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REPORTIN' FOR DUTY SR

It's the flagship of the Auris range but the SR180 doesn't make much of a fuss. Beneath the sober exterior, though, there's a fast and highly advanced family hatchback bursting to get out. Steve Walker reports...

More than just another Toyota Auris, the SR180 version offers a 175bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 400Nm of torque and multilink rear suspension for a sportier driving experience. It's comfortable, well-built and understated compared to rivals with similar performance but it can still entertain when the need arises.

A central part of the remit given to the development team behind Toyota's Auris was to inject some fire into its belly and some panache into its public image. More than any other Auris model, the onus of achieving this falls on the SR180. The old Toyota Corolla this Auris range replaces had the hot T Sport derivative topping off its model line-up throughout a good chunk of its lifecycle but that car never really had the core verve to make its transformation into performance hatchback guise convincing. By the time the Auris emerged with its mission to cultivate a more dynamic image, the T Sport brand (which also took in versions of the Yaris and Celica) had been fazed out. In its place, and already in residence at the top of the Verso MPV and Avensis line-ups, was the T180 badge, indicating the presence of Toyota's most potent diesel under the bonnet. An Auris T180 seemed the logical progression. This was a very laid-back kind of hot hatch. Too laid back as it turned out and within a few months of its launch, Toyota felt the need to spice it up a little with the launch of the SR180 model we feature here. This proved to be more like it, the package featuring Toyota Motorsport lowered suspension springs giving the car a ground-hugging stance. Buyers also got a neat rear spoiler positioned atop the tailgate and dark-tinted rear privacy glass and five-spoke 17-inch alloys added further to the style factor, while the choice of body colours included an über-cool Pure White. Despite all of this, it would still be wrong to think of the Auris SR180 as a hot hatch, despite the fact that it isn't lacking in raw pace. Toyota have, perhaps wisely, made a marked move away from offering focused performance versions of their mainstream models. Instead, the SR180 capitalises on the impressive quality and comfort of the Auris platform by plumbing in a 175bhp 2.2-litre D-4D diesel engine. With this kind of power on tap, it was never going to be slow and the 8.1s 0-60mph acceleration is conformation that it isn't. This is some way off Focus ST or Golf GTI pace but the diesel unit's powerful 400Nm torque output means the Auris SR180 can match the fieriest hatchbacks on in-gear acceleration and mid-range urge. In real world driving conditions when you're accelerating on to a motorway or overtaking lorry on a B-road, the SR180's surging power delivery is ideal.

" It would be wrong to think of the Auris SR180 as a hot hatch, despite the fact that it isn't lacking in raw pace.... "

The Auris is certainly a more vibrant driver's car than the Corolla it replaced but it still comes some distance short of replicating the handling sharpness of the best steers in the family hatch class. The SR180 closes the gap to an extent because Toyota took the significant step of swapping the torsion beam rear suspension on the standard models with a more advanced double wishbone multilink setup. Multilink suspension is bulkier and more expensive but it offers greater handling finesse and feel to the driver. In combination with tauter springs, larger brakes and retuned steering, the suspension brings a new level of driving enjoyment to the Auris but it's still more of a cruiser than a bruiser. Elsewhere, the grown-up theme continues with the sober but solidly built interior giving off a genuine air of quality. Passenger accommodation is extremely generous with good leg and headroom all-round. The rear seat backs recline for extra comfort and a flat floor means that the middle berth in the back isn't the short straw it is in some rivals. On hearing that the Corolla name was to be pensioned off in favour of Auris, many people imagined a violent break with Toyota's rather staid traditions in the family hatch sector. Just how adventurous was this new Auris going to be? Then the car was unveiled looking for all the world like a next generation Corolla. There was some disappointment from enthusiast observers but it's a brave person who second guesses the mighty Toyota. After all, it hasn't done too badly for itself of late. The Auris styling is neat and attractive on the eye with that bulging rear and sharp angular lines around the nose but not particularly groundbreaking. Well, it works for Volkswagen's Golf. The Auris SR180's appeal is that of an understated but quick car for people who enjoy their driving but prioritise comfort, reliability and reasonable running costs. It goes up against the upper echelon of diesel family hatchbacks and, perhaps, the second strata of warm hatch performance models. It feels a quality product and at £17,995 for the three-door bodystyle or £500 more for the five-door, it's priced as such. Equipment levels are the same as the plush T-Spirit Auris trim level with the addition of an electric sunroof. That means keyless entry and start, dual zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, dark-sensing headlamps and cruise control. Factor-in that impressive engine as well as the addition of multilink rear suspension and it looks a desirable package. Diesel engines in family hatchbacks don't come any more powerful than the 175bhp 2.2-litre D4-D in the SR180 but it's a modern common-rail diesel engine with Toyota's D-CAT clean diesel technology so running costs are more than manageable. CO2 emissions are pegged at 164g/km which helps with the old tax burden but the D-CAT system and its DPNR four-way catalyst also works to incinerate nitrogen oxides and soot particles before they are released into the atmosphere. This is one of the cleanest diesels on the market with the potential to help change your carbon footprint out of its hobnail boots and into some nice sandals. The official combined fuel economy figure for the SR180 is 45.6mpg, hardly a disgrace when this kind of performance is available. Then there's the legendary Toyota reliability. This manufacturer's products have one of the best reputations around when it comes to staying the course and there's no reason to suspect that the Auris will be any different. The standard Auris is more exciting than its Corolla predecessor but not by much. The SR180 range-topping model narrows the desirability gap to the top family hatch contenders with a powerful diesel engine and a completely different multilink rear suspension system but the core Auris strengths remain its build quality, comfort and reliability. The SR180 looks very good value for money when you consider the technology you're getting. There's that 2.2-litre D4-D common-rail engine married to the D-CAT clean diesel system and the revised suspension set-up. It's a fast hatchback that can certainly entertain but remains composed and refined on everyday trips. The styling doesn't draw too much attention to the car's impressive underlying capabilities with the SR180 favouring a low key, sophisticated approach that will appeal to buyers turned off by hot hatchback excesses.