Review of the new Toyota Auris HSD

Quite a few of Toyota's eggs have been resting in the hybrid technology basket for some time now. More than any other manufacturer, the Japanese marque has gambled on the double act of internal combustion engine and electric motor being the driving force behind our cars in the short to medium term future. It was a risk that looks to be paying off but if Toyota is to capitalise on its foresight, it needs to get a shift on as rival brands bring their own hybrid cars to market. The Auris HSD is Toyota's industry leading Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrian in a familiar package and a key part of the plan to take hybrid mainstream.

Before the Auris HSD, UK car buyers who wanted a Toyota hybrid had only the iconic Prius to choose from. There were models using the technology carrying Toyota's premium Lexus badge but the Prius was the only petrol/electric Toyota and it made sure everyone knew it.

In contrast to the Prius, a car defined by its hybrid mechanicals, the Auris HSD is merely another version of Toyota's Auris family hatchback. Without the distinctive styling to mark it out as one of the greenest cars going, it's unlikely to go down quite so well with politicians and media personalities looking to make a statement. The environmental and financial advantages should be very much intact though and it's built locally at the Burnaston plant in Derbyshire.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive is a fiendishly complex piece of kit compared to the bog-standard petrol or diesel engines available elsewhere in the Auris range and the wider family hatchback sector. It's built around a 1.8-litre petrol engine with VVT-i variable valve timing and a 97bhp output. That unit is then complemented by an 81bhp electric motor, a high performance battery and an advanced power control unit that ensures the two power sources work effectively together.

"Toyota has made a huge investment in developing and refining hybrid engine technology"

The Auris HSD is a full hybrid that means the two power sources can work in tandem or in isolation. The car can run exclusively in Electric Vehicle EV mode for short periods but under normal circumstances, the electric motor assists the petrol engine under acceleration. When the car is coasting or braking, the electric motor acts as a generator, recapturing kinetic energy to charge the battery.

The total power output of the Ausis HSD is 134bhp, a healthy total for a family hatch, and it's sent to the wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox. Detailed information is provided via the car's multi-information display to keep drivers abreast of what the Hybrid Synergy Drive is up to as well as the fuel economy being achieved.

The Auris HSD looks ostensibly the same as any other Toyota Auris with styling that's neat, tidy and somewhat forgettable. It's a far cry from the Prius which cases the same powertrain in bodywork that has come to shout 'hybrid' at anyone with a passing interest in cars. There are clues as to the technology that lies beneath the Auris HSD's exterior. These include a reshaped grille and an extension of the wide air-intake below to improve air-flow and cooling efficiency. The ride height is 5mm lower too and special alloy wheels are fitted along with a rear spoiler. The modifications are chiefly made for aerodynamic reasons and they reduce the Auris HSD's drag coefficient from 0.290 to 0.283, but the knock-on effect that they also make the car look a bit sportier may be of more interest to many buyers.

The story doesn't deviate much inside where the usual Auris cabin design gets a few tweaks. The instruments have been reconfigured to include a series of graphical representations showing the operation of the hybrid system and various measures of how efficient the Auris is being and has been. The starter button illuminates in blue and there are switches on the centre console to choose between the EV, ECO and Power driving modes.

Toyota has invested a lot of time, effort and cash into developing its Hybrid Synergy Drive technology and the Auris HSD is tasked with reaping the dividends. The Prius grew larger in its latest third generation guise, coming close to the larger Avensis in capacity, and the Auris slots in below it as a more affordable Toyota hybrid option. A key rival will be the Honda Insight hybrid but to really make it big, the petrol/electric Auris will need to persuade buyers away from green versions of mainstream family hatchbacks, the majority of which use conventional diesel engines. Volkswagen's Golf BlueMotion and Ford's Focus ECOnetic will be in its sights.

We've established that the Auris HSD is an extremely advanced family hatchback but to what end? The ultimate goal of all that technology is fuel efficiency and its resulting environmental and financial benefits. The car is being made available in two versions, one with 17-inch wheels that achieves 71mpg and CO2 emissions of 93g/km and another that thanks to 15-inch wheels improves matters to 74mpg and 89g/km. That makes the Auris HSD one of the most efficient cars on sale and sets the standard to which the rest of the family hatch class must aspire.

Toyota has made a huge investment in developing and refining hybrid engine technology and the Auris HSD is one of the models that must make it pay. It brings the Hybrid Synergy Drive to a more mainstream audience by installing it as little more than an engine option in the company's sturdy family hatchback. It's hard to argue with economy and emissions figures that make this Auris one of the cleanest vehicles on sale but it is still possible to get close to Auris HSD returns in its most efficient diesel rivals.

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