You might not know this, but the Toyota Corolla is the biggest selling car in history. You might not know it because, although it has been around for 40 years, it has remained a car with all the stand-out qualities of a cloud on a cloudy day.

In Britain its demise will probably go largely unnoticed. Because despite selling more than 32m models worldwide, it has never proved particularly popular here, once being compared to a washing machine.

So its replacement hopes to gain a more interesting reputation. Auris (pronounced owris) is a contrived derivation of aurum, or gold, and the big question is whether the world’s richest car maker has struck it with this clean sweep of a design.

Though Toyota claims the Auris is all new, much of its exterior bears a striking resemblance to the outgoing Corolla. What is new is a more bulbous nose — the upshot of new pedestrian safety regulations — that resembles Toyota’s other bestseller, the smaller Yaris. The Auris’s rump looks slightly swollen, too, and that’s to accommodate a big boot.

Toyota claims it has designed this car from the inside out in the interests of providing plentiful space. It has a point: while most cars in this class feel amply dimensioned up front, not so many manage the same feat in the rear. The Auris is a little taller than the class average and provides ample lounging room in the back for two and decent enough space for three.

Under the bonnet there is a choice of five engines — two petrol, three diesel. The smallest is a 1.4 litre petrol that I suspect will struggle, while the 1.6 VVT-i is likely to be the most popular. It boasts 122bhp and delivers genuine pace, although it needs to be worked hard to get the best out of it. The pick of the diesel engines is the 175bhp 2.2 litre whose pull is sometimes spectacular and certainly produces a relaxing mile-eater. The two smaller turbodiesels come as a 1.4 and 2 litre, which will make up for in economy what they lack in power.

Whatever the engine, the Auris is easy to drive. It’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel and the high-mounted gearlever slips neatly between the five gears. You’ll need to get used to the curiously angled handbrake, whose release button sits close to its tip rather than on it. The cockpit is dominated by a bold centre console said to be inspired by the flying buttresses of Notre Dame, Paris. Yeah, right. Makes you wonder what Toyota’s designers were doing drifting around French cathedrals. I’d like to check their expenses.

It’s a pleasure to look at, though, with a set of particularly classy, orange-hued instruments, but the moulding is of hard plastic that sounds disappointingly brittle when you open one of the many storage boxes. These are unlined, so objects placed inside will provide an undesired soundtrack of rattles unless they’re wedged in place. All of which generates an aura of cheapness that you would not expect of a Toyota, particularly a reinvented one.

The Ford Focus and VW Golf, among others, are much better finished. Toyota claims its research indicates that buyers are not too bothered by this kind of thing — I’m not so sure.

There’s no doubting the Auris’s safety credentials, however. All versions come with nine airbags, including a driver’s kneebag. Along with the well designed body these ensure the car gained a maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP impact tests, with four for child protection and three for pedestrian impact performance.

And it feels reassuring on the road. The steering is accurate and, despite some roll generated by its extra height, the Auris slices through bends with unfussed authority.

“Quiet” best captures the character of this car. Never mind that flying buttress console or the orange instruments — this is a sober, capable machine whose advantages of space, value and ease of use will make it a fine buy for those who are not badge snobbish. A verdict that could have been be applied equally to the Corolla, in fact.

Model

Toyota Auris 1.6 V V T-i TR five-door
Engine type 1598cc, four cylinders
Power/Torque 122bhp @ 6000rpm / 116 lb ft @ 5200rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 39.8mpg (combined cycle) / 166g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 10.4sec / Top speed: 118mph
Price £12,995
Verdict Good, but not pure gold
Rating 3/5
Date of release Out now

The opposition

Model Ford Focus 1.6 LX five-door £13,845
For Refined finish, superb handling
Against Ubiquitous, hardly a daring choice

Model VW Golf 1.6 S FSI five-door £14,500
For Build quality and badge kudos, spacious
Against Expensive, slightly dull styling