Matt Kimberley, PA motoring writer, says the new Toyota Avensis is much more than just a prettier face – it's much cleaner and greener too.

Some cars are designed to be jacks of all trades, but even though they're rarely masters of any one, the reality is that most of us, especially company car drivers, need a car that does one particular thing better than any other.

Company car nirvana is fashioned by a combination of low CO2 emissions and high levels of comfort. The bills have got to be low and the mile-eating talent high. Fleet managers want just the same as the people driving the cars.

Plenty of space for passengers and luggage is important, though. Most company cars are basically private cars at the weekend. But the key is for the car to be quiet, comfortable, stable and cheap to own.

With that in mind, here's the new Toyota Avensis. It's not entirely new but it has a much prettier face and a host of improvements under the skin that, on the best-selling diesel, add up to a promise of the lowest running costs in its class. Toyota reckons its three-year running costs are �2,000 cheaper than before.

The most popular 2.0-litre D-4D engine, accounting for two-thirds of the previous Avensis generation's sales, has been heavily updated with a smaller, more efficient turbo.

It links with new engine mapping and improved cold start characteristics, allowing a faster warm-up that wastes less energy in the name of better fuel efficiency. The bottom line is 119g/km of CO2, down from 139g/km, and a claimed 62.8mpg overall.

Soundproofing has been improved, with more acoustic dampening material to keep the new Avensis as quiet as possible. It works, too, with road noise very hushed even at motorway speeds. There's a bit of wind noise around the wing mirrors and A-pillars, noticeable because the car is so quiet a cruiser otherwise.

The 124bhp diesel can get a bit noisy under power though, but its power and torque delivery are both more linear than in the old model.

This might actually be the last 2.0-litre Toyota diesel engine that sees production in the Avensis. A recent agreement will soon see Toyota cars in Europe fitted with 1.6 and 2.0-litre BMW diesels, which will provide even more attractive CO2 and fuel economy figures.

A slick six-speed manual gearbox is standard on this engine, and an automatic is only available with the thirstier, more polluting 2.2-litre D-CAT diesel. Company car drivers would be financially better off with the manual, but if maximum space is your wish then the Tourer estate version of the 2.0 D-4D model is in the same road tax band as the saloon, pushing out 120g/km of CO2.

Efficiency figures like these qualify the new car for cheap running costs relative to the other 2.0-litre diesel company car options out there for similar money. Another nod in its favour is the outstanding standard kit – more than you might expect.

On all but ultra-basic T2, Toyota's touch-screen satellite navigation is standard. It's a good system, even if it does struggle to pronounce some street names, and should be a huge pull for company car drivers.

The same goes for a rear-view camera, 17in alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control, electric driver's seat lumbar adjustment and a bundle of other convenient extras. It's all standard on TR spec and above.

It makes for a convincing turn of value, with the key 2.0-litre D-4D TR model carrying the same price tag as the old, less well-equipped one.

The revised chassis feels stiff, stable and strong, but there isn't much feel. A slightly quickened steering rack is a welcome change that should mean less wheel-twirling in tight corners.

The point of the new Avensis is to be a better company car than ever. That's where Toyota hopes to find the bulk of sales, and why many of the techy touches, like access to Google local search, are directed particularly at high-mileage business drivers. The spacious rear passenger area and obvious high build quality make it a great family car as well.

It's a better cruiser than before and it's saignificantly cheaper to run than its older self. It succeeds exactly where it needs to, with excellent cruising comfort and a first-rate list of standard gadgets, so despite it being a master of one trade above all others, it makes perfect sense to the right people.