More than 30% of family hatchback buyers opt for so-called 'sporty' trim levels on their cars: it's a fact. So is the realisation for every car maker that they ignore this at their peril. Some responses to this market trend however, are more effective than others.

In many cases, manufacturers do little more than add a sporty badge and a boot spoiler to their cars but buyers are rarely fooled. Others, like Toyota, do the job properly. If you want out-and-out performance, there's an SR180 variant at the top of the range that features a potent 2.2-litre 175bhp D-D4 diesel engine, capable of rest to sixty in just 8.1s on the way to 146mph. Most people however, won't require that kind of pace and for them, Toyota have introduced the 1.6-litre petrol and 2.0-litre D-4D 130 diesel SR variants that we're looking at here.

Like the SR180, these are properly engineered sporting derivatives, the key to this being the standard fitment of lowered suspension as a standard feature, along with a Toyota Motorsport spoiler. There are also handsome 17-inch alloy wheels, plus privacy glass, automatic air conditioning and a unique interior that features cool blue stitching around the dash, rather than the paler white stitching normally found on the Auris T3 models upon which these SR variants are based.

As you'd expect from Toyota, prices are affordable, only a little above the standard T3 variants despite all the extra equipment included. The five-door 1.6-litre petrol model will set you back £15,045, while the five-door 2.0-litre D-4D 130 variant is only £1,600 more at £16,645.

On the road? Well, the Dual VVT-i 1.6-litre petrol engine makes sixty from rest in 10.2s on the way to 116mph and is reasonably fuel efficient, helping it to a combined fuel economy figure of 39.8mpg. I'd stretch to the D-4D 130 variant though. This packs 124bhp and offers a maximum torque figure of 300Nm, translating into a sprint to 60mph of ten seconds flat and a top speed of 121mph.

"These are properly engineered sporting derivatives."

On both cars, the electrically-assisted power steering is accurate and compared to the petrol models, it's easy to feel the weight of the D4-D engine on turn-in. The six-speed manual transmission features some closely-stacked ratios that you'll need to keep on top of to maintain decent torque which, in the D4-D 130, is found in a narrowish seam between 2,000 and 2,800rpm. Fortunately, the gearbox is a joy to use.

The big plus of the Dual VVT-i 1.6-litre petrol engine (or its biggest drawback, depending on your perspective) is that it requires a conscious effort a big dose of revs to drive it hard. At all other times, it defaults into a relaxed mode that's reasonably fuel efficient, helping it to a combined fuel economy figure of 39.8mpg. While some rivals will better this, the margins aren't great. The engine is again in the midfield in terms of emissions, the 166g/km figure being better than a Golf but worse than a Focus. Again, not much in it. For those covering higher mileages the diesel will be a better bet as you can expect 52.3mpg from it. Emissions for this model are rated at 151g/km. Likewise, insurance is extremely cheap, the D4-D 130 attracting a 6E banding.

This low insurance rating is helped by the fact that the Auris is unlikely to attract boy racers and that features like a bolt-on structure for the front bumper reinforcement make the consequences of a front end nudge that much less costly to your insurer. Likewise, the radiator support retracts in the event of an accident to protect the cooling units from damage. In so many small cars, a light tap to the front end will split the radiator and leave the vehicle stranded. Discounts may be hard to obtain, but residual values look second only to the Golf in this class and at 43 per cent after three years for the 1.6-litre petrol model are leagues better than a typical Focus or Astra hatch.

With the Auris, you're buying into one of the largest cars in the class. In creating this model, Toyota's engineers started with the passengers and then worked outwards, maximising occupant space with elements such as a flat passenger floor and high window surfaces.

If you haven't yet tried an Auris, you'll find a smart interior with a clear dash design and clever OPTITRON instruments. Long overhangs offer better luggage capacity (354 litres) than you might expect for a family hatch in the Focus/Astra class and some clever packaging sees the same being true when it comes to rear legroom. One particularly neat design detail is the low door profiles which help to reduce the visual effect of tallness.

Which leaves that issue of safety, a vital one for any car seeking success in this sector to crack. Look at the facts and it's soon clear that the Auris didn't achieve its Five Star Euro NCAP safety rating by accident. The combination of a driver knee airbag and a collapsible steering column were key factors in the 35 point, 5-star result for adult occupant protection. A 'Minimal Intrusion' cabin design and up to nine airbags boost its safety rating from the start and contribute to the 4-star performance this car also achieved for child occupant protection. Another key benefit in this respect is the way that ISOFIX anchorage points have been included on the outer rear seats. Euro NCAP also awarded Toyota a class-leading three out of four-star rating for pedestrian protection.

A safe choice then - in every sense. But then, that's just what you'd expect an Auris to be..

TOP 5 AURIS DEALS

The results below show the top AURIS deals on buyacar

	Toyota Auris 1.6 VVTi SR 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £248	Saving £1,805	Price £12,885
	Toyota Auris 1.6 VVTi SR 3dr MM Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £258	Saving £1,868	Price £13,372
	Toyota Auris 1.6 VVTi SR 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £257	Saving £1,860	Price £13,330
	Toyota Auris 1.6 VVTi SR 5dr MM Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £267	Saving £1,923	Price £13,817
	Toyota Auris 2.0 D-4D SR 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £294	Saving £1,541	Price £15,249

typical 12.29% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000