The golden nameplate that once replaced the legendary Corolla
In short: In 2006, Toyota launched the Auris—a name derived from the Latin for gold. Designed to replace the Corolla hatchback in Europe, this compact car brought significant engineering shifts, including the first mass-produced hybrid built on European soil and a major investment in UK manufacturing.
The Auris nameplate, meaning 'gold' in Latin, was introduced in 2006 as a successor to models like the Allex and Corolla RunX in Japan. While it served as the primary hatchback replacement for the Corolla in Europe, the branding strategy varied globally. In Australia and New Zealand, Toyota resisted the Auris name, instead continuing to market the vehicle as the Corolla. In these markets, the car featured various trims, such as the 'Ascent' and 'Levin ZR', often powered by a 1.8-litre 2ZR-FE engine.
A significant milestone for the model was the 2010 launch of the Auris Hybrid. Following its unveiling at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, mass production began in May 2010 at the Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) Burnaston plant. This made it the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle built in Europe. The hybrid powertrain, which shared technology with the Prius, offered an impressive 74.3 mpg-imp fuel economy and low CO2 emissions of 89 g/km, allowing it to bypass certain UK congestion charges.
The vehicle's production history also highlights Toyota's industrial footprint. In February 2007, Toyota announced a £100 million investment in its Deeside engine factory to produce petrol engines for the Auris, including the 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i. While the first generation shared a platform with the E150 Corolla, the second generation utilized the E180 platform and introduced an estate variant, the 'Touring Sports', which was 285 mm longer than the standard hatchback.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Toyota Auris
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