Toyota Auris Hybrid To Become Next Big Green European Vehicle?

The Toyota Auris hybrid is one of Toyota's latest green models. Other new competing hybrid models include the Chevy Volt which can be found at Detroit GM dealers and the Nissan Leaf . The model can be test driven at a Nissan dealer with a Nissan Leaf Inventory or a Nissan Frontier Inventory. Volkswagen has talked about releasing a hybrid Golf, and other Volkswagen models can be browsed at a Volkswagen Peoria dealership.

The Auris hybrid is in competition with the Fiat for the greenest car in Europe. The Auris is made in the United Kingdom. Toyota's environment director told Automotive News of Europe that the company wants to become Europe's greenest automaker, and wants to be associated with environmental friendliness.

Manufacturing of the Auris hybrid begins in July. Toyota hopes to sell at least 14,000 Auris hybrid models in 2010 and double that number in 2011. The hybrid Auris is one of three Auris engine models, there is also a regular gasoline engine and a diesel model. The Auris is a compact vehicle that features excellent gas mileage with all models.

The Auris hybrid model is being produced in Europe alone currently and it was specifically designed for the European market. It remains to be seen whether or not the model will be released in North American or other markets.

In the annual ranking of CO2 emissions, Fiat has been leading Toyota in the lowest emissions per year. In 2009, Toyota cut its CO2 emissions to 130.1g/km from 144.9g/km in 2008. Fiat has held the number 1 spot for 3 years in a row and has reduced its CO2 emissions as well. Toyota hopes that the new Auris will further reduce its annual CO2 emissions and help the manufacturer take the top spot in Europe over the Fiat brand.