First Diesel Released By BMW -Toyota Cooperation
The cooperation between BMW and Toyota is bearing its first fruit in the form of a small diesel engine.
The Verso 1.6 D-4D compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) will be the
first Toyota to be powered by an engine supplied by the BMW Group; this
is the result of an agreement signed by both manufacturers two years
ago.
Sourcing diesel engines is only one aspect of a wider collaboration
between Toyota and the BMW Group. Through the agreement, both companies
have announced plans to co-develop a fuel cell system; conduct a
feasibility study for the joint development of a sports car platform;
work together on creating lightweight vehicle body technologies; and
undertake joint research into lithium-air batteries.
The addition of the 111 horsepower engine to the Verso range early in
2014 allows Toyota to offer a smaller displacement diesel engine; a 2.0
liter Toyota-sourced diesel unit was and still is being offered in the
Verso.
“At Toyota, we believe that tackling environmental challenges facing
our industry will require more than one approach. Hybrid is at the core
of our strategy towards sustainable mobility, but we also see a role for
clean diesel in Europe,” said Didier Leroy, senior managing officer of
Toyota Motor Corporation, and President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe
(TME). “Working together with an industry leader like the BMW Group
allows us to benefit from economies of scale to reduce development costs
as well as improve our time-to-market.”
Toyota explained the R&D team at Toyota’s European technical
centre in Belgium led the development of the Verso 1.6 D-4D, ensuring a
seamless match between the engine and the Toyota transmission and
electronics. At the same time they kept the car’s ride comfort and
dynamic performance. This involved the development of a number of new
components, including engine mounts, a dual-mass flywheel, a new gearbox
housing and gearing and the addition of a stop/start system to further
improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
Production of the Verso 1.6 D-4D will begin in January 2014 at Toyota
Motor Manufacturing Turkey’s Adapazari plant, where all Verso MPVs are
manufactured.