In late May, Toyota announced that they will be introducing a new family of four-cylinder gasoline engines with 1.5- and 2.0-liter displacements. These engines are designed to be more compact, lighter, and more powerful while also delivering better fuel economy. The smaller 1.5-liter engine will be available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions, while the larger 2.0-liter engine is being developed with forced induction.
A recent video posted on the Toyota Times magazine’s official YouTube channel gives us a glimpse of the new engines in action. The video features a stripped-down prototype vehicle, which appears to be a Lexus IS, being tested at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. The sound of the new four-cylinder engine is impressive, and it seems like it would be a great fit for a sports car.
The man behind the wheel of the prototype is Takashi Uehara, who is leading the engine development team at Toyota. The video shows him using paddle shifters to change gears, hinting at the possibility of a manual transmission option in future production cars. The engine is still in the development phase, and there is a lot of measurement hardware visible inside the vehicle.
According to Uehara, the new engine is mounted further back in the vehicle, which lowers the center of gravity and reduces vibrations in the cabin. He describes it as a “totally new engine” that is being developed for car enthusiasts who are looking for something extra. This suggests that the engine will likely power a performance car in the future, although it is not confirmed which model it will be used in.
The 1.5-liter engine is set to replace the current three-cylinder engine found in many Toyota models. It will be 10 percent smaller in volume, height, and weight, which will allow for more flexibility in vehicle design. The turbocharged version of the 1.5-liter engine will be even smaller and lighter, with a goal of improving efficiency by up to 30 percent.
Similarly, the 2.0-liter turbo engine will be 10 percent smaller and lighter than the current 2.4-liter engine. Toyota promises extra power and a 30-percent increase in fuel economy with this engine. Both the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines are being developed with electrification in mind, although there is no official timeline for when they will be available in production cars.
While it is unclear when the new engines will be ready for production vehicles, a report from The Financial Times suggests that the first cars equipped with these engines may arrive as early as late 2026. Toyota’s focus on developing more efficient, powerful, and technologically advanced engines demonstrates their commitment to innovation in the automotive industry.