TOYOTA'S Previa has been given a mid-life facelift, although you would be hard pushed to notice the changes.
Nonetheless, there are slight styling and equipment enhancements and the grading structure has been changed to bring the big MPV into line with other models in the Toyota range. The good news, however, is that prices stay the same.
The latest models are now equipped with front side airbags, in addition to driver and passenger airbags, while all seats in the seven-seat versions are now fitted with three-point seatbelts.
There are darker grey tones for the trim, and the finish of the audio system surround has been refined. The standard audio package now includes a six-speaker radio tuner with a single CD player, and the redesigned steering wheel incorporates remote audio controls.
Externally there is a reprofiled front bumper section with integrated fog lights, the front grille has been revised, and the front and rear lamp units have been redesigned. There are larger 16-inch wheels with five-spoke alloys on higher grade versions.
The revised Previas are still powered by a choice of 154bhp 2.4-litre petrol or 114bhp two-litre diesel units, but the petrol version now meets the Euro IV standards for emissions and is offered with a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions. The D-4D diesel has the manual gearbox only.
The new grading structure adopts the now familiar T2, T3 and T Spirit trim levels used on Yaris, Corolla and Avenis models, replacing the previous GS, GLS and CDX grades.
The T2 comes with eight seats, the T3 with a choice of seven or eight seats and the T Spirit exclusively as a seven-seater.
Standard equipment on all versions includes driver, front passenger and front side airbags, digital climate control air conditioning, electric windows all round, tilt-adjustable steering wheel and tonneau cover. ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist are also included as well as two ISOFIX child seat mounts, remote central locking, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and front arm rests.
The T3 adds roof rails and five-spoke alloy wheels, air conditioning with separate controls for the rear of the cabin and cruise control. The T Spirit package includes DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) based turn-by-turn satellite navigation with Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA), rear darkened privacy glass and front and rear sunroofs. Leather upholstery is now an option for both eight and seven-seat models.
Available from October as an option across the range is the full mapping satellite navigation system, which is DVD based, with a 6.5 inch touch-screen.
DVD systems are able to store about 13 times the volume of data as that of a conventional CD. This allows the storage of most European countries' road systems on a single DVD. The system can highlight points of interest, search for a house number, find petrol stations and even categorise a particular type of restaurant.
The full mapping DVD system also incorporates a Parking Assist monitor that provides a colour screen view of the area around the rear of the car when reverse gear is selected.
On the road prices remain unchanged, with the 2.4 T2 manual costing £19,955, the 2.4 T2 automatic costing £21,455, the 2.0 D-4D T2 manual costing £21,455, and the 2.4 T Spirit automatic at £24,455.