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Article: Motoring: Takeover bid Could that model of mundanity, the Toyota Avensis, actually be worthy of a Lexus badge? John Simister reckons it's climbing the corporate ladder
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- March 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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RELIABLE, FUNCTIONAL, undemanding. The Toyota Avensis, built in
Britain in recent years to a template of almost complete image
invisibility, is all of these things. But would you have one by
choice? Only if you have no more interest in cars than you mustered
when choosing your latest microwave. I can't think of a car with less
personality.
This won't do in a modern world in which image and branding are
everything. Most cars work pretty well nowadays, and it's quite hard
to buy a duffer if the name is famous and the price is right. So, for
many of us it's a question of gut feeling and visceral triggers of
desire. That's why carmakers exploit nuances of image difference and
cultural ...