Like the Perodua Alza, the Toyota Avanza is popular (in Indonesia) but ageing. However, development on the next-gen Avanza is ongoing, based on this photo and it is getting a front-wheel drive (FWD) layout!

It was uploaded by a Facebook user named Rizal ZeroTwo and showed what appeared to be the next-gen Avanza undergoing testing in Indonesia.

This photo pretty much confirms our suspicion that the next-gen Avanza will be FWD as opposed to the outgoing generation's rear-wheel drive set-up. As you can see, the rear differential is noticeably absent in the photo as we zoom in closer.

But hang on, the rear does look an awful lot different from the Daihatsu DN Multisix Concept that we speculated previewed the design of the next-gen Toyota Avanza and Perodua Alza.

So while this may look like an Avanza, it is actually a development mule. Carmakers tend to use these mules as a testbed to assess a new vehicle’s strengths and weakness, often years before production.

In short, the supposed next-gen Avanza shown is not the MPV's final design. Anyway, based on Daihatsu’s history, the concept’s design is usually carried over to the production model.

The next-generation Avanza will likely share the same Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform as the next-generation Alza. Both the next-gen Avanza and Alza will also likely share the same powertrains, so a hybrid-powered Avanza/Alza could be making its way.

Expect the next-gen Avanza/Alza to be launched in late-2021 or early-2022.