With the Toyota Auris 1.6 XR, everything seems to just work.
Toyota’s new Auris is a real suprise. It is so much better than expected.
The new generation Toyota cars show a sophistication of design and engineering sometimes lacking in the past.
This was partly due to playing it safe and not messing too much with a proven success.
Toyota has woken up to the fact that style is now needed too. Enter the stylish new Auris.
The Auris has one of the most pleasant cabins in the business easily matching the look and feel of for example the Golf 6.
To match the appointment and equipment level of the well-equipped-as-standard Auris, you need to spend quite a bundle over at the VW shop.
Toyota’s Auris is smooth. Everything just works. The steering is really well weighted.
The clutch is light. Gearbox is quick and precise. The build quality of the Auris appears to be first class.
Equipment levels are impressive. They include rear parking camera, cruise control, all the safety equipment, very good sound and information display as well as a host of airbags.
The available power and torque gives the Auris sprightly performance – if not quite sporty.
Acceleration in real world conditions suits the car’s character of the car.
It is a pleasure to drive.
Road holding is very good. The ride is also very pleasant, not too soft, not too hard.
The Auris sports all the safety kit you would expect from a top- level C-segment car.
The Auris 1.6 develops 97 kW and 160 Nm to take it to 100 km/h in a claimed 10.8 seconds and to a top speed of 195 km/h.
The car should give you well under 7 litres per 100 km without too much trouble.
The Toyota Auris 1.6 XR costs R253 200, but has a full house of equipment as standard.
It comes with a five-year or 90 000 km service plan and three-year or 100 000 km warranty.