Yep, this means you now have no excuse for telling your wife to gather less shopping bags - the Auris Hybrid has the same luggage capacity as the standard versions. Don’t worry too much though, the 360 liters (cubic feet) place the Auris in the lower tier of the compact class.
For the sake of comparison, we’ll tell you that the Prius offers 445 liters (15.7 cubic feet) of boot. Nevertheless, we tried placing multiple items in the boot and found out the much wider tailgate opening works like magic. By the way, the hybrid also keeps the standard models’ two-level loadspace and 60:40 folding rear seats.
In the same respect, it’s now easier to get in the back. And while we were in the rear, we noticed the extra room, especially in the knee area. While this comes from the thinner front seat backs, the Auris can even hold three adults back here, albeit on short journeys.
We’re not going to spend our time in the back though. Placing oneself into the driver’s seat reveals the Toyota Auris shares most of its dashboard with the
Corolla. This is definitely a dashboard fascia you’ll remember, as its American-like design sets it apart in the class.
This is the hate-it-or-love-it kind of styling. We appreciated the rugged, manly air in here, as well as the US aroma. Alas, some of the materials feel downright cheap, even in the superior trim of the Hybrid model.
Of course, the Auris Hybrid scraps the rev counter in favor of an indicator that shows how heavy your right foot is. Displaying three areas, “Charge”, “Eco” and “Power”, this is a pretty good tool you can use for little personal fuel-saving challenges.
The other major difference the Auris Hybrid’s interior comes with sees this borrowing a Prius-like
shifter. However, the similarities stop here. Whereas the Prius’ cabin is as unusual as its exterior, the rest of the Auris Hybrid's interior stays normal.
And by “normal” we mean a lowered driving position, one that’s definitely a plus. The visibility however, is not something to brag about. That cheeky rear end design is taking its toll now.
Fortunately, when zooming in on the inside of the car, we find a useful environment. This is the kind of compact that allows you to stretch the limit of its journeys, with a lot of the credit going to the cabin.
A Golf has a balanced atmosphere, whereas the Auris tips things over to comfort and practicality. From the generous seat backs to the intuitive control layout, you can feel this.
As for the steering wheel, this gives you a solid feel, something that’s true for many parts of the cabin. More importantly, it’s connected to a steering system that comes with a ratio that’s a bit quicker than in the Prius. The overall feeling is overly light, but this is not a bad thing inside the city.
Plus, the Auris Hybrid is 20 cm (8 inches) shorter than the Prius and 15 mm (0.6 inches) narrower. All these add up to make the Auris feel a tad more agile through the city, an area where the Prius wasn’t exactly in trouble.