of the range and are joined by new Business Edition and Business Edition Plus version.

Key features of the Active grade include Pre-Crash Safety system, cruise control, air conditioning, six-speaker CD/radio audio, Bluetooth, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, LED rear and daytime running lights and power windows.

Business Edition adds to this with the Toyota Touch 2 with Go touchscreen multimedia and navigation system, digital/DAB audio package with eight-inch display, reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, automatic air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels and part-Alcantara seat upholstery. The active safety features extend to Automatic High Beam, Lane Departure Warning and Road Sign Assist.

Business Edition Plus delivers further features including leather upholstery with Alcantara inserts, front fog lights with a cornering function, LED headlamps, smart entry and rear privacy glass. The LED daytime running lights gain light guides, creating a distinctive lighting signature.

At the top of the range, Excel grade adopts Toyota Touch 2 with Go Plus, adding more sophisticated navigation functions and access to additional connected services. The specification also embraces a 10-speaker audio system, full leather seat upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats with heaters and adaptive headlights that adjust automatically to improve illumination through bends and turns. The Excel Touring Sports gains a panoramic roof.

Customers can choose from 10 colours, with the metallic options including new Havana Brown and Orion Blue shades. Option packs are also available: the Protection Pack (£325) provides mud flaps, scuff plates, boot liner and rear bumper protector (plus additional load space rails for the Touring Sports if required); the Chrome Pack (£250), available for Avensis for the first time, adds chrome side sill and boot/tailgate trim; and the Parking Pack (£495) equips the car with front and rear parking sensors.

The new Avensis also brings the Toyota Safety Sense integrated package of active safety technologies designed to help prevent accidents, or mitigate their consequences. The concept is being introduced in all models in the new Avensis range as a standard feature, with Active grade models gaining a Pre-Collision System which detects impact risks with vehicles ahead, triggering audible and visual warnings and priming the brakes for extra stopping force. If the driver doesn’t take action, the system initiates Autonomous Emergency Braking to reduce the vehicle’s closing speed.

Other new Avensis models gain a Lane Departure Warning, an Automatic High Beam function for the headlights and Road Sign Assist, which recognises signage such as speed limits, no overtaking warnings and motorway restrictions and displays the information on the TFT screen on the instrument binnacle,

The Euro 6-compliant engine range features two new generation D-4D diesels – a 110bhp 1.6 and a 141bhp 2.0-litre unit – both teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 1.6 delivers from 108g/km CO2 with 68.9mpg average fuel consumption on the official combined cycle. The 2.0 D-4D brings 0-62mph acceleration in 9.5 seconds and a 124mph top speed, with benchmark figures for the 2.0-litre saloon from 119g/km and 62.8mpg.

The line-up is completed by Toyota’s 145bhp 1.8-litre Valvematic petrol engine, offered with the choice of six-speed manual transmission or automatic CVT. Pending homologation, CO2 emissions are expected to be from 138g/km with 47.4mpg.

Further technical details about new Avensis will be announced shortly.

First customer deliveries of the new model are due from late June.