New 2013 Toyota Auris prices revealed
* Lighter and lower; petrol, diesel or hybrid power
* On sale in December 2012, from 14,495
This is the all-new Toyota Auris, which has made its public debut at the 2012 Paris motor show. It goes on sale in December, with prices starting from 14,495.
The new Auris is lower, longer and lighter than the current Auris and will be built at Toyota's factory in Burnaston, Derbyshire. It will be a key rival for the 2013 Volkswagen Golf, which goes on sale in October.
Inside and out, the Auris has a completely new look, with a more angular appearance than the current car. The side windows now extend behind the rear doors into the rear pillar, while a wider tailgate is designed to make loading easier.
Higher-spec models have a gloss black finish for the central pillars, and a different treatment for the rear pillars.
At 428cm long, the new Auris is 3cm longer than the old model. It's nearly 6cm lower, but the wheelbase and width are unchanged. Extra use of high-strength steel has improved body stiffness and reduced weight by up to 40kg compared with the current Auris.
Toyota says that, thanks to improved packaging, the new Auris has more front and rear legroom than the current model and a 9cm longer boot. Overall load space with the seats up has increased by 6 litres. There's a 127-litre increase in capacity for the Hybrid model, because the car's battery pack has been moved from under the boot floor to under the rear seat.
The Auris will be available with updated versions of the current car's powertrains: 1.3 or 1.6-litre petrol engines, a 1.4 diesel and a hybrid model that combines a 1.8-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard for all petrol and diesel models; a CVT automatic gearbox is an option for the 1.6 and standard for the Hybrid.
New trim levels have been introduced for the Auris Active, Icon, Sport and Excel.
Active trim includes air-conditioning, a USB input and electric front windows. Icon adds extras such as alloy wheels, a DAB radio, a touch-screen infotainment system, Bluetooth, a rear-view camera and electric rear windows.
Sport models get larger alloy wheels, sports front seats, a different front grille and rear diffuser and rear privacy glass. Top-of-the-range Excel trim includes part-leather trim, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, electric folding door mirrors and heated front seats.
New options include a 'Skyview' panoramic glass roof.
Prices range from 14,495 for the 1.3 Active to 21,745 for the Hybrid Excel model.
