Toyota Auris 1.6 Valvematic : CASH IN THE MATIC

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Toyota's 1.6-litre Valvematic Auris has value on its side. Steve Walker reports.

The car industry is a difficult thing to stay on top of. Just when you think you've got a handle on the latest trends and conventions, they have a nasty habit of shifting, perceived wisdom morphing into a load of old rubbish in the blink of an eye. Family hatchback buyers doing their research over the last few years can't help but have noted the popularity of diesel-engines. They'll have been shown the superior fuel economy and torque you get from a diesel and told that the petrol alternatives were lagging behind. This was undoubtedly true but, inevitably, the car industry has been on the move again and petrol engines like the 1.6-litre Valvematic in Toyota's Auris are fighting back.

Diesel leapt ahead of petrol in the desirability stakes with the arrival of the common-rail injection technology which is now used by every mainstream manufacturer. It brought new levels of refinement, efficiency and performance to affordable diesel cars and petrol began to look a little passÃ©. More recently, petrol has been fighting back with some smart technology of its own. The use of turbocharging has allowed more performance to be extracted from smaller, more economical engines, while technology like Toyota's Valvematic has refined the combustion process to the point where valves and injectors respond to the driver's inputs, optimising economy or performance as required. It's all clever stuff but what does it mean for great petrol vs diesel debate? The 1.6-litre Dual VVT-i engine that the Toyota Auris was launched with was no dullard. Its variable valve timing technology treated every last droplet of unleaded like it was ChÃ¢teau Lafite Rothschild 1996. This 1.6-litre Valvematic unit refines the process with a series of modifications that Toyota dubs Optimal Drive. You'd need a degree in engineering to understand the more convoluted tinkering but the key improvement is that the amount of valve lift is now controlled by the engine management computer as well as the timing of both inlet and exhaust valves. The results include an 8bhp increase in power to 131bhp and a nine per cent boost to economy. Torque might not be of diesel engine proportions but the 160Nm is available usefully low in the rev range at 4,400rpm helping the 1.6-litre Auris to a 0-62mph sprint of 10s and a 121mph top speed. Specifying the MultiMode automatic transmission blunts 0-62mph performance by nearly two seconds.

"The Auris is a car that makes all kinds of financial and practical sense"

The Auris has never been the most thrilling prospect from a driver's perspective but it's still above the class average in the way it goes stops and turns. The steering and suspension lack the feedback that other manufacturers work so hard to build into their cars but in time honoured Toyota fashion, the Auris is comfortable, refined and easy to drive. Rather than anything extreme, the Auris' exterior shape is `evolutionary.' A less charitable verdict would be unadventurous. If Toyota really wanted to position the Auris as a different and higher quality car than the old Corolla, step one should be to ensure it doesn't look broadly similar in dimension and style to that car. Yet despite the neater touches, well, it does. While Toyota senior suits talk about J-factor, vibrant clarity and emotional identity, most of us think it represents a missed opportunity. The car is thoroughly inoffensive but lacks the sparkle to stand out in a family hatch sector that's increasingly full of good-looking alternatives. Toyota obviously sees the bigger picture and has gone for mass appeal in the worldwide market rather than pandering to cappuccino drinking Europeans. The cabin is smart and well built with a clear dash design and OPTITRON instruments but materials quality is slightly hit and miss. There's also a significant lack of oddments stowage space. For a car that namechecks the Volkswagen Golf amongst its key rivals, the Auris is more than a little behind the curve here. On the plus side, longer overhangs offer decent luggage capacity (354 litres) and generous rear legroom. The 1.6-litre Valvematic engine is slotted into two mainstream trim grades, TR and T Spirit. It's available as a TR with either the three or five door bodystyles but the plush T Spirit is five-door only. The pricing looks competitive next to equivalent engine options offered in key rivals like Ford's Focus, Vauxhall's Astra and Volkswagen's Golf but it's particularly tempting compared to the diesel alternatives. Toyota charges a £800 premium for its 1.4-litre D-4D diesel engine which is extremely economical but noticeably slower than the Valvematic. To get an oil-burner with stronger performance, you'll need the 2.0-litre D-4D and another £2,500. Equipment on the TR is fairly comprehensive. Buyers get the Auris safety kit of front, side and curtain airbags plus a driver's knee airbag, ABS and EBD but there's no stability or traction control. Electric windows, electric heated mirrors, dual-zone air conditioning, a six speaker stereo and 16" alloy wheels are also included. In addition, the T Spirit has keyless entry, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlamps. With the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the 1.6-litre Valvematic Auris returns 43.5mpg but the MultiMode automatic actually increases economy to 45.6mpg. Both are some way short of the kind of parsimony that owners of diesel-powered Auris models benefit from with the 1.4 D-4D returning over 60mpg and the 2.0-litre D-4D getting 54mpg but considering the price differential, the Valvematic will make sense for many buyers. Emissions are measured at 153g/km for the manual car. Toyota are very keen to push this petrol-powered Auris with Fleet customers who are likely to appreciate its mix of low upfront costs, reliability and economy better than most. Compared to the market's top selling models, it looks like an astute financial bet for business and private buyers alike. Diesel was shaping up as an increasingly compelling choice for buyers of family hatchbacks but the latest crop of petrol engines is redressing the balance. Toyota's 1.6-litre Valvematic petrol engine as fitted to the Auris is a prime example of a modern petrol unit that stacks up well in monetary terms compared to the diesel alternatives. Indeed, it does a commendable job of trumping the equivalent petrol engines offered by rival manufacturers too. If you can live with the dull but worthy Auris package, the 1.6 Valvematic should do wonders for your bottom line. The Auris is a car that makes all kinds of financial and practical sense but you can't help wishing that it had a little more personality. With the 1.6 Valvematic engine it's a typically sensible effort from Toyota and if the marque ever gets the hang of enthralling design and showroom wow factor, its rivals will really be in trouble.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Toyota Auris 1.6 Valvematic
PRICES: £13,895-£15,835 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 5E-6E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 153g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.0s / Max Speed 121mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 53.6 (extra urban) 52.3 (combined) 43.5 mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags / ABS /EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] length/width/heightmm 4220/1760/1515