Our Fleet Test Drive Review: Toyota Avensis Tourer - 5th Report
Date:
16 September 2009
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Author: Guy Bird
Voice menu
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Category: | Estate | P11D price: | £22,385 | Key rival: | Ford Mondeo Estate | |
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In my experience, most in-car voice activation systems usually offer more comedy value and/or annoyance than actual assistance.
Unfortunately, my first experience with the system in the Avensis Tourer has proved no different. Activating it is easy enough: a press of a button just to the right of the steering wheel hub reveals a screen with options such as 'Go home', 'Destination' and a calm voice that prompts you to talk away. Encouraged, I start with what I thought was a very clear "Go home" only to be confronted with a concerned voice enquiring "Did you say golf course?". Here we go again.
Only three or four attempts later, including a few tries with the driver's window wound up and a new slower vocal pace and intonation that sounded like I was telling off a small (and slightly thick) child "Go.Home!" does the penny finally drop with the system, by which time I'm almost home anyway. To give the system the benefit of the doubt I tried it again when stationary with the engine off and the recognition system got it right first time. Typical.
I must say, though, on re-trying the kit more recently it now understands my 'Go home' command even with background noise. Trouble is, it's struggling with all manner of other instructions instead from 'Aux' - "Did you say all restaurants?" - to interpreting one random cough inexplicably as 'Zoom in'. Which makes me conclude this technology still needs a little ironing out before it's worth ticking as an option.
Toyota Avensis Tourer 2.2 D-4D 150 T4 5dr 6spd manual | Mileage | 6741 | Claimed combined consumption | 50.4mpg | Our average consumption | 39.1mpg | P11D price | £22,385 | Model price range | £16,560-£25,605 | CO2 (tax) | 150g/km/21% | BIK 20/40% per month | £78/£157 | Service interval | up to 20,000mls | Insurance | group 8E | Warranty | 3yrs/60,000mls | Boot space (min/max) | 543/1609 litres | Engine size/power | 2231cc/150PS | Top speed/0-62mph | 131mph/9.2secs | Why we’re running it | Can it live up to its new, sleeker and more fuel-efficient billing? | Positive | Smart new exterior, interior quality, ride | Negative | Annoying handbrake, steering response |
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