Toyota Auris Road Test

Toyota Auris

All of the Auris range comes with height-adjustment for the driver’s seat together with a rake reach-adjustable steering column, Electronic Power Steering and, on the manual models, an annoying, green light that tells you when you should change gear.

There are five engine choices - two petrol and three diesels. The 1.4 D-4D 90 is the workaday unit, offering very good fuel consumption but not too much in the way of acceleration and top speed. The 2.0 D-4D 130, is the best choice, if you’re fond of caravan holidays but it’s the 2.2 D-4D 180 that will appeal to customers wanting performance as well as good fuel figures.

The petrol units are a 1.4 VVT-I, which, to be honest, should be avoided if you have any desire for performance. I found it to be very sluggish and, although on paper there’s 130Nm of torque available, I failed to find most of it.

The 1.6 Dual VVT-I engine, on the other hand, is a much better option. It produces 124PS at 6,000rpm and 157Nm of torque, peaking at 5,200rpm. When combined with the 5-speed manual gearbox, it will take the car from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 118mph, whereas the 1.4 manages 13.0 seconds for the sprint and 106mph, tops.

What is more, there’s only about 1mpg difference in the fuel consumption, between the two. The figures for the test car read as; 39.8, 47.9 and 31.4 for the urban, extra-urban and combined, while the CO2 emissions are measured as 166g/km - VED band E.

Interior design aside, the Auris is a nice car to drive. It handles well and has a surprisingly taut feel. The suspension is just about right for stability and comfort and the steering is positive.

As a family car, safety is even more important than usual. In the Euro NCAP tests, the Auris scored a maximum five stars for adult occupant protection, four stars for child protection and three for pedestrian safety.

ABS with EBD and Brake Assist are standard throughout the range, while Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and TRC, Traction Control are available as optional extras and are standard on the T180 model, as it has increased performance. There are no less than nine airbags within the cabin, including one for the driver’s knees.

To be honest, I’ve no idea why Toyota has gone for a change of name. Perhaps it is because the Corolla seems to have been with us forever. Whatever the reason, the exterior design of the ‘all-new’, Auris isn’t going to set the world on fire and will offer few surprises to existing Corolla drivers.

Toyota Auris