Review

Our Toyota Auris Hybrid has been out of its comfort zone with a number of motorway journeys this month, and its fuel economy has suffered as a result.

It's normal use consists of a 35-mile commute with typical speeds of 40-45mph, when it consistently returns almost 60mpg.

The motorway trips have seen this drop to an average of 46mpg as the hybrid technology was rarely called into action.

This is a shame as otherwise the motorway experience was an enjoyable one – the Auris provides a refined, comfortable ride, and covered the miles effortlessly.

It has, however, continued to excel in urban areas, where the seamless switch between petrol and electric power combines well with a smooth CVT gearbox.

Our Auris's strengths in towns and cities continue into car parks where, short of covering itself in bubble wrap, there's not much more it could do to prevent low speed bumps and scrapes – a common source of potentially costly end-of-contract damage charges.

Its front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera make you aware of what is around you at all times, so there are few excuses for any collisions.

Better still, from a crowd-pleasing point of view at least, is Park Assist automatic parallel parking.

Simply press the button and the system will tell you when you pass a suitable space.

Stop, take your hands off the steering wheel, follow the on-screen instructions regarding the gears and brakes, and relax as it parks you safely into your space. So simple to use, but very impressive.

Andrew Ryan is the features editor at Fleet News. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and has specialised in the fleet industry for the past 12.

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Specs

Manufacturer Toyota
Model Auris
Specification
Model Year 0.00
Annual VED (Road tax) £0
BIK List Price £22,740
CO2 91g/km
BIK Percentage 10%
Insurance Group N/A
CC N/A
Fuel Type Petrol Hybrid
Vehicle Type
Luggage capacity (Seats up) N/A

Running Costs

72.4 MPG
91g/km CO2
£0 VED
P11D £22,740
Cost per mile 36.92ppm
Residual value £7,325
Insurance group N/A
Fuel Type Petrol Hybrid
Cost per mile 0.00ppm
Fuel 0.00ppm
Depreciation 0.00ppm
Service maintenance and repair 0.00ppm

Info at a glance

  • P11D Price
    £22,740
  • MPG
    72.4
  • CO2 Emissions
    91g/km
  • BIK %
    10%
  • Running cost
    3 Year 60k : £7,325 4 Year 80k : £5,575
  • Fuel Type
    Petrol Hybrid