TOYOTA S FR 01
TOYOTA S FR 03
TOYOTA S FR 5 tn1b
TOYOTA S FR 06
TOYOTA S FR 7
Feann Torr9 Nov 2015
NEWS

Toyota 1.2 turbo firms for S-FR

Japanese giant's upcoming baby sports car could be powered by new 85kW turbo engine

Toyota's plan to deliver a knock-out blow to the new Mazda MX-5 with its own pint-sized sports car has stepped up a notch, with news the compact S-FR coupe is likely to snag an 85kW 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.

As only the second new-generation turbo-petrol engine from Toyota, after the Lexus-only 2.0-litre unit that pumps out 180kW/350Nm, the new 1.2-litre four-cylinder (codenamed 8NR-FTS) can be fitted to front- and rear-drive vehicles.

That's the word from one of Toyota's senior powertrain engineers, who told motoring.com.au that the 1.2 turbo, which is currently offered in Japanese and European (but not Australian) Corollas, is being developed to suit a wide range of future vehicles from the brand.

When quizzed over whether the compact turbo engine could be fitted to rear-drive vehicles, the senior powertrain engineer responded: "From the design or development perspective, we do have this in mind."

Generating 85kW at 5200rpm and 185Nm at 1500rpm, the small four-pot engine would be a logical fit for the upcoming S-FR which has all but been confirmed for production by Toyota's sports car chief Tetsuyda Tada and is already on Toyota Australia's radar.

Even with 85kW the tiny sports car – which is expected to cost less than $25,000 -- would be lively, since it's expected to tip the scales at less than 1000kg. For reference, Mazda's base 1.5-litre MX-5, which opens at $31,990, weighs 1009kg and outputs 96kW/150Nm.

Slotting in underneath the Toyota 86, the S-FR won't be the only new model to benefit from the small turbo engine, which could also power the brand's new compact SUV that's based on the C-HR concept and set to debut at the 2016 Geneva motor show in March.

The senior powertrain engineer said an AWD combination with the 1.2-litre engine "is possible" but noted "currently we do not have any formula", making the production C-HR likely to be front-wheel drive only.

Packaged with both manual and CVT automatic transmissions, the new engine is yet to make landfall in Australia but when it does it will likely require a diet of high-octane premium petrol.

"This engine if you use 91 RON it will run still but the power or torque will not be in the area we want to reach," said the engineer.

Share this article
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.