Toyota Avenza

[vitz]

Dear All,

I am intending to invest for a toyota avenza. I gathered some literature on that vehicle.

1. it is totally designed and made in Indonesia

2. Coming out from Daihatsu factory, but now daihatsu is owned by toyota

3. Some people say it is underpowered (1.3 cc vvti engine) when it is fully loaded- has to be verified,

Based on the the built quality, smoothness of driving, durability. can you comment on this vehicle in comparison to an original japanese vehicle.

Is it a worthwhile investment or what are the other better options for a MPV in similer price range

[milindu]

Dear All,

I am intending to invest for a toyota avenza. I gathered some literature on that vehicle.

1. it is totally designed and made in Indonesia

2. Coming out from Daihatsu factory, but now daihatsu is owned by toyota

3. Some people say it is underpowered (1.3 cc vvti engine) when it is fully loaded- has to be verified,

Based on the the built quality, smoothness of driving, durability. can you comment on this vehicle in comparison to an original japanese vehicle.

Is it a worthwhile investment or what are the other better options for a MPV in similer price range

Its the best 7 seater option available. Build quality is decent but with a slight 'tinney' feel to it which is probably a result of the weight and cost reduction. The material they have used seems the lasting type that comes on the new Hilux. A company running them commercially confirms it being a typical Toyota giving no problems what so ever and being very economical but not as comfortable as the 121 or the Yaris.

The 1.3 engine is ample to get around without missing, knocking or stalling but don't expect to overtake anything in a hurry.

Investmentwise, the Corolla (to be announced still) or the Yaris will be the best options but you still won't regret buying this either.

Go for IT!

Edited May 18, 2007 by milindu

[Ripper]

i'm also a toyota fan but i would just checkout the FIAT, doblo... think it's pretty simillar to avanza...

I've seen it when i went checkout their grande punto...

looks to be pretty decent and solid with very nice interior...

don't know much beyond that though

[vitz]

Thanks Milidu for useful advices. do u have an idea whether manual gear avanza is in the market. Still, i couldnt contact the company. Currently i am living abroad and expecting to come to SL soon. Do you have any idea about fuel economy,

Dont you think investing for a nissan sunny, would be better, since I am not going to use all 7 seats frequently.

[vitz]

i'm also a toyota fan but i would just checkout the FIAT, doblo... think it's pretty simillar to avanza...

I've seen it when i went checkout their grande punto...

looks to be pretty decent and solid with very nice interior...

don't know much beyond that though

Thanks, have you got an idea about the CIF price of it. The problem of european vehicles is the cost of spare parts also the longterm availability.

Currently i am living in europe, I must say FIAT is not a very good brand for them.

[The Don]

in my humble opinion I think the Avenza is an excellent concept, and these type of "clever family cars" as they are called are gaining in popularity in europe, where Vauxhall (sold as Opel as well) have the Zafira with exactly the same concept selling for close to a decade now,

a practical 5 seater which could be a seven seater if need be, I think its just a brilliant concept, to carry a few extra people along if needed,

The Don

[Hola]

Dear All,

I am intending to invest for a toyota avenza. I gathered some literature on that vehicle.

1. it is totally designed and made in Indonesia

2. Coming out from Daihatsu factory, but now daihatsu is owned by toyota

3. Some people say it is underpowered (1.3 cc vvti engine) when it is fully loaded- has to be verified,

Based on the the built quality, smoothness of driving, durability. can you comment on this vehicle in comparison to an original japanese vehicle.

Is it a worthwhile investment or what are the other better options for a MPV in similer price range

i had the priviledge of driving one and the pickup is great! But that time we had only 3 in the car. Its good on hadling

[milindu]

Thanks Milidu for useful advices. do u have an idea whether manual gear avanza is in the market. Still, i couldnt contact the company. Currently i am living abroad and expecting to come to SL soon. Do you have any idea about fuel economy,

Dont you think investing for a nissan sunny, would be better, since I am not going to use all 7 seats frequently.

All the Avanzas coming here are manual. The Yaris (JDM is the Belta) sedan if u want a car or the Corolla if and when they offer that.

Sunny is also not too bad considering the cost but its an outgoing model. Although the B'New versions last a bit more, you still find the front suspension making early noises, poor rear seat space, slightly heavier on juice and the ride is so so.

[GTAm]

Thanks, have you got an idea about the CIF price of it. The problem of european vehicles is the cost of spare parts also the longterm availability.

Currently i am living in europe, I must say FIAT is not a very good brand for them.

Fiat is the fastest growing brand currently in Europe mate. For example last month the whole of the European market shrank by 0.4% but Fiat sales grew by 8.0%. They were bad about 2 years ago. Now their Grande Punto and Panda is a massive hit. Which country do you live in?

However the Doblo looks a bit strange to me and the Avanza looks more of a 'normal' MPV even if it does not look anything special. I have not driven the Avanza yet but the material quality seemed very cheap and flimsy to me when I inspected one at the showroom.

The Doblo however is good to drive for a van, the 1.4 engine is not powerful and you have to change down for overtaking. I don't think the Avanza will be any better with 1.3 and VVT.

The Doblo is about Rs. 300k cheaper than the Avanza. With all 3 rows of seats up the Avanza has zero boot space so its as good and not having 3 rows.

Toyota is the more established brand here in SL. Fiat is only now entering so is a riskier choice. So there it is, all depends on your personality . Drive both and then make up your mind!!

[Hola]

All the Avanzas coming here are manual. The Yaris (JDM is the Belta) sedan if u want a car or the Corolla if and when they offer that.

Sunny is also not too bad considering the cost but its an outgoing model. Although the B'New versions last a bit more, you still find the front suspension making early noises, poor rear seat space, slightly heavier on juice and the ride is so so.

Most Beltas we have here is 1000cc, rarely you see a 1300cc.

[DCL]

Thanks, have you got an idea about the CIF price of it. The problem of european vehicles is the cost of spare parts also the longterm availability.

Currently i am living in europe, I must say FIAT is not a very good brand for them.

Hey Dude I'm also going to Invest on a Toyota Avanza.CIF price is around 9500$( Toyota Lanka)

[vitz]

I accept your statement "Fiat is the fastest growing brand currently in Europe mate", I am in Belgium, and I commented on the basis of the general perception about FIAT in guys here. Their General perception is best quality brands are comming from Japan and Germany, Then France. What is your comment on spare parts. I can remember long time ago Sathosa Motors started to import Opel. Some people bought it, though Opel is a very good brand (from GM), the people bought it suffered alot, when it came for repairs. Finally, they had a very low second hand market.

Finally, it seems there are two options I have a compact MPV in SL " either Toy Avanza or Fiat Dublo". I think we can proceed this string by comparing them.

By the way, are there any individual agents who import toyota for challenging prices in comparison to their official agent.

cheers

[GTAm]

I accept your statement "Fiat is the fastest growing brand currently in Europe mate", I am in Belgium, and I commented on the basis of the general perception about FIAT in guys here. Their General perception is best quality brands are comming from Japan and Germany, Then France. What is your comment on spare parts. I can remember long time ago Sathosa Motors started to import Opel. Some people bought it, though Opel is a very good brand (from GM), the people bought it suffered alot, when it came for repairs. Finally, they had a very low second hand market.

Finally, it seems there are two options I have a compact MPV in SL " either Toy Avanza or Fiat Dublo". I think we can proceed this string by comparing them.

By the way, are there any individual agents who import toyota for challenging prices in comparison to their official agent.

cheers

Aha Belgium....Ford country

You are absolutely right the general perception must be not on par with Toyota, Honda and German brands. Two years ago the situation in Europe was dismal for Fiat. There was a good possibility that the company would go bust. However now its the most talked about turn around story in the auto as well as business world.

There has been Europe wide dealer shake ups. Maybe the effects have not reached Belgium as yet. Its probably just begun. Fiat sales are up 30% from last year upto end April. But they are small in Belgium still with only 2.1% market share.

Sathosa motors is the pits. The Opel brand just died with their terrible service they never had spares in stock. They don't really have any interest in the motors business as the owning company makes billions supplying arms to the SL govt. Isuzu sells on its past reputation with minimal effort.

Who needs to mess around with cars and trucks and earn or lose a few millions here and there? I owned an Opel Omega briefly and to be honest it was one of the best cars I owned. But the scares I got when I went to the agents made me sell it off.

As I said before buying a Fiat is certainly more risky than buying a Toyota. But the new agents have sold 47 vehicles in total only about a month after the official launch. Good vibes. The agents are very cash rich and are masters in the car biz. I went to their showroom this morning (Sunday) to check out the Grande Punto and they say that they've got massive confirmations from doctors for their permit cars for the GP.

The Avanza interior looked v flimsy n cheap. You will never get the same Japanese quality when you buy a car made in Indonesia or Thailand. That said I don't like the exterior looks of the Doblo. But the interior is good.

What I would suggest is to test drive both, compare prices/value, warrenty, equipment and then make up your mind.

Yes there are individual importers who bring brand new Toyotas at lower price but to my knowlegde only from Japan. So the Avanza might be a problem.

What kind of car do you drive in Belgium?

[DCL]

How's the Fuel efficiency of the Avanza?

[xXx]

Sathosa motors is the pits. The Opel brand just died with their terrible service they never had spares in stock. They don't really have any interest in the motors business as the owning company makes billions supplying arms to the SL govt.

just out of curiosity who owns Sathosa?????

[Devinda_Z]

just out of curiosity who owns Sathosa?????

used to be part owned by the ITOCHU Group of Japan i think..

[Ripper]

I'm with GTAm...the Fiat interior is super right throughout all their models in SL... I head they are gonna bring down the Bravo also... Fiats most successful car if i'm not wrong...

Best bet is to check both of them out and then make the call...

just my 0.02 rs.

[vitz]

I checked the interior of Fiat Dublo, Its really a quality work. The position of the gear also very convenient i suppose. But, investment risk is really high for this vehicle. specially, the availability and the prices of spare parts, also the second hand market.

Have anybody of you got an idea, the origin of it. I think Fiat has some assembling plants in Asia. If so, the prices of spare parts may be bit low.

By the way, what is the CIF price difference between Avenza and Dublo

[vitz]

How's the Fuel efficiency of the Avanza?

I saw somewhere, 13km/l in city limits. Of course this depends on the load

I saw somewhere, 13km/l in city limits. Of course this depends on the load

Nevertheless, it returned 8.6 litres/100km over 300km of mixed town and country driving, with the air-conditioning on, much of it in heavy rain. The smaller-engined version, especially in its basic 1.3S format (no air-con, no radio, but only R99 900), is likely to find favour as a crew bus, corporate shuttle or even, with the seats folded, as a multipurpose delivery van.

source http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3541395

[GTAm]

I checked the interior of Fiat Dublo, Its really a quality work. The position of the gear also very convenient i suppose. But, investment risk is really high for this vehicle. specially, the availability and the prices of spare parts, also the second hand market.

Have anybody of you got an idea, the origin of it. I think Fiat has some assembling plants in Asia. If so, the prices of spare parts may be bit low.

By the way, what is the CIF price difference between Avenza and Dublo

Yeah gear lever position is like the last Type R Civic!

Doblo comes from Italy. They've got assembly plants in India where they make the Palio and soon the Grande Punto and Panda. In China they have a JV plant where they make a car called the Perla. Not sure if the Doblo will be made in these two places. Some mechanical and electrical parts will be common for sure like engine/gearbox, switches, motors. But suspension will differ I think the Doblo should have heavy duty damping and bushing.

Not sure of CIF prices but considering the on road price, the Avanza will be more.

Btw is this on a permit?

[GTAm]

I'm with GTAm...the Fiat interior is super right throughout all their models in SL... I head they are gonna bring down the Bravo also... Fiats most successful car if i'm not wrong...

Hey Ripper, Bravo was only just launched last month. Rhd will come in July. So not yet. Agent are bringing the 1.4T petrol Bravo 150bhp. Should be a cracker.

Fiat's most successful car currently is the Grande Punto. Its the no. 1 selling car in Europe.

used to be part owned by the ITOCHU Group of Japan i think..

Correct. But now control is with ACCESS group of Sri Lanka

[vitz]

Yeah gear lever position is like the last Type R Civic!

Doblo comes from Italy.

It seems Doblo is coming out from a Turkey factory. Seems product development has been done over there by a company called TOFAS Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi,(http://www.globalautoindex.com/maker.plt?no=1394&g=Fiat), also produced as JV in Egypt, Vietnam. Neither Avanza nor Doblo deserves their true origin. But, nowadays automobile businesses are like that, they go for cheap labor markets for financial gains.

It is pitty, non of these companies invest in SL.

[GTAm]

It seems Doblo is coming out from a Turkey factory. Seems product development has been done over there by a company called TOFAS Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi,(their true origin. But, nowadays automobile businesses are like that, they go for cheap labor markets for financial gains.

It is pitty, non of these companies invest in SL.

You know Vitz you're absolutely right. I completely forgot the Tofas plant. I think the new Linea sedan will be made there as well.

I had no idea about the Egypt and and Vietnam plant, not to mention Ethiopia !!!!

And what a shocker! That the Sahin/Dogan is derrived from the 131 ! I thought the oldest car they had in production was the Uno in Brazil and South Africa!!

They have to go for cheap labour to be competitive. Any manufacturer who does not will die early. Hey even the BMW 3 series in now made in China.

Sri Lankan market is too small to have an automated plant (with Robots) according to Micro who now assemble Ssangyongs. Further the Sri Lankan government is too busy buying out-dated and unsuitable fighter air craft spending billions of money that the country actually does not even have, to be bothered by a trivial matter like this, which could save us billions and also earn us billions .

[DCL]

Dear All,

I am intending to invest for a toyota avenza. I gathered some literature on that vehicle.

1. it is totally designed and made in Indonesia

2. Coming out from Daihatsu factory, but now daihatsu is owned by toyota

3. Some people say it is underpowered (1.3 cc vvti engine) when it is fully loaded- has to be verified,

Based on the the built quality, smoothness of driving, durability. can you comment on this vehicle in comparison to an original japanese vehicle.

Is it a worthwhile investment or what are the other better options for a MPV in similer price range

Hey Vitz,

Did you bought the Avanza? If so can give some info abt it? Pick up,Fuel efficiency etc.

[vitz]

Hey DCL,

Not yet, I'll let you know if I get any clue from my colleagues who bought it.

rgds