Toyota showcases new engine and transmissions

Japanese automaker Toyota has flexed its technological muscle yet again, debuting a new range of engines, transmissions and an evolved version of its hybrid system. Toyota’s global range will start using the new hardware from as early as next year. All advancements are based on the 'Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA)’, which the automaker claims "has been changing the automobile from its very structure, lowering hood heights, lowering the centre of gravity and implementing other innovations to improve driving performance." What's been cooking at Toyota? Here's a quick rundown:

Fun To Drive

Believe it or not, that's what the engineers at Toyota were gunning for. "For Toyota, the starting point of making cars is ‘fun to drive’ – the feeling of joy that comes when behind the wheel. Toyota aims to make cars with driving performance that responds to the will of the driver and are, at the same time, highly fuel efficient, among having other environment-friendly attributes," read a press release issued by the manufacturer.

Toyota debuted a new line of engines under the ‘Dynamic Force Engines’ label with the showcase of a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol motor. The new range focuses on high-speed combustion, greater thermal efficiency and reducing energy loss. Toyota claims that the new range "has one of the world's best thermal efficiencies" – 40 per cent when used in petrol-powered vehicles and 41 per cent when used in hybrids. The new powertrains are 10 per cent better on power, and 20 per cent better on fuel economy. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!

Slick Shifters

Toyota also showcased two new automatic transmissions under the 'Direct Shift' moniker. The Japanese automaker has developed 8-speed and 10-speed torque converter automatics, called ‘Direct Shift-8AT’ and ‘Direct Shift-10AT’, respectively. The mantra remains the same for the transmissions – maximise efficiency and minimise energy loss. "The new automatic transmissions are more compact and lighter than comparative conventional transmissions, lowering a vehicle's fuel requirements," claimed Toyota.

Going Green. Part Deux.

It might have pioneered the 'go-green' tech for automobiles, but Toyota clearly isn't stopping at just that. The ‘Toyota Hybrid System II’, has been given a makeover to make Toyota hybrids even kinder to the scenery. The hybrid powertrains are better on both fronts – power and efficiency – "due to the synergistic effect of size-reducing, weight-reducing and loss-reducing technologies," says Toyota.

The plug-in hybrid tech has also been updated to include a new 'dual-mode'. This mode lets the electric generator motor power the wheels directly in EV mode. An all-new large-capacity lithium-ion battery was showcased as well, that Toyota claims increases the pure-electric range of the vehicle to "60 kilometres or more".

Roll-out!

Between 2017 and 2021, "Toyota plans to introduce 17 versions of nine engines, including the 2.5-litre engine announced today, 10 versions of four transmissions, including multi-geared automatic transmissions and a new kind of continuously variable transmission, and 10 versions of six hybrid systems". Too many numbers, we know. But you can always bank on Toyota to be a bit too specific, can't you?

The new tech will find its way into Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in Japan, US, Europe and China. By the end of 2021, Toyota aims to have at least 60 per cent of its portfolio to be based on TNGA.

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