In the main, the Avensis Touring Sports’s cabin is a sensible, straight-laced place to be. All of the materials and switchgear feel incredibly robust and well-installed, as you’d expect from a Toyota. They’re just not all that interesting.

We found the driving position to be a little too high for our liking, feeling more like an SUV than an executive estate, and while this means you have good visibility around the car, it’s another clear aspect where rivals come out on top.

The driver is faced with a traditional dash, the left-hand rev-counter and right-hand speedo flanking a small screen for displaying trip computer or navigation information.

We liked the steering wheel, which is of a decent diameter and girth and features controls for the multimedia and cruise control systems.

The touchscreen multimedia system seems to work well, but we did find it painfully slow to operate when you first switch the car on, which can be a frustration when you’re in a hurry.

If it wasn’t for the ultra-cossetting VW Passat, we’d say Toyota Avensis Touring Sports comfort levels are relatively high. As it is, the German car does it better, but that isn’t to say the Japanese brand’s attempt is bad. The suspension is well-tuned for a smooth ride and the cabin is very well insulated too, which means not much noise makes its way into the cabin.

We found the 1.6 D-4D to be quieter than the 2-litre, but only fractionally so. The new front seats are well-bolstered and have an impressive field of adjustment, but we struggled to find the perfect driving position because the seat itself sits quite high in the car.

Standard features such as air-conditioning and cruise control help in this regard, too.