Toyota: powered by BMW
Japanese-German alliance begins to bear fruit and BMW-powered Corolla could be offered in OzThe Verso people-mover is the first Toyota to be fitted with a BMW turbo-diesel engine, as the technical alliance signed between the car companies in December 2011 begins to show real-world results.
The 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine the Toyota Verso will incorporate, develops 82kW/270Nm and is also used in models such as the MINI Cooper D and BMW 1 Series.
By incorporating BMW diesel engines in its European-delivered vehicles, Toyota now has an 'in' for the European market which favours diesel engines. It also means Toyota doesn't have to invest in the development of new diesel engines to adhere to increasingly strict emissions regulations.
Dubbed the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D, the vehicle will begin production in January 2014 at Toyota's Turkish Adapazari factory.
Other vehicles are planned for the BMW diesel engine venture, including the Auris (aka Corolla). A 2.0-litre BMW turbo-diesel is expected to find its way into larger Toyotas.
Toyota has no plans to offer a BMW diesel-powered Corolla in Australia at this stage, but says it is not opposed to the idea.
Toyota Australia spokesperson Mike Breen explained to motoring.com.au that it was hard to say if customers would be drawn to a BMW-engined diesel Corolla. Toyota is yet to conduct market research on such a vehicle. However, Breen said that Toyota would "consider" the model and that the company is "always looking for opportunities in the marketplace".
Toyota's Bavarian engine deployment is just the beginning of a technology-sharing agreement between the unlikely Japanese and German bedfellows. The agreement was extended in early 2013 to include research into next-generation battery technology. The mainstream car-makers are also joining forces to develop new fuel-cell systems and lightweight vehicle body shells.
Certainly the most talked about collaboration is an all-new carbon-fibre sports car that for Toyota will be the spiritual successor to the LFA -- only with a hybrid twist.
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