Photo: Toyota
Toyota has just delivered the 4 millionth car made in Britain to Frederick and Dorothy Burden via the Pinkstones Toyota dealership located in Stoke-on-Trent.
They say the UK car manufacturing business is dead. But Nissan, Toyota and Honda all have huge factories that take care of everything from metal stamping to engine assembly.
The old couple traded in a Corolla Verso MPV and ordered the Auris hatchback as a hybrid in the range-topping Excel trim level. Their purchase was worth £25,140 on of the most expensive versions of the Auris you can have.
This generation of the compact hatchback hasn't set any track record. However, Toyota keeps coming near the top of both reliability ratings and real world fuel consumption tests. This hybrid is powered by a 1.8-liter gasoline engine working together with an electric motor that offer a combined output of 134 horsepower. The trade being made is between the impressive 74.3 mpg combined and 0 to 62 mph sprint in a pedestrian 11.4 seconds.
“After a last minute change of heart we decided to upgrade to the Excel specification. This decision meant we’ve ended up with the four millionth vehicle. You're never too old to try something new," the couple said, regarding the hybrid they ended up with.
The Auris hatchback was launched in 2012. It soon became the first car in its segment to be sold with three kinds of powertrains, diesel, petrol and hybrid. A mild facelift was launched in 2015, adding premium-looking chrome, new colors and trim.
However, a replacement is already on its way, as recent spy photos show an all-new model is being developed and might debut next year. Besides being quite popular in Europe, the Auris is also sold in Japan where it's available with either 1.2-liter turbocharged unit, the 1.5-liter 1NZ-FE or the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FAE engine. Unlike the previous generation, which was only a hatch, the current car also sells as a Touring Sports wagon.
It lived a short life as a Scion, following the debut of the iM concept at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Only 5,097 units were sold in 2015. Scion was killed off this year. But fear not, as the Auris was got a "Corolla iM" badge in August 2016.
The old couple traded in a Corolla Verso MPV and ordered the Auris hatchback as a hybrid in the range-topping Excel trim level. Their purchase was worth £25,140 on of the most expensive versions of the Auris you can have.
This generation of the compact hatchback hasn't set any track record. However, Toyota keeps coming near the top of both reliability ratings and real world fuel consumption tests. This hybrid is powered by a 1.8-liter gasoline engine working together with an electric motor that offer a combined output of 134 horsepower. The trade being made is between the impressive 74.3 mpg combined and 0 to 62 mph sprint in a pedestrian 11.4 seconds.
“After a last minute change of heart we decided to upgrade to the Excel specification. This decision meant we’ve ended up with the four millionth vehicle. You're never too old to try something new," the couple said, regarding the hybrid they ended up with.
The Auris hatchback was launched in 2012. It soon became the first car in its segment to be sold with three kinds of powertrains, diesel, petrol and hybrid. A mild facelift was launched in 2015, adding premium-looking chrome, new colors and trim.
However, a replacement is already on its way, as recent spy photos show an all-new model is being developed and might debut next year. Besides being quite popular in Europe, the Auris is also sold in Japan where it's available with either 1.2-liter turbocharged unit, the 1.5-liter 1NZ-FE or the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FAE engine. Unlike the previous generation, which was only a hatch, the current car also sells as a Touring Sports wagon.
It lived a short life as a Scion, following the debut of the iM concept at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Only 5,097 units were sold in 2015. Scion was killed off this year. But fear not, as the Auris was got a "Corolla iM" badge in August 2016.
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