Toyota Auris news - Captain sensible - 2007

Toyota's T180 Auris is heading to showrooms today.  It's the range-topping version of the firm's Corolla-replacing hatch, and if you needed any more evidence that the Auris is as loony as a senior pensions advisor... well, the T180 is a diesel.

It's being touted as the most powerful diesel model in its class, and there's no denying that the stats make for impressive reading.

The 2.2-litre turbodiesel develops 175bhp and a meaty 295lb ft of torque from just 2,000rpm.

That allows the T180 to hit 60mph in just over eight seconds before topping out at 130mph - but it'll still return a frugal 45.6mpg.

It gets bespoke double wishbone rear suspension and a bigger set of front brake discs than the standard Auris, too - as well as 17-inch alloys.

All very nice, but it's not quite bonkers hot hatch stuff, is it?

However, Toyota says that the T180 shouldn't be thought of as a hot hatch, but simply the flagship model of the Auris range.

A spokesman confirmed that there are no impending plans to produce a hotter version, so this is as mad as it's going to get in the Auris for a while to come.