Toyota Shifting To Mainstream Technologies To Advance Fuel Economy

Hmm isn't direct injection about 10 years old technology? It just amazes me how far the previous management let the brand drop as far as technology goes. In the 80's Toyota was leading edge, and now they are just starting to adopt 10 year old technology just to keep up.

At least for now the leadership is in place to make the much needed changes.

Fascinating, thank you for the VW history lesson...the point of it being?...

Wow, that's really nice that VW had this years ago, thanks again for the history lesson. We can all now breath a sigh of relief that VW did this before Toyota. Thanks Turbo!

Toyota has been using direct injection for at least the last 6 or 7 years, just not in all models. It hasnt until recently been very cost effective for the small gains in horspeower/efficiency to use this in lower priced cars. And their VVTi technology was already a huge leap in power/efficiency. Toyota also pioneered the 8 speed automatic (which y'all thought was ridiculous at the time, but now is pretty standard). Again, they have to ask what is the cost effectiveness for replacing all gearboxes? How much gain would they have gotten with a more expensive unit rpelacing the Corolla's 4 speed?

It's so easy to just sit back and say every Corolla should have a DI turbo 4 with 6 speed dual clutch. How many people are gonna buy that car?

Meanwhile Toyota did not abandon these technologies (well maybe turbos which they were never big into to begin with), but have been focused in other advanced tech areas (hybrids, plug-ins, EVs) the past few years. With advances there, they can go back to refining some of the more pedestrian areas of engine development.

009, Toyota had D4 - its gasoline direct injection system back in 1998.

http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_directinjection_coming_masses/

Direct injection has been around since 1925 and was popularized by Mercedes-Benz in the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL!

On that not I think real advancements in fuel economy will be in the likes of Diesotto engines now heavily being developed by MB.

Funny ... when I think of overall reliability and long term owner experience VW is not a brand that comes to mind ...

Toyota has been a top name if not a winner over the last 10 years of awards related to fuel efficiency throughout their lineup.

The 2GRFE V6 3.5 engine Toyota uses is also highly praised and Lotus used it on the EVORA saying it's one of the best engineered pieces they've ever seen.

LOL, love the selective copying and pasting, keep it up Turbo!

LOL, yes that's exactly like how I am. And you remind me of David Duke, who we all know is your hero, congratulations!

Open your consumer report magazine for this year SCION of all brands reliability score is 52% ABOVE AVERAGE ON ALL MODELS at number 1

Volkswagen is 17th with some cars at -80% UNDER AVERAGE Audi scored the LOWEST with some cars at - 140% !!!

Chrysler is DEAD LAST

Turbo...be afraid...very afraid! ;)

Yup, blame immigrants and minorities...just like Hitler did. Your interpretation of history is laughable at best. When you look at ALL facts, things will appear differently, but that's not your thing.

It's not that Toyots don't have or don't do or didn't do turbo engines or direct injection engines... Their diesel is a Turbo an their old supras were turbo.. It's a case of them taking it more across the board, their range of csrs.

How about bringing in those 75 MPG diesels they're getting in Europe?

stop it, you make too much sense

As far as the DSG transmission is concerned someone should go check how many '' DSG Mystery problem '' threads on the VWvortex forum, they've had a few recalls/tech bulletins out on it since 2009 so I wouldn't brand it a success the way some have here.

When it comes to cars, we all love innovation, but VW has been time after time after time the brand that fails at delivering inovation and reliability together.

Let's face it, the happiest VW owners have a TDI with an old school manual transmission