In the end the curtain fell on the Toyota Corolla hatchback sooner than expected.
Given the uneven sales spread of the Irish market, Toyota Ireland was able to get priority delivery of the new Auris - pronounced as in "Áras" an Uachtaráin.
The new car will now arrive in showrooms on Friday, hoping to replicate the success of its predecessor.
The name may have changed but the exterior look remains largely the same.
A reworking of the front nose brings the car into line with the new look of the smaller Yaris and minor tweaking of the rear lights are the main indicators to onlookers that this is the new version.
Inside, however, there have been significant changes, the most noticeable of which is the high line of the central console, and new backlit dials.
Up against the futuristic styling of the Honda Civic, Toyota has towed a particularly conservative line with the exterior but the interior is closer to the more modern look that many hoped the Japanese brand would take with the car.
This large free-standing console is a clever design for both the ergonomics of the handbrake and gearshift but also leaving room underneath for a small storage tray.
The high-set gearstick is well-positioned, as are the controls and the only real criticism of the new styling is that it does give the impression that front seat space for driver and passenger is rather limited.
Toyota is keen to point out that's far from the case, claiming the interior space measured in cubic metres is the best in class. Certainly, the bootspace is among the biggest in the segment with 354 litres on offer.
While the look is modern, one disappointment is the quality of the interior plastics, which don't have the soft-touch feel of some European competitors. It's a pity because Toyota is keen to portray the new Auris as a car designed with Europeans in mind and directly targeting the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf.
Four engines are on offer, starting with the 97bhp 1.4-litre VVT-I petrol and a 1.4-litre 90bhp D-4D diesel engine. After that there's a 1.6-litre 124bhp VVT-I petrol and 2-litre D-4D diesel engine, though the latter is unlikely to feature heavily in Irish sales.
We tested the 1.4-litre petrol engine and it was lively, though it was not as responsive in lower revs as we would have hoped.
At between 3,000-4,000rpm it does become more agile and on winding country roads it kept the pace with faster moving traffic.
Handling again was responsive and certainly Toyota has closed the gap on European rivals that have always rated stronger than the Japanese marque in this regard.
It keeps a tight line in corners and it was clearly benchmarked against European rivals like the Ford Focus and VW Golf when it comes to finalising its ride and handling.
Standard features for Irish models include a class-leading nine airbags as standard, adding to the car's five-star Euro NCAP rating and backing up claims by Toyota that it's the safest car in its class.
The car is available in three- and five-door versions, though the three-door is only offered with the 1.4-litre diesel or petrol engines.
Prices start at €19,900 for the three-door 1.4-litre petrol and €20,540 for the five-door version.
The 1.4-litre diesel starts at €23,210 for the three-door version and €24,525 for the five-door.Toyota expects to sell 5,000 units of the Auris this year, adding to the 5,000 Corolla saloons it forecasts for the year.