New Auris Hybrid On Order

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

As well as forgetting how to use the gear lever, there is also the light switch to forget. And then the windscreen wipers, the accelerator pedal (if you use cruise control), the heating controls....

I love anything automatic!

haha yeah, I'm already well aquainted with all that from my Qashqai.....the gear lever will be my finest hour

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

Ok....getting very impatient now...another call to the fleet company this morning established the car is at the dealers.

How long will it take to be ready now....anybody know?

[Aceshigh84]

If it is at the dealers then they should be able to do the pdi in no more than two days. With both of mine and my dad's it never took longer than two days.

If it is any longer someone is yanking your chain.

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

Cheers mate

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

Oh, how right you were....it's getting delivered tomorrow!!!

😃

[Aceshigh84]

Excellent news!

I'm a week into having mine, and still loving it. Just ticked over to 550 miles, so far I've managed a respectable 63mpg over the last 420 miles across various roads & driving styles and the computer its still saying I've got 100+ miles left in the tank!

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

First trip out in it this evening, covered 46 miles mixed B, A and motorway driving and the trip returned 62.8mpg in theory. I know that will be optimistic in reality, but happy all the same. Car was delivered with 35 on the clock, so up to 81 on the odometer tonight. Love the feel of the drive and the chase the mpg game....and the colour is knockout in the sun too 😃

Will post some pics at the weekend when I have time....work hectic at present!

[cviclark]

I have had both a Gen 2 and Gen 3 Prius and love the Hybrid technology. I have placed an order for a new Auris Excel Hybrid Tourer but I am having to fight Toyota to get what I want. The brochure says the fuel consumption is 6 mpg less on 17" wheels but Toyota will not allow you to have an Excel on 16". They say It is not type approved and will be illegal. I have driven both the Icon on 16" and the Excel and prefer the ride on the Icon but the trim of the Excel. Past experience on Welsh roads tells me low profiles risk damage to both suspension and wheels.and are in my opinion not fit for purpose. As a private purchase cost of ownership is of overriding importance to me its the reason I swapped a Lexus 200 for a Prius.

The Auris Hybrid is by far the best Hybrid yet but it has been a well kept secret. Its hard to see where the Prius brand will go from here. Its as if Toyota are trying to Beta test it with fleet sales or they have a secret spy in marketing trying to kill sales. I had a struggle to buy both of my Prius as well as some options were only available on certain specs. They have reacted to the customers demands for a spare wheel however, there is room for a space saver and its only £98 as an option.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Bear in mind that the Auris Hybrid is only sold in Europe and uses the Prius drivetrain and batteries.

In the US and Far East Toyota sell the Prius C which seems to be slightly larger than the Yaris (having a wheelbase sized between the Yaris and the Auris). The Yaris Hybrid (again sold only in Europe) uses the drivetrain from the Prius C.

It is only in Europe where the Prius brand has not been developed into a specific range of cars.

[cviclark]

I understand that and it is like they are only trying let UK fleet owners buy this car to not kill Prius sales. But if they try to sell this car where it snows in Northern Europe restricted to 17" wheels it will be a dead duck. As it is I will feel will have a big sign saying "Look at me I bought a Hybrid for economy and then cobbled it with stupid"Bling" wheels". I am told it rides better on !7" wheels but not in my experience and a 6 mpg hit on economy is a lot to pay which is why I cannot understand why Toyota GB will not let me buy it on 16" wheels.

[Bibsy]

As far as the Auris/Prius differentiation goes, for me at least it's simple. The Auris doesn't have a big enough boot. End of, no matter how lovely it is.

[cviclark]

The Auris Hybrid Tourer has a much bigger boot than the Prius in all directions.

[cviclark]

As far as the Auris/Prius differentiation goes, for me at least it's simple. The Auris doesn't have a big enough boot. End of, no matter how lovely it is.

The New Hybrid Auris Touring Sport is longer and wider than my Prius. I had to bring one home to check I could get it in my garage. By reducing the fuel tank they have hidden the Battery pack. The boot space is both larger and there is a larger underboot area. With the seats folded the space is much more usable as the wheel arches intrude less. To drive it feels a lot more sophisticated and solid, although I think my Prius would take it in a drag race and I will miss the HUD it felt better to drive. Don't knock it until you have tried it I think you will be very impressed if you have driven both.

[johalareewi]

What makes it even more bonkers is that in other markets, the customer has a choice of 15 or 17 inch wheels on thier Toyota hybrid but in good old UK, we are told what we can have and that's that. Even if we want wheels that are on offer in the rest of europe we are told it is not allowed here.

For example, in France the hybrid auris tourer can have 15 or 17 inch wheels.

You choose what you want.

http://www.toyota.fr/car-configurator/index.tmex?model=auris-ts

Click on Hybride tab.

You can see the choice of wheels in the right hand pane.

Funny how even in France, the wheels are 15" and 17" and haven't been converted to cm.

Comparing the UK configurator with the French one, the first question the French ask is Petrol, Deisel or Hybrid. In the UK it is what model. You can't say, I want a hybrid.

[johalareewi]

but Toyota will not allow you to have an Excel on 16".

The UK Auris configurator will let you put 16" alloys on an Excel Hybrid Auris tourer...

http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?navRoot=toyota_1024_root&fullwidth=true&noLeftMenu=true&forceText=&edname=CC2-NGAuris-configure&zone=Zone+NG+Auris&id=CC2-NGAuris-configure#index/bodyStyle=63&grade=Excel&engine=2ZRC&colour=040

[Parts-King]

Strange because you CAN buy 16" wheels for the Excel 5 door model, but not the tourer :g:

Kingo

[johalareewi]

And in France you can buy 15" wheels for the hybrid auris tourer (it would seem).

[Parts-King]

You can buy 15" steel wheels for winter tyres here for the Excel 5 door here too!!

[cviclark]

Look and see what the * says in the June brochure Active and Icon grades Once again Toyota have said you cannot buy the Excel Touring Sport HSD on 16" wheels. I will also loose 6mpg for the dubious privilege of silly 17" tyres.

[Parts-King]

You are confusing me???

You CAN buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel 5 door Hybrid

You CANNOT buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel Touring Sports

..........and I don't know why

[cviclark]

You are confusing me???

You CAN buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel 5 door Hybrid

You CANNOT buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel Touring Sports

..........and I don't know why

I don't know why either but Toyota have told me the Excel Touring Sports Hybrid would be illegal as it is probably not homologated . I do not like low profile tyres as in the past they have seriously damaged my wealth and I do not like the idea of buying a vehicle for its outstanding fuel economy and reducing it by 6 mpg because its on 17" boots. I thought was a misprint in the brochure as the April brochure indicated you could have 16 or 17" options but it is a stupid decision. The problem is nobody at Toyota Customer Services has any technical knowledge. The lady that contacted me had not driven the car or any Hybrid on 17" wheels claimed the hard ride was "in my opinion". What Car reader reports (on line) criticise the Excel for its hard ride on 17" so its not a figment of my imagination. How can I have confidence in what Toyota tell me when it comes from somebody with no technical knowledge, little experience of poor roads and has never had low profile tyres on a car. They follow what the brochure says like its the Bible without question. It leaves the question as to the insurance implications if 16" wheels were retrofitted and are customers being told they will take a 6mpg hit or are they hoping it gets lost in the small print. I could not even see the little symbols that said what car could have what wheels until they pointed them out to me.

[Ancient Nerd]

 

You are confusing me???

You CAN buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel 5 door Hybrid

You CANNOT buy 16" accessory wheels for the Excel Touring Sports

..........and I don't know why

And if you don't know, just imagine how your customers feel.

[johalareewi]

Looks like the Auris Touring Sports Hybrid is only available in 'Icon' and 'Excel' (in the UK).

For the Icon, it seems that the hybrid has 15" wheels. The Excel has 17". And that is your lot.

And they all come with tyre repair kit (space saver spare not available).

Meanwhile, over in France, the hybrid 'Dynamic' and 'Business' are avaialble with 15" or 17" wheels.

The hybrid 'Style' has 17" wheels. Although the configurator does allow the choice of 15" or 16" as an extra (but so does the UK configurator).

The Germans have 3 levels of trim but no wheel size choice.

And so on.

Why all the different choices across Europe?

[wass]

Homologated? Cant do it in UK but can do it in Germany and France? What happened to all this European unity the politicians tell us about? I would imagine the European courts would go to town on the illegality of one size of wheel available in this European state more legally than another European state.

To my mind, this just smacks of an insurance company ploy with which they can chisel more money from people who wish to change wheel sizes, citing convenient and important sounding homologation regulations in order to strengthen their case.

[Aceshigh84]

Here here.