Toyota Allion and Premio facelift
Toyota Allion, along
with the more luxurious Toyota Premio twin, has been facelifted again, marking
the second such “minor change”. These cars are based on the European Avensis but are smaller in size
to fit inside the Japanese compact car class, slotting between the Corolla Axio
and Camry.
Both cars gain a heavily-revised front
fascia with sharper headlights (bi-beam LED units on top models and optional on
others), a larger grille and a sportier front bumper, unifying their front end
designs for the first time. The only difference between the two is the grille
pattern, with horizontal chrome bars on the Premio and a mesh grille on the
Allion.
The rear ends remain unique to each
model, both receiving darker LED tail lights. The Allion’s one-piece lamps gain
a new “six-eye” pattern, while the Premio’s two-piece units get C-shaped
graphics that make the rear end particularly reminiscent of the previous-gen
XV40 Camry facelift sold here.
Interior changes include a revised
centre console and gearlever, a new three-spoke steering wheel and a redesigned instrument cluster with a new 4.2-inch
TFT LCD colour multi-info display. New brown leather upholstery and beige
interior colour scheme options have also been added.
Safety kit has also been given an
upgrade, with all but the base Allion A15 and A18 and Premio 1.5F and 1.8X
models getting Toyota Safety Sense C as standard. The package includes the
Pre-collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Automatic High Beam
(AHB). Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is also standard, while side and curtain
airbags are available as an option.
Engine choices include 109 PS/136 Nm 1.5
litre VVT-i, 143 PS/173 Nm 1.8 litre Valvematic and 152 PS/193 Nm 2.0 litre
Valvematic mills, mated to a Super CVT-i transmission. Four-wheel drive is
available on the 1.8 litre models, although outputs are downgraded to 131 PS
and 161 Nm.
