The Toyota Auris was a compact hatchback derived from the Corolla, sold in Europe, Japan and several other markets from 2006 until 2018. It replaced the European Corolla hatchback and was itself replaced by the twelfth-generation Corolla. Production ended in December 2018, so there is no distinct 2020 Toyota Auris model; the car still sold under that name in one market in 2020 was in fact the new Corolla. This article covers the two real generations of the Auris, their engines and the name change that ended it.
What the Auris Was
The Auris was Toyota’s European and Japanese compact hatchback, built to compete in the heart of the C-segment. The name is based on the Latin word aurum, meaning gold. It was closely related to the contemporary Corolla, sharing a platform and much of its running gear while using a five-door hatchback body in place of the sedan. Toyota positioned it as the replacement for the Corolla hatchback in Europe, while the sedan version continued under the Corolla name. In some markets the same car was badged as the Corolla for Australia and New Zealand, and as the Scion iM and later Corolla iM in North America.
First Generation (E150)
The first-generation Auris was introduced in 2006 and produced until 2012. It shared the platform of the E150-series Corolla and was built in Japan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Body styles were three- and five-door hatchbacks, with a five-door panel van offered in Ireland. Engine choices spanned gasoline units from 1.33 to 1.8 liters and diesels from 1.4 to 2.2 liters, with transmissions including a four-speed automatic, a five-speed MultiMode, five- and six-speed manuals and, in Japan, a CVT. In Japan the more luxurious version was sold as the Toyota Blade, and the car went on sale there in October 2006, with European sales following in early 2007.
Second Generation (E180)
The second-generation Auris arrived in 2012 and continued until 2018. It was offered as a five-door hatchback and a five-door estate called the Touring Sports, built in Japan and the United Kingdom on the E180 Corolla platform. This generation also formed the basis of the North American Scion iM and, from 2016, the Corolla iM. Crucially, it introduced a full hybrid option in the form of a 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE gasoline engine paired with an electric motor, using Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive. The hybrid became the most popular version in Europe, and hybrid sales grew steadily through the model’s life.
Exterior and Styling
The Auris was styled as a conventional European hatchback rather than an SUV, with a reasonably spacious five-door body. Over its life it received a facelift that lengthened the car slightly, from 4,275 mm (168.3 in) to 4,330 mm (170.5 in), while the Touring Sports estate measured 4,595 mm (180.9 in) after the update. Width stayed at 1,760 mm (69.3 in) and the wheelbase at 2,600 mm (102.4 in). The 2019 Toyota Avalon Review covers a much larger Toyota sedan aimed at a different buyer and market.
Interior and Cabin
The Auris cabin was a straightforward five-seat layout with a focus on practicality. Being a hatchback, it offered more cargo flexibility than the Corolla sedan of the same era, with folding rear seats. Equipment levels improved over the model’s life as Toyota added touchscreen infotainment and more driver-assistance technology to keep pace with European rivals. The hybrid version required no compromise in cabin space, because its battery pack was packaged under the rear seat rather than intruding into the cargo area. First-generation cars won a five-star Euro NCAP rating for adult occupant protection but four stars for child protection.
Engines and Hybrid
The second-generation Auris offered a wide engine range: a 1.2-liter 8NR-FTS turbocharged four, a 1.33-liter 1NR-FE, a 1.6-liter 1ZR-FAE and a 1.8-liter 2ZR-FAE on the gasoline side; diesels including a 1.4-liter 1ND-TV, a 1.6-liter 1WW and a 2.0-liter 1AD-FTV; and the 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE hybrid. Transmissions varied from a four-speed automatic and a five-speed MultiMode to five- and six-speed manuals and a CVT. Toyota’s hybrid system paired the gasoline engine with an electric motor through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.
The Name Change to Corolla
With the arrival of the E210 model in 2018, Toyota dropped the Auris name and returned to Corolla for the hatchback as well as the sedan and estate. The 2019 Toyota Corolla Review covers that successor generation. Production of the Auris ended in December 2018, which is why the name does not appear in Toyota’s European or Japanese lineups for 2020. The move simplified a naming structure that had split the Corolla and Auris across different body styles for more than a decade, and it aligned Toyota’s compact cars under a single global name.
One market held the Auris name for longer than the rest. Taiwan continued to sell the E210-based hatchback as the Toyota Auris rather than as a Corolla until 15 July 2020, when it was renamed Corolla Sport. That is the only sense in which a “2020 Auris” existed, and it reflected a naming decision rather than a separate model. Everywhere else, the car sold from 2018 onward was the Corolla hatchback. A general index of our coverage is available in the Toyota Review section.
Buying a Used Auris
Used Auris hatchbacks and Touring Sports estates are concentrated in Europe and Japan. Hybrid versions are the most numerous and generally the easiest to live with, but buyers should have the hybrid battery health checked and confirm that the continuously variable transmission has been serviced. Diesel versions suit high-mileage drivers but need their particulate filters and service history verified. As with any gray-imported Japanese model, check for rust and confirm the vehicle’s accident history before purchase.
