Toyota revamps three-cylinder engine for Yaris

Toyota has developed a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine for the next-generation Yaris small hatchback, which goes into production in France this summer.

The engine is part of the TNGA family of powerplants, which also include 2.0- and 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline four-cylinder engines and a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 unit. 

The engine also has a variant that is optimized for hybrid powertrains, a pillar of Toyota's emissions-compliance strategy, a team of Toyota engineers said in a presentation at the annual Vienna Motor Symposium.
 
The engine will also appear in the coming Yaris Cross SUV, where it will make 116 hp in hybrid form. 
 
The aim for the new engine was to achieve a dynamic and responsive feeling from low speeds while still meeting emissions requirements, the Toyota engineers said.

The new engine, in conventional powertrains, improves 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) performance by 5 percent and has 6.3 percent better fuel consumption than the current version. The hybrid configuration offers 15 percent better 0 to 100 kph performance and 20 percent better fuel consumption, according to the Toyota engineers.