Toyota is keen to make up for lost ground to its competition in Europe. The new C-HR was the first sign, the second is this new 1.5 liter hi-tech engine full of little wonders of technology.
We cannot start this text any other way: Mazda was right (in bold so there is no doubt). We do not get tired of repeating this because when all other manufacturers (all!) were moving towards supercharging and decreasing engine displacement, Mazda did exactly the opposite, arguing that smaller engines did not offer effective gains in terms of reducing engine capacity. emissions and fuel consumption. Everyone (specialized press included) was in the song – with some honorable exceptions.Today we know that this is not the way to go. Toyota is one of the first manufacturers to step back from the vertigo that was the downsizing of engines, and now presents itself with a new block full of innovative technology. Let's get to the details? The text is long and boring, there is a warning (whoever reaches the end has a surprise…).
the big numbers
Already developed in accordance with future Euro 6c environmental standards and RDE (Real Driving Emission) approval requirements, this engine is a member of Toyota's new ESTEC (Superior Thermal Efficiency) engine family. This means that this engine already benefits from a wealth of technology (which we will explain below) that provides, according to the brand, “better performance and a more pleasant drive, while at the same time achieving a reduction of up to 12 percent in fuel consumption. , in accordance with the official NEDC test criteria”.
“(…) what Toyota did was very serious: it took the revenue from the high compression ratios of Mazda engines and added all the stuff to it. know-how that it has in the development of gasoline engines"
According to the Japanese brand, comparing this new 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine with the current 1.33 liter engine (which equips the Yaris), the first wins on all fronts. It is more powerful, has more torque, offers better acceleration and in the end has a lower fuel bill and emissions. Good deal, isn't it? We will see.
The first model to receive this engine will be the new Toyota Yaris (which will be presented in March at the Geneva Motor Show). In this utility vehicle, the new 1.5 liter engine will come to service with 111 hp and 135 Nm of torque, that is, 12 hp and 10 Nm of torque more than the 1.33 liter block, thus allowing the future Yaris to meet 0- 100 km/h in an interesting 11 seconds (0.8 seconds less than 1.33 liters). In the recovery from 80-120 km/h the time is 17.6 seconds, 1.2 seconds less than the previous engine.
How did Toyota get these values?
He crossed his fingers and put some malicious software in the engine (imagine here an emoji with an evil smile). Of course not. Jokes aside, what Toyota did was very serious: it based itself on the high compression ratios of Mazda engines and added all the know-how it has in the development of gasoline engines (even why make Diesel engines). not with Toyota…).Complying with the Euro 6c emission rules, Toyota claims 38.5% thermal efficiency for this engine, a figure that puts it at the top of its class. This value was achieved thanks to the high compression ratio of 13.5:1, the adoption of an exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR) and the exhaustive work in managing the valve opening time (VVTi-E) - which will allow switching between the Otto and Atkinson combustion cycle depending on engine loads.
Shall we complicate the matter a little more?
THE high compression ratio This engine (13.5:1) was only possible thanks to the redesign of the combustion chamber, with a view to promoting a more homogeneous air/fuel mixture and, therefore, more efficient combustion and less formation of harmful particles.
In turn, the presence of EGR valve cooled, it reduces the combustion temperature by preventing fuel pre-ignition (point 1) – on this subject, you might want to read what we have written about fuel octane – thus eliminating mixture enrichment and gasoline waste (point 2).
About the new valve opening time variation system (VVTi-E), that allows the engine to switch between the Otto and Atkinson combustion cycles (and vice versa), there's also a lot to say. This system is electronically controlled through a hydraulic command on the camshaft that delays the closing of the intake valves. The purpose of this system is to reduce the compression phase to reduce inertial losses (Atkinson cycle), and at the same time allow for high loads, a quick return to the Otto cycle for better performance.
We leave the best for last: the water cooled exhaust manifold . It is the first Toyota engine equipped with this technology that reduces the temperature of the exhaust gases, allowing the engine to run with very lean mixtures. Like the EGR system, this system also helps to lower the combustion temperature, improving consumption and reducing pollutant gas emissions.
The future of this new engine
We are sure that in the future there will be more versions of this engine. Namely a turbo version, capable of surpassing 200 hp of power. If it is true that the future of the car depends on electrification, it is no less true that combustion engines will continue “around” for many years to come.
As we promised at the beginning of the article, the text was long and tedious. So we decided to put at the end of this article an image of Fernando Alonso resting. By the way, did you know that Rossi's ex-girlfriend is dating Alonso? A little gossip just to relax. It must have been revenge for this article we wrote.
