Auris is effortless to drive
AS USUAL I was late leaving for an event about 100 miles away and had to use motorway and dual carriageway to get there roughly on time.
But the return journey was a different animal altogether, when I weaved my way across country through small towns and beautiful villages in the autumn sunshine.
That kind of drive is usually good in any car and while the Toyota Auris Hybrid might not be the most fun, it still acquitted itself very well.
Power and layout are the same as in the Prius hybrid, with a 1.8 petrol engine and an electric motor producing a total of 134bhp.
The power goes to the front wheels through the normal Toyota continuously variable automatic gearbox, so it has to be one of the most effortless cars to drive in any situation.
The hybrid system utilises a combination of petrol, electric and a battery pack and with a very light right foot, the electric motor can give over a mile on its own under 30mph.
The engine management system decides where the power comes from depending on the way the car is being driven, and both petrol and electric motor can work together to give best performance.
The battery pack is charged in normal driving and when it runs down, the car switches to conventional petrol mode, recharging it as you drive.
The car is by no means slow, taking just under 11 seconds to reach 62mph and giving a top speed of 112mph.
Because of the way the gearbox works, response to the accelerator can be a little slow, but the combined power units are quiet and refined almost all the time and there’s enough performance to make most manoeuvres easy.
High quality materials enhance the look and feel of the interior, and equipment includes sat nav, climate control, parking sensors and a reversing camera.
The Toyota Auris GB25 I drove costs £24,800.