Auris is good, clean and fresh, tra-la-la…

A little revamping might have gone down very well.

Being the world's biggest auto-maker, Toyota is very much aware that the only consistent criticism levied at its cars is that they are all rather bland.

Good, solid, dependable and practical, sure -- but exciting they are not.

But because the Japanese white coats and suits know their owners' market so well there is no ways they will ever change from their core purpose of churning out reliable family cars and Africa-proof bakkies and SUV's.

Just one little crowd-pleaser… please

With the market dominance it has, Toyota seems quite happy to leave the excitement and performance segment of the market to their countrymen over at Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

But one cannot help but wonder whether any manufacturer can really afford not to have at least one little crowd-pleaser in its fleet.

The cabin is spacious, and even the boot is ample for a hatchback.

Which is why Toyota methinks lost a golden opportunity by not adding a hot number to its revamped Auris range. After all, the perfect opportunity was right there, particularly with the new big X which now appears behind the name of the range.

A little more wooma? Oh rally?

And what's more, the new Auris X range even has a model called the Auris SportX, but regrettably the name is more exciting than the 97kW/160Nm engine under the bonnet which is begging for a turbo and some extra wooma.

Toyota is a tough rally competitor and a little bird has whispered in my ear that in the process of developing the maniacal, high-revving rally car engine for the local two rally Auris cars the white coats came up with a 1,6-litre engine which, with a little tweaking, would have added all the kick a car with a name like SportyX is crying out for.

So, how about it, Toyota San…..?

Anyway, away from day-dreaming and back to reality.

Toyota recently flew a group of motoring scribes to the Eastern Cape to tell us about the new Auris range and to let us loose in its new 2,0-litre, 93kW/310Nm diesel and the new 1,6-litre, 97 kW/160Nm SportX .

Let's get one thing straight from the word go. The Auris X range is not just a nip-and-tuck revamp of the previous model.

The X-factor of the new X range is a composite of smaller but greener and less thirsty engines, better looks and excellent onroad qualities.

A mark of the new range is the lower carbon footprint without sacrificing power.

We kicked off Port Elizabeth's Aldo Scribante race circuit where we tested the cling and grunt of the SportX through two gymkhana courses and a mini gravel rally section before hitting the pot-holed, badly-neglected stretch of road towards the Addo National Park, this time at the helm of the diesel.

Of the two cars I much preferred the more expensive, but decidedly better diesel which felt solid on the road, cruised smoothly in low emission style (140 km/h with the needle sitting at 2 200 rpm) and was particularly dignified on the off-road sections.

Put your foot down with a heavy hand

It handled gravel, bad ruts and wrongly-banked corners with absolute ease and without a hint of skittishness.

After overnighting at the Zuurberg Mountain Village we set out for the Longmore Forest, home to many a rally over the years.

This time I drove the SportyX and yes, even though I had hoped and expected a more high-spirited ride, the 1,6 model, which replaces the previous 1,8-litre, was fun to look at and fun to drive.

The high-revving engine needs a heavy foot to get it into play mode and to keep it there, but it is a treat to drive and even at fair lick and through the twisties it never once twitched.

Generally impressive features include a spacious cabin, ample boot space (even for a hatch), eye-pleasing dials and gauges lay-out, and the quiet, well-insulated ride which was particularly noticeable in the diesel model.

We didn't get to drive the new 1,3-litre model which replaces the previous 1,4-litre engine, nor the top of the range 1,6-litre Auris XR which is the one with The Full Monty in terms of leather, luxury, comfort and safety.

So what's it cost?

As is the general tendency today, all the new Auris models are well-equipped, with the list furnishings and fitting becoming longer as the model price increases.

The new Auris options and prices are:
Auris X 1.3 (74kW/132Nm) - R199 900
Auris XI 1.6 (97kW/160Nm) - R216 000
Auris XS 1.6 (97kW/160Nm) - R232 400
Auris SportX 1.6 (97kW/160Nm) - R243 800
Auris XR 1.6 (97kW/160Nm) - R253 900
Auris XD 2.0 (93kW/310Nm) - R268 800

At R100 short of R200 000, the baby 1,3 Auris is expensive, but it does come with Toyota's “Optimal Drive” technology, a six-speed manual gearbox, aircon and a healthier and better performing engine than the 1,4-litre it replaces.

All models now have an Audi-style steering-wheel with a flat base and even the entry-level Auris baby has colour-coded bumpers, electric mirrors and doors (front only), electric power-steering with fully adjustable steering-wheel, radio/CD with six speakers, anti-lock brakes, four crash bags, IsoFix child-seat anchors and central locking/theft alarm.

click to enlarge

The four 1,6-litre models all have the same engine with the same performance but with body kit en fixtures pushing up the prices between models.

The diesel is only a fraction more powerful than the current model with an extra 10 Nm of torque

All the models benefit from sleeker looks, a much more cheerful grill and prettier eye-shadow around the headlights.

Snazzy…

The SportX looks by far the best, dressed in snazzy body kit which is available as an optional cosmetic extra on the lower specced 1,6-litre petrol models, but strangely, not on the diesel model. Why not, one wonders?

In line with world-wide tendency towards Green is The Way To Go, the new Auris X models all produce less foul emissions without sacrificing power, while at the same time using less fuel.

A good example is the baby-engined Auris which is 12% less thirsty and releases 13% less foulness into the air than the model it replaces.

Much of the credit for the better performing, cleaner engines must go to the maker's optimal drive technology which, in essence, manages the airflow volume and fuel burn rate with variable valve timing…. In other words, the engine adapts to different conditions to work cleaner, and better.

It would take too much space and time to go through each model grade's specifications, so best you stroll down to your nearest Toyota dealer and let the sales staff there earn their salaries by explaining it to you in full detail.

Even the baby has teeth

But, just by way of introduction, all models now have an Audi-style steering-wheel with a flat base, all have proper steel-rimmed spare wheels, all are Bluetooth enabled and all come with a five-year/90 000km service plan.

Even the entry-level Auris baby has colour-coded bumpers, electric mirrors and doors (front only), electric power-steering with fully adjustable steering-wheel, radio/CD with six speakers, anti-lock brakes, four crash bags, IsoFix child-seat anchors and central locking/theft alarm.

With its impressive bells and whistles Auris is not priced (or necessarily aimed at) the first-time new car buyer although Toyota reckons (conservatively, in their estimation), that they will sell about 200 of the new Auris X cars a month.

Not that the C-segment is an easy environment to compete in with contenders like the VW Golf 6, Mazda3, Ford Focus and Honda Civic all highly-capable and fully-focussed on grabbing a share of the young executive market.

But the Auris X is certainly a zesty, youthful contender with a good track record and an assuring badge on the bonnet, quite capable of giving all of them a good run for their money….

Just a pity about that hot 1,6-litre engine sitting on a development bench somewhere in Japan instead of being wedged in under the bonnet of the Auris SportX….

Ah well, the headline Absolutely Awesome Auris will have to wait until that happens.

Specifications.