Auriga had a displacement of 1,360 long tons (1,380 t) when at the surface and 1,590 long tons (1,620 t) while submerged. It had a total length of 293 ft 6 in (89.46 m), a beam of 22 feet 4 inches (6.81 m), and a draught of 18 feet 1 inch (5.51 m). The submarine was powered by two Admiralty ML eight-cylinder diesel engines generating 2,150 horsepower (1,600 kW) each. Four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) drove two shafts.[2] It could carry a maximum of 219 long tons (223 t) of diesel, although it usually carried between 159 and 165 long tons (162 and 168 t).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h) and a submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h).[3] When submerged, it could operate at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) for 90 nautical miles (170 km) or at 8 knots (15 km/h) for 16 nautical miles (30 km). Surfaced, it could travel 15,200 nautical miles (28,200 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) or 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km) at 11 knots (20 km/h).[2] Armament was ten 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, one QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII, one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a .303 BritishVickers machine gun. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.[2]