Toyota Plans A "Family" Of BMW Engines For Europe To Offset Sluggish Hybrid Sales

Toyota is best known for its commitment to hybrid cars, but Auto Express has learned that the company has agreed a deal with BMW to use  "a whole family of transverse diesel engines" on various different platforms.

The first model to emerge from this partnership is the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D, which uses the same 109bhp engine as the MINI Cooper D to help cut its CO2 emissions without affecting performance. However on the launch of the new Verso, Vice President for European R&D Gerald Killmann confirmed that Toyota was already developing other models in the range to use this engine, including the Auris hatch and estate, and the RAV4 crossover.

When asked how extensive this deal for engines was, Killlmann told us that "several platforms" has already been agreed, which opens up the possibility of several more BMW-powered cars, and could mean that a large 2.0-litre diesel is also on the agenda. These engines are set to gradually replace the current models in the range, and will help boost sales for the brand in Europe, where buyers are still skeptical about the benefits of petrol hybrids.

quizz - 2/20/2014 1:02:22 PM

+1 Boost

Article not so clear, soooo... is BMW buying Toyota engines for its "mainstream" models due to the desire for reliability in this target market, or is Toyota sourcing BMW engines? I certainly hope it's the former, because the latter would make no sense whatsoever.

wac77 - 2/20/2014 10:27:51 PM

+1 Boost

What's not so clear? Toyota will use BMW diesel engines in multiple models in Europe. Their idea of fighting diesel powered competitors with hybrids is just not working in Europe.

MrEE - 2/21/2014 6:42:45 AM

+1 Boost

This isn't really new, it was announced last year when the partnership was announced. Seems to be for the European market where diesels hold a large market share. Future is still hybrids, Europe is just slow to see the benefits.