Coinciding with the launch of the three-door Auris in the UK, Toyota has announced the addition of a new range-topper in the form if the T180, available in either three- or five-door format.
The new flagship packs a 2.2-litre D-4D turbodiesel engine, which may not sound too exciting, but thanks to an output of 175bhp, it's the most powerful diesel-engined car in the class. As with all modern turbodiesels, the car's performance has more to do with the torque available and this engine produces up to 295lb.ft of the stuff from as low as 2000rpm. In-gear performance should be brisk, though the 0-62mph time of 8.1 seconds is quite respectable too, especially when you take into consideration the Combined Cycle fuel economy figure of 45.6mpg.
Business buyers will be happy with the tax-busting 164g/km CO
2 emissions too and T180 buyers can rest assured that this Auris emits few other harmful pollutants either, thanks to the standard fitment of a maintenance-free four-way DPNR catalyst, which reduces nitrogen oxides and particulates.
Now that all the sensible stuff is out of the way, we're wondering will the T180 be any fun to drive. Surprisingly, Toyota has opted to swap the torsion beam rear suspension for a more dynamic double wishbone design, though curiously only on the T180 model. It's likely we'll see further driver-oriented versions of the Auris in the future employing this tactic too. Toyota has also fitted bigger front brake discs, as well as making Vehicle Stability Control and traction control standard.
The new Toyota Auris T180 went on sale on April 1st at £18,795 for the five-door model. The three-door T180 is £500 less, as is the case with the new three-door across the Auris range.
Shane O' Donoghue - 6 Apr 2007