Toyota Motor Europe has announced initial details of the second generation Auris Hybrid. The new car, which will be built in England, is to be revealed at the Paris motor show.
The Auris Hybrid has the same 2,600mm wheelbase as the outgoing model, as does the new Auris. The vehicles sit 55mm lower to the ground and are slightly shorter.
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Toyota’s engineers have made some changes to the packaging of the Hybrid, shifting the battery pack to beneath the rear seat. This means that versions powered by Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system have the same 360 litres of boot space as other Auris variants.
The first generation of the petrol-electric Auris is powered by a 97bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine as well as nickel-metal hydride batteries and an electric motor. Engines are sourced from a Deeside plant in Flintshire. This facility in the north of Wales was the first Toyota powertrain plant outside Japan to manufacture hybrid engines. No details of the new car’s drivetrain have been revealed.
The existing Hybrid goes down the same line as other Auris variants at the TMUK plant at Burnaston in the English Midlands. The larger Avensis sedan and wagon come off the same line.
Full specifications, prices and launch dates for the Auris Hybrid will be announced by TME’s various national sales companies at a later date.
The new car will replace a model that first went on sale across 32 European markets in July 2010.
Author: Glenn Brooks
