Who would have thought it? Toyota, of all companies, under the cosh over a number of safety recalls.

This company is traditionally one of the best-regarded brands when it comes to customer satisfaction. Together with Lexus – its posher sister – it always comes out well in the respected JD Power survey, offering the same sort of quality that you expect of a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz.

And Middle England, the sort of people who study Which? magazine and insist on putting substance over style, love Toyota. So do taxi drivers, for whom having a broken-down motor is more than just an inconvenience. If they trust in Toyota, it’s a car worth taking note of.

If Toyota was a good deal before, it’s even better now, with a five-year warranty in response to the recall problems – buy one now and don’t worry about unexpected repair costs until 2015.

Tested here is the Auris, a car which if you mention its name tends to raise eyebrows. Is that a new Yaris? No, it’s the new name for the Corolla, and is designed to inject a bit of life into a model which, by Toyota’s standards, had grown a little stale.

The Auris is a very good car and has some tough competition. People wanting a mid-market hatchback have never had so much quality choice, from the improved Focus and Astra through excellent cut-price offerings from Kia, Hyundai and co.

So, how does Auris compare? It costs from around £14,000 and comes with a choice of excellent engines – 1.3 and 1.6 petrol and a 1.4-litre diesel – designed with smoothness and economy in mind.

Toyota gave the model a mid-life facelift recently. Being a conservative company, changes to the Auris are modest. Most obvious is the car’s new Avensis-inspired nose, while effort has also been expended on tidying up the car’s lights and bumpers. New alloy wheel designs and a neat bodykit have also been developed.

The reasons for the changes are two-fold. Firstly, it’s always good to refresh a car midway though its life – it’s something to talk about and helps lift awareness and remind people who are unfamiliar with the brand and model.

Also, never underestimate the importance of continual improvement. Japanese firms are famous for this and are always keen to blend updates from engineers with feedback – good and bad – from customers.

With the Auris, Toyota identified the car’s looks, the way it drove and cabin quality as important areas for improvement. Adopting the family ‘face’ brings the Auris into line with more recent additions to the line-up.

A more rounded driving experience, thanks in the main to some measured tweaking of the suspension settings, has resulted in a more rounded performance.

Keen to keep up with the opposition, the final piece of the update puzzle sees the Auris receive extra attention in the cabin. Higher quality materials do much to lift cabin ambience – the soft touch fascia is a welcome improvement, while a redesigned lower console and handbrake has freed up useful space and made life a lot easier ergonomically.

Along with the quality improvements, Toyota has boosted the level of standard kit on the Auris. Air-con is present across the range, with the mid-ranking and likely to be most popular TR adding climate control, MP3 compatible audio unit plus some attractive alloy wheels.

As you’d expect, the car’s cabin delivers a refined experience and build quality is impressive. This is reinforced when on the move, with the three available engines offering a competent performance.

And like the rest of the Auris, the engines haven’t escaped the revision programme. The entry-level 1.33-litre petrol unit packs 100 horsepower and a stop-start function, making it ideal for city commuting duties. Quiet yet eager-to-please, its modest capacity is at odds with its ability to power the Auris along at respectable speeds.

Anyone seeking more power should try the 1.6-litre petrol unit as, with its 133 horsepower rating, it offers buyers wanting to drive further and faster more real-world performance. Motorway driving is dispatched with ease and country roads driven in a spirited manner.

Last up is the familiar 1.4-litre diesel unit. It might produce ‘only’ 89 horsepower, but its long-legged performance makes for a relaxing experience at speed and when covering hundreds of motorway miles. It’s frugal, too, which should please company car-buyers and anyone watching the pennies.

Having listened to customer feedback and combined the results with a few changes of their own, Toyota’s engineers have delivered another solid offering.

Visually, this 2010 Auris has a lot more in common with the Toyota family, boasts a more polished driving experience and spoils buyers with more standard kit and upmarket cabin ambience.

Toyota Auris TR 1.33 VVT-i: PRICE: £15,532 on the road.

ENGINE: 1.33-litre petrol unit developing 100bhp, via six-speed manual transmission as standard, driving the front wheels.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed 109mph, 0-62mph in 13.1 seconds.

COSTS: 47.9mpg average.

EMISSIONS: 136g/km.

INSURANCE: Group 11.

WARRANTY: Five years.

Steve’s Ratings: Performance: 4/5 Ride/Handling: 4/5 Space/Practicality: 5/5 Equipment: 4/5 Security/Safety: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5