Upgrades to Toyota Auris make model even greater value for money
By Gerry Murphy
When car makers upgrade models in mid-stream, usually these upgrades are not much more than a couple of cosmetic changes to give the model a facelift on the outside and many make subtle alterations to the interior too.
Toyota, in recent upgrades has been taking these upgrades a little more serious and has spent large sums of money making significant amendments.
A prime example has been the Yaris upgrade from last year, which is a completely altered car from the one that went before it and now the upgrade of the Auris is again more than just a aesthetic exercise. Back in July, when Toyota introduced us to the latest adaptation of the Auris, they not only gave it a makeover, they added a new engine and improved a number of other driving technologies as well.
I have been driving the top-of-the-range SOL version of the Auris with the new 1.2-litre D4-T direct-injection 116hp petrol engine. This engine sits in the range alongside the original line-up. Here Toyota has uncovered a delightful new engine that is smoother, quieter and very responsive. The balance between the car and the engine through a six-speed manual gearbox is a bit of an eye-opener really.
CO2 emissions come in at 120g/km, putting it into Tax Band B1 and giving it an annual road tax of €270. My fuel consumption return was 6.7L/100km, and while Toyota claims that the car is capable of 5.4L/100km, I think that is a reasonable return under a variety of driving conditions and under stringent testing. It makes this petrol version an ideal alternative to the diesel model and the 1.33 petrol versions that they already have in the catalogue.
However, as much as the new engine makes a statement, the other changes to the steering in particular, the suspension and the improved ride ratchets up the Auris’s position in the C-Segment marketplace. It is still a car that is light to the touch and still a bit light on the road but better in windy and difficult driving conditions.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.