Review of the new Toyota Auris 1.33 VVT-i

Excitement can be overrated. After all, new car sales figures suggest that most family buyers take the safe option - a car that prioritises sensible virtues and concentrates on getting the basics right. A car, in fact, like Toyota's Auris. With a 1.33-litre VVT-i petrol engine and Stop&Start technology, it's more sensible still.

Toyota has been positioning itself at the forefront of the drive to lower fuel consumption and emissions in our cars. It pioneered petrol/electric hybrid technology with its Prius but in recent times, its efforts have been overshadowed somewhat by other marques leaping aboard the green bandwagon in their droves with environmentally-focused models of their own. Toyota's response is what it calls Optimal Drive Technology, a programme to be implemented across its model range (rather than being restricted to specific derivatives) which uses various measures to improve efficiency. The Auris 1.33 VVT-i uses Optimal Drive Technology and Toyota's Stop&Start system to boost its green credentials.

For reasons that may not be immediately apparent, Toyota would like us to refer to its 1.3-litre Dual VVT-i engine as a 1.33-litre. This reluctance to round down is rooted in a desire to underline the fact that this is a modern powerplant developed specifically to work in tandem with Toyota's Stop&Start system and not merely Toyota's old faithful 1.3 with Stop&Start bolted on. In the Auris range, it actually replaced a 1.4-litre VVT-i unit but engineers have concentrated on reducing its size and weight to the extent that it's similar in size to the three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine fitted to the Aygo and iQ citycars. That this 1.33-litre unit is also available in the iQ illustrates just how little it is. The engine develops 100bhp and a maximum torque output of 132Nm at 3,800rpm, which equates to an impressive 100Nm per litre. The 0-60mph performance of 13.1s isn't stellar but neither is it the point of this Auris.

"Good-sized family hatchbacks like this with petrol engines capable of nearly 49mpg aren't too common."

We've seen elsewhere in the automotive world how much can be achieved in terms of efficiency gains when a number of apparently small modifications work together. The 1.33-litre Auris certainly has a big collection of small improvements in its locker. Its cylinders have been specially designed and weigh just 180g each compared to 280g in the old 1.4-VVT-i engine. The air intake channel has been streamlined to optimise air flow, the intake manifold is made of lightweight resin and the camshaft profile was tweaked to cut weight and friction. On top of all that, there's Toyota's Dual VVT-i intelligent variable valve timing technology and, of course, Stop&Start.

When it comes to styling and design with this Auris, practicality is everything. The gentle curves are cleaner on the latest cars which have a deeper bumper that can house integrated fog lights, a more shapely bonnet and headlamps swept back into the wings. It's not one of the more memorable styling efforts on the family hatch market but the Auris does will in other areas. The car's platform has an overall length of 4,220mm incorporating a 2,600mm wheelbase. This means that the wheelbase represents 61.6 per cent of the car's total length. Generally speaking, the higher the percentage, the more space is afforded to people rather than oily bits. With an overall height of 1,515 and a width of 1,760mm, the Auris is one of the biggest family hatches around, although the shape does much to disguise this bulk.

The cabin design is more striking, mainly thanks to the unusual dashboard design which raises the controls for the stereo and ventilation system up and within easier reach of the driver. The gearstick also falls more easily to hand thanks to the elevated centre console but you can forget about sliding across the cabin to exit via the passenger door when you've crammed the Auris into a parking space that's a bit too tight. Build quality is as good as anything in the sector and these facelifted models highlight this more effectively through the use of classier materials. There's soft touch plastic for the dash top and a nice silver finish for the eye-catching centre console.

Three and five door bodystyles are offered to Auris 1.33 VVT-i customers, along with a pair of trim levels - T2 and TR. As you'd expect from Toyota, standard equipment levels are excellent. The T2 model includes air conditioning, front electric windows, an MP3-compatible CD stereo with USB connection, remote central locking, a flat-cottomed leather steering wheel and 15-inch steel wheels.

The Auris 1.33-litre is brimming with innovations intended to make it more efficient and gentler on the planet but it's Stop&Start that gets top billing. In a conventional car that's stuck in traffic or waiting at the lights, the engine is running and burning fuel but in this Auris, as soon as you depress the clutch and move the six-speed gearbox into neutral, the engine stops. Release the clutch and it restarts again seamlessly so the theory is that the presence of Stop&Start should have no impact on the way you drive. Together with the other engineering and design solutions on the car, this helps the Auris 1.33 to a 48.7mpg combined economy figure and emissions of 136g/km.

There are a number of diesel-engined economy models that out strip the Auris 1.33-litre on economy and emissions but if you prefer the lower upfront costs and lower fuel prices of a petrol car, there isn't much in the family hatch sector to better it.

At first glance, a 1.33-litre Toyota Auris may not present much scope for excitement but it's a car of its time. The rising cost of motoring is pushing economy and emissions up the priorities lists of the car buying public and for those forced into valuing mpg more highly than bhp, this unassuming Auris could hold a strong attraction. Good-sized family hatchbacks with petrol engines capable of nearly 49mpg aren't too common and the core Auris strengths of build quality and reliability will also appeal to the mindset of people who just want a car to do a job with the minimum of fuss and expense.

The advanced 1.33-litre engine saves weight through its compact size and achieves excellent efficiency levels through its innovative design. With Stop&Start technology taking a further edge off running costs, it's a talented unit that suits the Toyota Auris well.

TOP 5 AURIS DEALS

The results below show the top AURIS deals on buyacar

Toyota Auris 1.6 V-Matic TR 5dr Hatchback
Price £9,040 Read Auris Reviews	Save £6,055
Toyota Auris 1.33 Dual VVTi TR 5dr Hatchback
Price £10,040 Read Auris Reviews	Save £6,685
Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D TR 5dr MM Diesel Hatchback
Price £15,961 Read Auris Reviews	Save £2,824
Toyota Auris 1.6 V-Matic TR 5dr MM Hatchback
Price £10,340 Read Auris Reviews	Save £7,600
Toyota Auris 1.6 V-Matic SR 5dr Hatchback
Price £10,540 Read Auris Reviews	Save £5,560
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