What's this then?
It's the new Toyota Avensis, and if that doesn't sound like the most exciting news you'll hear all day, then it's manna from heaven for fans of straightforward, reliable motoring everywhere.
Sorry, I dozed off there for a second.
Quite, and it won't be helped by the fact that Toyota is being staggeringly tight-lipped with technical details on the updated Avensis. The new exterior styling has been done by its ED2 design centre in the south of France and it will come with "a new range of engines that promise both performance and efficiency". And that's all we're getting.
More than likely, this means that the Avensis will get the same 120hp 1.6-litre diesel engine that Toyota has co-developed with BMW, which is already seeing service in the Verso MPV. Toyota has also mentioned that the chassis has had an upgrade to help it compete with the likes of the new Mondeo and Passat and we can expect a major upgrade to the cabin too.
And that's it?
Yup - that's it for now. Like the Avensis itself, this is one news piece that's straightforward and to the point.
Neil Briscoe - 16 Feb 2015