Built alongside the Corolla at the British-based manufacturing facility at Burnaston in Derbyshire, the Avensis went on sale in January 1997. An extensive facelift of its predecessor, the Carina E, the Avensis was available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback (or “liftback” as Toyota called it) and an estate. The model was available with various trim levels and a choice of 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0-litre engines. 

The name Avensis is derived from the French avancer, meaning “to advance” or “move forward”. Dubbed by the motoring press as Toyota’s British-built answer to Ford’s Mondeo, the Avensis had an impressive list of standard features as well as the Japanese standards of reliability that rendered its (unusual for the time) three-year warranty virtually redundant. Unlike the Mondeo or Vauxhall’s equivalent, the Vectra, Toyota didn’t manage to achieve Avensis fleet sales enjoyed by its competitors, but sold well in the private sector.

After a ten-year run, the model was phased out in August 2018. The Avensis on display is a four-door 1.8 CDX model and one of the first produced at Toyota’s Derby-based factory.