• Strong safety rating from Euro NCAP
• Some standard driver assistance tech
• Good credentials overall

Potential Auris buyers will be pleased to hear that safety is excellent. This generation has been awarded five stars in tests by Euro NCAP.

Euro NCAP says a similar level of safety can be expected from the Auris Touring Sports estate version.

Safety equipment levels are very good and each model of the Auris comes with multiple airbags, Isofix child seat mounts, height-adjustable front and rear head restraints, front seatbelt pretensioners, three-point rear seatbelts, whiplash reducing front seats, ABS, ventilated front disc brakes, solid rear disc brakes, LED daytime running lights, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assistance, traction control and electronic stability control.

Lane-departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, automatic high-beam and traffic sign recognition are all standard, too.

Additionally, all of the car’s seatbelts are fitted with load limiters and emergency locking retractors. These further reducing the chance of injury in an accident.

The Auris benefits from a structure that’s designed to protect occupants, with features like side impact beams and head impact protection structures in the roof sides and pillars.

Standard security kit includes remote central locking and an immobiliser. Many of the car’s parts are also marked, making it easier to identify if it’s been stolen.

• Space in the Auris average for the class
• Good passenger room back and front
• Boot reasonably well sized

The Auris is a practical hatchback but, when compared with its rivals, it’s fairly middle of the road in terms of outright passenger room and clever use of interior space.

A spacious interior means room for five adults (at a squeeze) while the boot can stow most luggage you’re likely to throw at it. Throughout the cabin there’s a variety of storage points including bottle holders in the doors, a decent sized glovebox, a coin box and front and rear cupholders.

One negative point is that the Toyota Auris doesn’t have a full-size, or space-saver, spare wheel. Instead, you get a tyre repair kit, which isn’t particularly useful in many instances.

The Auris is no smaller or larger than its closest rivals, meaning it’s easy to manoeuvre into parking spaces and won’t feel too big down tight country lanes or narrow city streets.

Visibility is good all-round, too, but most models in the range come with a reversing camera as standard (with parking sensors also available), to aid with rear visibility. Overall, though, it’s easy to judge the extremities of the car.

The boot capacity is 360 litres, which is less than that offered by the Volkswagen Golf, Kia Ceed and Peugeot 308. The Auris’s boot benefits from a wide opening but there is a lip which can make lifting heavy items out difficult.

If you need additional storage then the rear seats, which are split 60:40, fold down to increase luggage space. The boot also features a dual-level load space, which allows you to store items under the moveable boot floor. This helps retain objects that might move about, or keeps things concealed from prying eyes.