Toyota Auris Hatchback Review

The Toyota Auris is a stylish five-door hatchback that is ideal for people who want a car known for its quality and reliability, and that is affordable to buy and run.

A practical and spacious five-door hatchbak, the Toyota Auris is available in four well-equipped trim levels and with a variety of diesel, petrol and full hybrid engines. With 16 models to choose from, all built right here in Britain, there should be a new Toyota Auris hatchback to suit. But if you need something with more boot space then look at the estate version, the Toyota Auris Touring Sports.

DRIVING
Four engines are used in the Toyota Auris – one diesel, two petrol, and a best-in-class petrol and electric hybrid utilising Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. All versions are designed to provide good performance and excellent fuel economy, along with reduced emissions. The Toyota Auris hatchback is strong yet light in weight and handles well thanks to a low centre of gravity. Meanwhile, careful tuning of the suspension and steering delivers a more comfortable ride with better control for the driver.

COMFORT
Inside, the Toyota Auris offers a comfortable and spacious environment. The four trim levels – Active, Icon, Icon plus and Excel – are all well-equipped as standard. With the interior focused around the driver, it looks good and as it’s built with high-quality materials, it feels good too.

A full range of seat adjustment creates plenty of space and an ergonomic driving position, with the seat design and wide-opening doors making it more comfortable for passengers in the rear seats. The Toyota Auris delivers a quiet environment due to extensive soundproofing to keep out engine and road noise. On Excel models, an optional panoramic glass roof is available.

PRACTICALITY
The Toyota Auris is a mid-sized car that is practical for family use thanks to its 360-litre boot space and wide hatchback opening. Extra storage is available under the boot floor, plus there is an option to fold down the 60:40 split rear seats to further increase its practicality. Because the batteries on the Toyota Auris Hybrid version are mounted beneath the rear seats, these models have exactly the same amount of storage as the regular models. Within the passenger compartment are extra storage spaces, cup holders and three 12V sockets to power your gadgets.

SAFETY
Like the Toyota Auris Touring Sports estate, the Toyota Auris hatchback scored the top five-star rating in the 2013 Euro NCAP crash safety tests. Protecting you on the move, standard equipment includes LED daytime running lights to make the Auris more visible, braking assistance to safely bring the car to a stop in the shortest possible distance, and stability and traction control to maintain safety when accelerating and cornering. The Toyota Auris protects driver and passengers with seven airbags and seats that minimise whiplash. It will even keep occupants safe after they leave the car at night by illuminating the pathway with its dipped headlights for 30 seconds.

RUNNING COSTS*
Running costs for the Toyota Auris are kept low by its sleek, aerodynamic design and efficient engine line-up. The low emissions from Toyota engines mean that road tax rates are between £0 and £145 a year, with the first year being tax-free on all models except 1.6-litre petrol models. The engines have superb fuel economy, ranging from 46.3mpg (1.6 petrol) to 78.5mpg (full hybrid) on a combined cycle. The Toyota Auris has service intervals of 10,000 miles or annually, with the Toyota Auris Hybrid costing less to service than before.

QUALITY
Like the Toyota Auris Touring Sports and Toyota Avensis, the Toyota Auris is built in Britain to the highest standards in Toyota’s state-of-the-art factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire. Toyota’s renowned reliability and quality is backed by a comprehensive five-year/100,000-mile warranty, with the battery pack on the Toyota Auris Hybrid guaranteed against manufacturing defects for eight years/100,000 miles. Three years’ cover against rust and paint defects, and a 12-year corrosion cover period also apply to the Toyota Auris hatchback.

PRICES*
There are 16 variations of the Toyota Auris hatchback, with prices starting from £14,945 on the road (OTR). The entry-level 1.33 Dual VVT-i petrol engine is available in Active (£14,945) and Icon (£17,645) trim levels, while the more powerful 1.6 Valvematic petrol engine comes in Icon, Icon plus and Excel grades, ranging between £17,995 and £20,250 for the manual versions, and an extra £1000 for the optional Multidrive S automatic CVT gearbox. The diesel option, a 1.4 D4-D engine, costs from £16,295 to £21,495 and comes in all four trim grades: Active, Icon, Icon plus and Excel. Lastly, the Toyota Auris Hybrid with its 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid Synergy Drive engine comes in from Icon grade upwards, priced between £20,645 and £22,890 respectively.

Click here for more information on the Auris and Auris Hybrid, or if you’d like to get behind the wheel, leave a comment below and we’ll contact you to arrange a test drive.

*Prices correct as of 13/01/15