Toyota UK Prices Auris Hybrid, Only Slightly Cheaper than Prius, Far More Expensive than Insight

The all-new, British-built Auris Hybrid will arrive at Toyota's UK dealerships in the beginning of July with prices starting from £18,950 on-the-road for the basic T4 and from £20,700 for the better equipped T Spirit model.

The pricing for the hybrid variant of the Auris hatchback is surprisingly close to Toyota's dedicated Prius Hybrid which ranges from £19,505 to £22,610 and far more expensive than the Honda Insight that starts from £16,235.

The Auris Hybrid makes use of the same powertrain found in the Prius combining 1.8-liter petrol engine and an electric motor for a total output of 134-horsepower. It completes the nought to 62mph (100km/h) acceleration in 11.4 seconds and tops out at 112mph or 180km/h.

When fitted with 15-inch wheels, combined cycle fuel economy is 74.3 mpg UK (3.8lt/100km or 61.8 mpg US) and CO2 emissions are 89 g/km; with the 17-inch wheel option it returns 70.6 mpg UK ( 4.0lt/100km or 58.8 mpg US) and 93 g/km of CO2.

Key features of the standard T₄ include: -

• Climate control air conditioning
  
• Six-speaker audio with CD, radio, MP3 file player
  
• USB and Aux-in connection
  
• Front and rear electric windows
  
• Electric, heated door mirrors
  
• Front fog lights
  
• LED running lights
  
• Colour-matched door handles and mirrors
  
• Push-button start
  
• Seven airbags, including driver's knee airbag
  
• Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC)
  
• Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
  

T Spirit grade adds the following items: -

• Leather and Alcantara upholstery
  
• Cruise control
  
• Bluetooth
  
• Dusk-sensing headlamps
  
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
  
• Smart Entry and Start
  
• Auto-dimming electrochromatic rear view mirror
  
• Rear view camera display in rear view mirror
  

An optional Navigation Pack, providing satellite navigation, rear camera and rear parking sensors, costs £1,200, and Bluetooth can be specified for the T4 version for £285.

Facelifted 2010 Toyota Auris: All The Details, Full-Hybrid Version Announced for July

While Toyota's European press department gave us only a pair of photos and no details whatsoever on the revised 2010 Auris pointing towards the Geneva Show for more information, the Japanese firm's UK arm announced the launch of facelifted model releasing pricing as well specifications.

Furthermore, Toyota revealed that the sales of the British-built full hybrid Auris HSD that shares its gasoline-electric drivetrain with the Prius Hybrid will commence in July. We expect to see the production version of the Auris HSD making its world premiere at the Geneva Show in March.

Toyota wants us to believe that Auris has been fully restyled on the outside, but fact is, we doubt that your average buyer will even notice the changes.

These include a new deep front bumper, reshaped headlamps, revised grille and bonnet profile with stronger crease lines plus newly styled 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The revised tail lamp clusters, the new rear bumper with extended corner sections and the integrated turn indicators on the door mirrors complete the exterior makeover.

Inside, Toyota said (but did not show) that a soft-touch material has been introduced across the top of the instrument binnacle and around the glovebox, while the centre console has been revised with changes to the instrument design.

The new white illumination for the Optitron instrument dials and the new cloth upholstery designs round off the interior updates.

Toyota added that the it has also fine-tuned the Auris' suspension and steering systems to improve driver feedback and handling.

With the exception of the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) that will go on sale in July, the are no changes to the rest of the engine range that comprises a 1.33-litre petrol engine with Toyota Stop & Start technology, a 1.6 Valvematic petrol with manual or MultiMode transmission and 1.4 D-4D diesel, again with manual gearbox or Multimode.

In the UK, the revised Auris in three- and five-door body styles is on sale now with prices ranging from £14,463 to £16,495 - see detailed pricing in the list above.

2010 TOYOTA AURIS FACELIFT

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TOYOTA AURIS HSD HYBRID CONCEPT STUDY

2010 Toyota Auris Facelift gets Subtle Makeover and New Hybrid Version with Prius Drivetrain

When Toyota introduced the successor to the hatchback versions of the Corolla (the sedan variant kept the name) in Europe in 2006, the company's bosses decided to baptize the new car "Auris", not only due to its supposedly fresh and contemporary styling, but also because the name "Corolla" had become more synonymous with dull than with quality in the Old Continent.

Fast forward to 2010, and the Auris has yet to shake off its predecessor's bland-mobile reputation...

And while the subtle cosmetic makeover for the 2010 model year won't make the standard Auris any more interesting than before, the addition of a full hybrid version to the range is something that could very well capture the interest of European buyers.

Toyota's Spartan press release did not get into any details whatsoever, but the two official photos reveal that the 2010 Auris hatchback benefits from the same cosmetic changes as the JDM model that was introduced last October and almost the same styling upgrades as the Auris HSD Hybrid study that was presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Show.

On the outside, the 2010 model year Auris features a revised grille, reshaped front and rear bumpers, new headlamps, tail lights and alloy wheels plus a different bonnet design and new exterior mirrors with integrated turning signals.

We assume that the production Auris HSD (which stands for Hybrid Synergy Drive) will keep if not all, most of the exterior styling cues and aerodynamic tweaks such as the underbody panels of the concept study.

The Auris HSD's petrol-electric hyrbid drivetrain will be largely shared with the Prius meaning that the five-door hatchback can run on battery power alone in zero-emissions mode.

Full details and photos of both the standard and hybrid versions of the Auris are expected to be released closer to their official debut at the Geneva Salon in early March.

2010 TOYOTA AURIS FACELIFT

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TOYOTA AURIS HSD HYBRID CONCEPT STUDY