650 litres, expandable to a massive 1,780 litres with rear seats folded. Wide doors give access easy and deep door bins, large glovebox and centre console storage make it very family-friendly. On the road, the Passat is a delight - quiet,
agile, composed, very comfortable and with precise steering and well-balanced suspension inducing a feeling of absolute driver control and assurance. Top speed is 135 mph, 0-60 mph time a nippy 8.9 seconds, fuel figure 64.2 mpg combined, and emissions just 114 g/km.
The car looks more elegant and classy than most estates ON THE ROAD, QUIET, AGILE,
COMPOSED, VERY COMFORTABLE
TOYOTA AURIS HYBRID
TOYOTA’S AURIS IS ONE OF THE FEW FULL HYBRIDS IN THE COMPACT HATCHBACK CLASS, ABLE TO RUN ON ELECTRIC POWER ALONE, AND THIS GIVES IT A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO LOW RUNNING COSTS. Rival ‘mild’ hybrids just use an electric motor to aid the
petrol engine, but don’t store power for electric-only use, so the Auris delivers better fuel economy and lower emissions, plus lower tax rates for business users. The latest Auris has sleeker styling, upgraded equipment and is powered by a 1.8 litre petrol engine mated to an elec- tric motor and electric CVT auto transmission. That combina- tion results in a 0-60 mph time of 10.9 seconds and top speed of 112 mph, fairly typical in its sector. However, combined fuel economy of 72.4 mpg and emissions of just 91 g/km are very impressive. Auris prices start at £20,155 though my Design Bi-Tone model was higher specification and costs £23,555. Features include auto air-conditioning, power windows, auto lights and
wipers, front and rear parking sensors, 7-inch touch-screen, DAB radio/CD player, Bluetooth, and rear view camera. There is also plenty of safety kit including pre-collision system, lane departure warning and road sign assist. On the move, Auris is smooth, quiet, composed and refined.
At low speeds and over short distances, the car can be driven on electric power alone. When there is insufficient power in the battery, the Auris automatically uses the petrol engine, a simple no-fuss system. You get most benefit from the system in urban traffic, though the Auris is a comfortable motorway cruiser too. It’s a smart-looking all-rounder with good family practicality. A roomy four seater - five at a squeeze - it has a large 435 litre boot, expandable to 1,200 litres by folding the rear seats. As diesel cars are waning in popularity and likely to be more highly taxed in the future, hybrid sales are already rising and the commonsense plus-points of the Auris underline why.
Autoservices • MOT Testing
• Servicing & Repairs • All Diagnostics • 4 x 4 Specialist • Air Conditioning
Unit 12, Nelson Road Inds. Estate, Dartmouth TQ6 9LA
Tel: 01803 833181 www.
frlautoservices.co.uk
Kingsbridge Auto Repair and Rescue
Unit 10 Halwell Business Park
Totnes, Devon, TQ97LQ Established for over 10 years
• 24hr Breakdown and Recovery
• Brand new purpose built premises • Class 4 & 7 MOT’s
• Servicing and repairs to all makes and models
• Clutches / Brakes / Tyres • Exhausts and batteries
• Up to date diagnostic equipment • Collection/delivery & courtesy cars available on request
Call us on 01803 712300
thanks to its understated and rather cool design both in the cabin and outside. Passat rivals include estate versions of its
THE PASSAT IS A DELIGHT -
stable-mate Skoda Superb, Ford Mondeo and BMW 3 Series but in my view, none match the all-round Passat package which combines space and versatility with visual cachet and outstanding driving characteristics. It is about as near-perfect an estate car as you can find.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
