New Toyota Auris 2019: new hybrid versions and goodbye to diesel

Toyota presents the third generation of the Toyota Auris at the Geneva Motor Show. It will arrive in 2019, with a facelift and new hybrid engines. There will be no diesel versions.

As it did earlier with the C-HR, Toyota is launching the new Toyota Auris 2019 without diesel engines. A further step in the brand’s strategy to progressively phase out diesel engines in its passenger cars in Europe. As an example, in 2017 the share of hybrid models among the passenger cars sold by Toyota in Europe reached 41% (+38% compared with 2016), while the proportion of diesel versions fell to 10%.

Two hybrids for the new Auris

In the case of the third generation of the Japanese brand’s compact, which will be built from 2019 at the Burnaston plant (England), buyers will be able to choose from three engines, one petrol and, for the first time, two hybrid versions, neither of them plug-in.

The entry-level version will continue with the excellent 1.2 turbo petrol engine producing 116 CV, which has been offered on the Toyota Auris since 2015 and stands out for its refinement and a good balance between performance and consumption. But the real news concerns the Auris Hybrid.

The new Toyota Auris 2019 says goodbye to diesel engines and will offer up to two hybrid versions

In this generation there will be two versions. On one hand, the 1.8L HEV, with the fourth generation of Toyota’s hybrid system, which is currently fitted to both the Toyota Prius and the Toyota C-HR, and which delivers 122 CV. Above it will sit the new 2.0L HEV, and so far only its maximum power output of 180 CV has been revealed. Toyota states that to give more sporty drivers a more “intense” feel, this version will feature paddle shifters on the steering wheel, but it does not clarify whether it will use the same transmission system as the 1.8L or offer sequential shifting through fixed gears.

Slightly larger with a sharper design

Built on the new platform that Toyota calls TNGA, first introduced on the Prius, the new Auris 2019 grows in size and changes its design. Overall length increases by 4 cm to 4.37 metres. It is also wider, at 1.79 metres, while the height is 1.43 metres, 2 cm less. As with the length, the wheelbase also grows by 4 cm, now measuring 2.64 metres, which should translate into a roomier cabin.

This platform lowers the centre of gravity by up to 20 mm, gives the bodyshell greater rigidity, and features a multi-link rear suspension. As for the styling changes, the much sharper front end stands out (the bonnet height is reduced by almost 5 cm), intended to provide a clearer view from the driver’s seat. The grille is now very narrow, and the front features LED light clusters with integrated daytime running lights.

At the rear, the tailgate has been reclined by up to 14 degrees compared with the current-generation Auris. Unlike the front, where the overhang is shorter, here it has been lengthened by the same proportion: 20 mm.

Auris 2019 Toyota image gallery