Toyota Auris Hybrid Confirmed for September

Toyota finally confirmed it will debut a hybrid version of the popular Auris hatchback, a model which was often rumored to be launched as a cheaper alternative to Honda's very own hybrid Insight. According to a report by autocar.co.uk, the car will be produced by the British factory in Derbyshire and will feature the same gasoline-electric drivetrain with the over-discussed Prius.

The Auris Hybrid Synergy Drive will rely on a 1.8-liter Atkinson gasoline engine developing 98 bhp connected to an electric unit that also generates 80 bhp.

However, Toyota's main intention is, as we said, to roll out a cheaper alternative to the Insight, despite Honda's hybrid has often been considered a Prius rival. In order to cut the final price, the Auris hybrid will feature less features compared with the Prius but will be also lighter and smaller. This could make the upcoming model the greenest model in the whole Toyota product lineup, with emission ratings dropping below the 87 g/km figure achieved by Prius.

The new Auris will be officially showcased to the general public at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September and will be followed by a hybrid version of the RAV4.

"We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda's Insight," Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius, said. in April. "We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz and Yaris," he said without providing details on the official launch date.

"The Auris platform was designed so it could also carry a hybrid system," Otsuka said. "By making it flexible, it can accommodate future overseas production and reduce costs."