| Toyota and Nissan are going head-to-head in a | | | | electric-only mode and ultra-low CO2 emissions. |
| quest to offer the first British-built hybrid car. | | | | Pricing has yet to be revealed but if the Auris |
| Petrol-electric versions of Toyota's Auris and the | | | | undercuts Honda's Insight - at £15,890 in |
| Nissan Qashqai are currently under development | | | | base 'S' trim - the model may be a challenger for |
| and heading for UK and European showrooms in | | | | the title of cheapest hybrid on sale in the UK. But |
| 2010. But while Toyota has set its sights on being | | | | not far behind in the race to debut a Brit-built |
| first, according to Auto Express magazine it's the | | | | hybrid is Land Rover - often unfairly singled out as |
| 'eco-friendly' Qashqai that looks set to be quickest | | | | a maker of 'gas guzzlers'. |
| off the mark. | | | | The 4x4 specialist last month confirmed that a |
| The mag claims that Nissan's hybrid 'crossover' | | | | production version of its exciting LRX concept will |
| 4x4 will start to roll off the company's Sunderland | | | | go into production at the company's Halewood |
| production lines early next year, and is likely to | | | | plant in Merseyside. The latest Landy's 'green' |
| debut shared drive between an electric motor | | | | credentials will be sealed by an electric-drive rear |
| working one axle and a smaller petrol engine | | | | axle coupled to a 2-litre turbodiesel engine, capable |
| powering the other. Toyota have yet to reveal | | | | of running on bio-diesel. CO2 output is predicted to |
| exact details of the new Auris drivetrain, but the | | | | be around 120 g/km, putting the 4x4 in one of |
| company has confirmed it will feature the | | | | the lowest road tax bands. |
| ground-breaking Hybrid Synergy Drive seen in the | | | | Altogether this battle for the Brit hybrid crown is |
| brand's latest Prius model. | | | | a great sign that the UK-based car industry is |
| This means the Toyota newcomer, which is due | | | | weathering the economic downturn and looking |
| to start production next summer from the | | | | forward to the cutting edge of new motor |
| company's Derbyshire plant, promises a full | | | | technologies. |