Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota shared the next step of its powertrain strategy in Europe, detailing the power options that new car buyers will have in the years ahead.

The new generation Auris, which will be produced in the UK at Burnaston next year, will come with three powertrains, these will be: a 1.2L Turbo, 4-cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine (116 hp), a 1.8L Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain, 4th generation HEV, same as Prius and Toyota C-HR (122 hp) and a 2.0L HEV Powertrain, a new, more powerful, TNGA 2.0L HEV (180 hp).  Similar to the decision taken in 2016, to introduce Toyota C-HR without a diesel version, the new generation Auris will only be offered with petrol and HEV powertrains.

Strong customer demand for HEV versions on its core models means Toyota will phase out diesel engines from all its passenger cars in 2018. In 2017, HEVs represented 41% of total Toyota sales, rising +38% year-on-year to 406,000 units. In contrast, Toyota’s diesel mix on passenger cars was less than 10% in 2017.

Toyota will continue to offer diesel engines in commercial vehicles  such as the Hilux, Proace and Land Cruiser to meet customer needs.

Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe commented, "Toyota has been pioneering Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) technology for more than 20 years. For several years, HEV versions have been the dominant powertrain where offered. In our latest new model, the Toyota C-HR, HEVs accounted for 78% of sales last year.”

Johan  added, “As part of our electrified vehicle strategy, we are progressively expanding our HEV offering with a second, more powerful 2.0l engine. Starting with the new generation Auris, this expanded HEV line-up is a natural reaction to our passenger car customers’ demands.”