Toyota has confirmed plans to produce a Toyota Auris Hybrid in the UK
Back in June we reported that Toyota were planning to build a Hybrid version of the Toyota Auris here in the UK. Well, it’s nice to get things right from time to time, and this week Toyota has confirmed that our report was right.
Toyota confirmed that the Toyota Auris Hybrid will be built here in the UK, and will go on sale in the UK and Europe in the middle of next year (2010). But the confirmation was a bit short on detail. Toyota didn’t confirm the likely powertrain, but we are certain it will be the same – or slightly modified – 1.8 litre unit found in the new Toyota Prius.
Most imprtantly for Toyota it will give them a Hybrid car that will be able to undercut the Honda Insight. It should also give a boost to Auris sales. Auris sales have not been too shoddy – they’ve sold over 370,000 sine launching in 2007 – but the Auris still lags a long way behind competitors like the Ford Focus or the VW Golf.
It would be great if the Auris came with a decent conventional gearbox instead of the elastic band job you find in the Prius and other Eco-Hybrids. It then might have a chance of being a proper ‘Drive’.
But it won’t. It’ll just be a budget Prius.
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