Japan: 2010 Toyota Auris Receives a Minor Facelift

Toyota formally launched the mildly facelifted 2010 Auris hatchback in Japan today. According to the automaker, the 2010 model year Auris receives some minor exterior tweaks that include revised grilles (depending on the model grade), front and rear bumpers, headlamps, tail lights and alloy wheels plus a new hood design. Interior refinements come in the form of new color options, upgraded materials and improved standard equipment on certain models.

In addition to the styling mods, the Japanese firm noted that the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine benefits from a revised variable timing system for both inlet and exhaust valves that improves fuel efficiency and power output.

Furthermore, all 1.8L models equipped with a CVT gain new steering-wheel mounted paddle-shifters that allow the driver to flip through the gears at the flick of a finger.

In Japan, the Ford Focus-sized Auris is also available with a smaller 1.5-liter petrol engine. Prices range from 1,622,000 Yen ($18,125 or €12,200) for the base Auris (1.5) 150X FWD to 2,331,000 Yen ($26,050 or €17,500) for the top-of-the-line Auris (1.8) S-Package 4WD.

Toyota Auris HSD Hybrid Fully Revealed, Features Prius' Hybrid Drivetrain

The new Auris HSD Full Hybrid is a thinly disguised concept model that will be launched at the Frankfurt show next week previewing the production model that is scheduled to go on sale in Europe sometime during the second half of 2010. According to Toyota, it marks a significant milestone in the firm's plan to equip its mainstream European models with full hybrid technology. As anticipated, the Auris HSD Full Hybrid shares its hybrid powertran with the thrid-gen Prius.

This means that it is equipped with a 1.8-liter Atkinson Cycle petrol engine with 98HP, a 60kW - 80HP electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The combined output of the hybrid system is 134 horsepower. Being a 'full' hybrid, the Auris can be driven on petrol engine alone, electric motor alone for up to 1.25 miles (2km) at speeds up to 31mph or combination of both.

Toyota says that the Auris HSD Hybrid accelerates from nought to 100km/h (62mph) in around 10 seconds, while returning a "class-leading" combined cycle fuel economy (no figures were released) and sub-100g/km CO2 emissions.

Compared to the conventional Auris that has replaced the hatchback versions of the Corolla in Europe, the hybrid model features some subtle styling changes to improve aerodynamic efficiency as well as to differentiate it from the rest of the range. These include the new front-end fascia with a different grille and LED headlights, the new bumpers with flat corners, the LED tail lamps, the addition of a rear diffuser and a larger rear spoiler.

Other changes include the 20mm lower ride height, the underbody panels and the bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels that are designed to cut air turbulence in the wheel arches and are shod with low rolling resistance tyres. These changes result to a drag coefficient of 0.28 - for comparison, the latest Prius has a Cd figure of 0.25.

The hybrid model has also been fitted with solar panels on the roof as well as on top of the dashboard that generate enough energy to recharge mobile phones or portable music plays mounted in purpose-designed charging trays.

Being a concept and all, the car's cabin gets a special makeover as the seats and upper dashboard are finished in blue Gaucholino leather with light blue accent stitching while the centre console and side air vents have a pearl white finish. Furthermore, the instrument cluster gets 'hybrid blue' illumination while other upgrades include the flat bottom steering wheel and ambient illumination of the footwells and headlining.

The Auris HSD Full Hybrid will be built by Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) at the firm's Burnaston factory, near Derby, with sales of the production model set to start across Europe in the second half of 2010.

Toyota Previews Auris Hybrid with Pre-Production Concept

Toyota today dropped an official photograph of the Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept, which will be displayed for the very first time at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. In essence, it's a pre-production model lightly guised as a concept that previews Toyota's first European-built full hybrid that will be produced in the UK with sales scheduled to start in mid-2010.

The Japanese automaker said that the Auris Hybrid represents a milestone in the firm's strategy as it will be the first mainstream Toyota (obviously, the company doesn't count the Prius as a mainstream model...) to benefit from the company's full hybrid technology and the first step in the deployment of Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) across the company's model range.

This means that like the Prius, the Auris Hybrid will most likely be able to run on its electric motor(s), the internal combustion engine or a combination of the two. There's been no hint from Toyota on the type of engine that will be used on the Auris Hybrid.

We've only got a single photo of the car to go by, but it is evident that the hybrid version of the Auris will feature a number of specific exterior styling cues to differentiate it from the standard model.

These include the reshaped headlights with blue rings, a unique grille with a highlighted Toyota logo and the redesigned front bumper. We also see that the Auris Hybrid's rooftop features what appears to be a solar panel.

Full details and a comprehensive image gallery will follow closer to the Frankfurt Show opening.

Toyota Announces Auris Hybrid for European Market, Sales to Start in Mid-2010

Toyota has confirmed plans to launch a full-hybrid version of its Golf-sized Auris hatchback for the European market in mid-2010. According to the Japanese firm, the Auris Hybrid will be built at its UK-based facility in Burnaston, Derbyshire. The company did not release any technical information but chances are that the Auris will make use of a similar, if not the same, hybrid drivetrain system to the new Prius that combines a 1.8-liter gasoline engine with two electric motors.

"With today's announcement, Toyota has taken a significant step forward in ensuring that full hybrids become more accessible to a wider range of customers," said Tadashi Arashima, CEO and President of Toyota Europe. "Such efforts are crucial if we are to see more low-carbon vehicles on European roads," he added.

In other words, it's safe to assume that the Auris Hybrid will be priced much lower than the Prius, giving Honda's newly introduced Insight Hybrid a run for its money.

The Auris is Toyota's proposal in the all-important for the European market C-segment rivaling the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane, Ford Focus and Opel Astra. It was launched into the European market in the Spring of 2007 replacing the three- and five-door hatchback variants of the Corolla. Since then, it has sold over 370,000 units across the continent.

The Auris is offered with various powertrains in Europe including the newly introduced 101HP 1.33-liter gasoline engine that returns 5.8lt/100km or 40.6mpg US in the European cycle and a range-topping 2.2-liter turbo diesel with 175HP for the sporty Auris SR180 (pictured here) that returns an average of 6.0lt/100km or 39.2mpg.

Toyota Auris TR Available with 90Hp 1.4 D-4D Diesel Engine

Toyota is broadening its UK market Auris TR range with the introduction of the 90 Hp 1.4-liter D-4D diesel engine. Up until now, the Auris in TR spec was offered with the 1.4 VVT-i and 1.6 VVT-i petrol units and the 2.0 D-4D 130 diesel. Official combined cycle fuel consumption for the Auris TR 1.4 D-4D is 56.5mpg (47mpg US or 5.0lt/100 km) while the nought to 62mph (100 km/h) sprint is reached in 12.0 seconds with the manual gearbox and 14.7 with semi-auto MultiMode transmission. -Continued

Available in both 3door and 5door variants, the Auris TR’s prices range from £14,145 to £15,195. Standard equipment includes 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, front fog lamps, automatic air conditioning, blue Tatami interior trim, chrome detailing on the rear bodywork, front fog lamps and heated electrically adjustable door mirrors.