THE most significant point about the re-born Toyota Avensis is what’s not there: noise or vibration.

It lives in a silent, no-wobble world; there’s no whoosing of the air as you rattle along on the motorway, no pins and needles racket from rough old roads. You glide, silently.

Minor changes to the front suspension, a little tweaking at the back, and making the underside of the car smoother and more air-flow friendly have had a quite dramatic effect. Add to that Toyota’s new 2.2 litre 175 bhp diesel engine and the car becomes a whole different ball game.

Mid-life equipment up-grades with a touch of quality about them make it the worthy flagship - a diesel, too - of the European range.

The performance of the new diesel engine is impressive: 0-62 in 8.6 seconds, a top speed of 137mph and a combined fuel figure of 46.3. A launch route based around Bray, which nestles besides the Thames, demonstrated, too, its remarkable flexibility. Mid-range acceleration, the sort that gets you past the dawdler in front, is highly desirable.

Toyota have not re-invented the wheel with changes to suspension - they’ve merely given the car a stiffer, more positive feel. Tuck it tightly into a corner, or get into a situation where a marked change of attitude is asked of the car, and you feel certain that you’re not asking too much: It’s a confidence thing.

And it’s not only in performance that the engine scores. Carbon dioxide emissions are rated at 161g/km achieved through new clean diesel technology pioneered by Toyota. The system includes a four-way catalyst that continuously reduces nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions. As well as being highly efficient, it requires no maintenance.

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