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Built on a new platform, Auris is available in three and five-door versions and with a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines and three transmissions. Six model grades are on offer: T2, T3, TR, SR, T Spirit and the flagship SR180, exclusively equipped with Toyota’s 2.2-litre D-4D 180 diesel engine.

Design and comfort
Auris was created at Toyota’s European design studio ED2 and reflects contemporary European tastes. It has a distinctively “short and tall” shape, its height – among the tallest in its class – contributing to comfort for all passengers.
    
The designers worked from the inside out, to give priority to making the best possible use of interior space for both comfort and practicality. This is particularly effective in the rear, where the design of the exhaust system has allowed for a flat floor, enabling three adults to be comfortably accommodated. The couple distance between front and rear seats is on a par with that of the Avensis. Further convenience is provided by the split-folding rear seat with two-stage recline function.
    
The exterior has a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, which contributes to vehicle stability, low noise levels and fuel economy. The efficient design extends to the underneath of the vehicle, where elements such as the suspension, exhaust system and engine undercover have been shaped to help maintain a smooth airflow.
    
Similarly, measures have been taken to deliver low levels of noise and vibration, with sound absorbing and insulating materials used in key areas throughout the vehicle. The high rigidity of the Auris’s new platform also plays an important role in reducing vibration and noise intrusion.

Powertrains & performance
Auris offers a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines. Flagship of the range is the clean and powerful 2.2-litre D-4D 180, one of the most advanced diesel engines available on the market. This 175bhp (177 DIN hp) power plant is featured exclusively in the Auris SR180 model. Matched to a six-speed manual gearbox, it produces 400Nm of torque between 2,000 and 2,600rpm, giving acceleration from rest to 62mph in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 130mph, with official combined cycle fuel economy of 45.6mpg. It is equipped with Toyota’s D-CAT clean diesel technology, which includes a maintenance-free four-way DPNR catalyst that reduces nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions to class-leading low levels.
    
The diesel line-up starts with the fuel-frugal 1.4-litre D-4D 90 eight-valve engine, which is capable of 56.5mpg (combined cycle). Ideally suited for town driving, its urban cycle consumption is more than 40mpg, with carbon dioxide emissions of 132g/km. Auris is also available with a 2.0-litre D-4D 130 engine, a multivalve unit that delivers 124bhp (126 DIN hp). This engine’s qualities are already well-proven in the Avensis, combining high torque (300Nm between 2,000 and 2,800rpm) and low noise levels. The nought to 62mph acceleration benchmark is reached in 10.3 seconds, with headline fuel economy of 52.3mpg (combined cycle).
    
Auris is the first European model to use Toyota’s new 1.6-litre petrol unit with Dual VVT-i, an intelligent, variable timing system for both inlet and exhaust valves that improves fuel efficiency and power output across a wide range of engine speeds. This 122bhp (124 DIN hp) four-cylinder unit produces 157Nm of torque, giving nought to 62mph acceleration in 10.4 seconds, a top speed of 118mph and combined cycle fuel consumption of 39.8mpg.
    
The entry point to the petrol range is Toyota’s 96bhp (97 DIN hp) 1.4-litre VVT-i engine, which delivers 40.9mpg (combined cycle), acceleration to 62mph in 13.0 seconds and a maximum 106mph.
    
Three transmissions are offered: five-speed manual for the 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol and D-4D 90 diesel engines; six-speed manual for the D-4D 130 and 180 engines; and the option of Toyota’s MultiMode transmission on the 1.6 Dual VVT-I and D-4D 90 engines. MultiMode lets the driver choose between fully automatic or sequential manual gear selection, using the gear lever or paddle shifts mounted on the steering wheel. MultiMode’s high efficiency in automatic mode returns fuel consumption that matches, or in some cases even improves on the figures achieved with standard manual transmission.

Safety
Auris follows the pattern set by the latest generation of Toyota models in adopting the Minimal Intrusion Cabin System (MICS), ensuring a basic construction that can absorb impact forces from an accident and channel them away from the passenger cell. This basic robustness, with strategic reinforcements and use of light-but-strong high-tensile steel around the vehicle, is fundamental to Auris’s success in independent crash testing.
    
The effectiveness of Toyota’s comprehensive safety provisions in Auris are acknowledged in crash test ratings from Euro NCAP that are among the very best in the C-segment. Auris is the fifth Toyota model to gain the top five-star award for adult occupant protection, with four stars awarded for child occupant protection and three stars for pedestrian safety.
    
Active safety features include ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) with Brake Assist (BA), fitted as standard on all versions. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), with Traction Control (TRC), is provided on SR180 models, and is available as an option on T2, T3 and T Spirit grades. Auris also benefits from large-diameter brake discs all round.
    
Where passive safety features are concerned, Auris is equipped across the range with nine airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag. The front seats and head restraints are constructed to Toyota’s latest-generation Whiplash Injury Lessening design, while in the rear, Isofix child seat mounts are provided.
    
Auris has added impetus to Toyota’s brand growth in Europe, joining Yaris and Avensis at the core of the model range to help achieve the company’s target of 1.2 million sales annually in the region.