Toyota Tarago 2006 review: snapshot

The system draws on information from the electronic brake assist system and/or vehicle stability control system to prepare the front seatbelts if a collision is imminent.

It uses electric motors to pretension the driver and front passengers seatbelts.

But the key words here are "up to" because the base model GLi gets only two airbags and misses out on the pre-crash system.

That's part of an optional $1500 enhanced safety pack.

But ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist are standard.

We took the new model for a brief spin around Sydney this week.

It's as good and as functional as we remember, with rounder, more stylish lines and sits 30mm lower than the model it replaces. But it still falls short of the benchmark set by Honda's sleek Odyssey, the only people mover yet that could be described as really stylish.

The front sports the same visor-like headlight assembly first seen on Renaults, the Nissan Murano and overeas Civic hatch. The rear features the same joined tail light design of the previous model but the lights sit higher on the rear, just under the back window. The overall affect is a similar but evolutionary look to the old car.

New Tarago is still powered by the same 2.4-litre VVTi equipped double overhead cam fourcylinder engine found in Camry.

But improvements see the engine deliver 10kW more power and electronic throttle control has been added for smoother, more reponsive operation. It delivers 125kW of power at 6000rpm and 224Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

The greatest step forward as far as we're concerned is the relocation of the gear change lever from heartland America on the steering column. The unusual trigger change has been replaced with a conventional, stubby shifter that sits in a much more convenient location on the dash.You change gears manually with the four-speed sequential auto.

Tarago has the ability to seat eight people and that is the reason, of course, for buying these cars. The middle seat slides on tracks to provide more leg room for centre passengers when the rear set is not in use.

There's no V6 but the fourcylinder engine pays dividends in terms of fuel consumption. It is rated at 9.5L/100km. The previous model was not what you could call cheap and as such sold mainly to rental firms and hotel shuttle services. Toyota is hoping to regain sales with this model, but at a starting price of $48,990 it is $3500 more