Car Design News: New Toyota Auris: In Depth

4: Powertrains (Diesel)

Powertrains: 5 engines,3 transmissions

Wide choice of engines and transmissions
Low noise, low fuel consumption
Power matched for engaging driving pleasure
Gear Shift Indicator technology for better fuel economy

Auris will appeal to a broad range of customers attracted by its style, spacious design and superior quality. Above all, they will be expecting excellent driving performance.

Yoshihiko Kanamori, Auris chief engineer, notes: â€œDriving performance that does not match the exterior and interior image is a betrayal to the customer who has high expectations from the visual appeal. I am confident all models of Auris will provide engaging driving pleasure.â€�'

A wide choice of engines helped the engineers overcome the challenge of offering engaging driving pleasure while still meeting the vital customer needs of low running costsand low fuel consumption. These engines, which offer innovative and technically advanced solutions to customer demand, fully complement the new platform on which Auris has been developed.

The line-up includes an all-new 1.6-litre petrol and the latest developments of the Clean Power D-4D diesel range. There is also a choice of three transmissions, matched to suit the driving characteristics of particular power units.

Full diesel engine line-up

High performance D-4D 180 Clean Power heads line-up
New D-4D 125 to become core of range

With 52% of C-segment sales now being taken by diesel power, Auris has a full line-up to cover all sectors of the market and customer needs. At the heart of these D-4D engines are the same common objectives: performance, fuel economy, reduced emissions and quietness.

These objectives are achieved by combining the latest advances in Toyotadiesel engine technology including third generation common-rail injection, all-aluminium construction and low compression ratios.

Flagship of the range is the 2.2-litre D-4D 180 Clean Power Diesel, an innovative engine that has already made its mark in the Toyota Avensis, Corolla Verso and new RAV4. Equipped with ToyotaD-CAT technology, itâ€™s advanced exhaust gas cleaning system reducesharmful emissions and particulates to make it one of the cleanest diesel engines on the market today.

Most crucially, and unlike many other particular filtersfound on the market, ToyotaD-CAT is maintenance-free and doesnâ€™t require any component replacement over the lifetime of the vehicle.

The D-4D180 Clean Power puts Auris among the most powerful diesel cars in the C-segment and allows it to fully express its sporting characteristics. It develops 130 kW (177 hp DIN) at 3,600 rpm and a massive 400 Nm of torque across a wide range from 2,000 to 2,600 rpm â€“ensuring Auris has excellent pulling power under all driving conditions.

Indeed, this Auris D-4D 180 offers sports car performance and top level driving pleasure. A maximum speed of 210 km/h and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 8.1 seconds sounds really exciting. And, on the open road, in-gear acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h takes just 8.4 seconds.

The light weight and smooth running, with minimal vibration and harshness, of the D-4D180 makes it an ideal power unit for the high performance Auris. At 15.8:1, the D-4D 180 boaststhe worldâ€™s lowest compression ratio among production diesel engines offering a new landmark of diesel refinement.

The D-4D180 Clean Power engine features piezo-electric injector technology which allows faster and more accurate fuel injection during the combustion cycle. Running up to pressures of 1,800 bar, the Toyota piezo-electric common-rail system can deliver up to five fuel injection strokes per injection cycle resulting in greater efficiency and reduced engine noise due to lower combustion impact.

The engine has also been equipped with ceramic glow plugs. Their ability to withstand much higher temperaturesallows the Toyota ceramic glow plug to reach the ideal temperature quicker than conventional metallic units. This leads - alongside better plug durability - to quicker cold starts at low temperature and reducesharmful emissions after start-up significantly.

At the core of the Auris diesel range will be the 2.0-litre D-4D. This new engine is an important development in the evolution of the new generation of Toyota diesel engines and shares much of the advanced technology of the 2.2-litre D-4Dunits from which it has been derived.

Like the D-4D180, the two litre version deliversexcellent power and fuel economy to satisfy customer demand for refined driving performance. Maximum power is 93 kW (126 hp DIN) at 3,600rpm and maximum torque is 300 Nm across 1,800 to 2,400 rpm when equipped with DPF(CCo: 300 Nm within the 2,000-2,800 range). In real world driving the D-4D 125 is powerful and smooth, offering an excellent balance of lively performance and low fuel consumption.

The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) -version of the new D-4D125 engine is offered for all European countries where incentives are in place for low particulate emissions. Other countries may wish to adopt the D-4D125 with an oxidation catalytic converter (CCo).

Typical performance figures for the Auris D-4D125 reveal a top speed of 195 km/h and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 10.3 seconds. Yet this sparkling performance is achieved with excellent fuel consumption, recording 5.7 l/100km on the combined European cycle when equipped with DPF(CCo: 5.4 l/1 00km).

The D-4D 125 is also an important development in the Toyota Clean Power strategy to reduce harmful emissions. For selected European markets, Auris D-4D 125 will be available with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) which not only purifies hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) like conventional catalysts but also enable simultaneous reduction of particulate matter. The Toyota-DPFsystem is â€˜self-cleaningâ€™and requires no long term maintenance.

As with the D-4D 180, one of the key features of the engine is the low compression ratio of 16.8:1. The D-4D 125 uses the latest generation, high pressure common rail diesel system which operates at 1,700 bar.

In addition injectors with small diameter injection nozzles are used. The combination of higher injection pressure and smaller dropletsimprove the mix of air and fuel, allowing for reduced smoke and better combustion.

Engine performance is further boosted with a high performance variable nozzle turbocharger (VN Turbo) and an increased efficiency intercooler.

The 1.4-litre diesel completes the Auris diesel engine line-up, creating a version that is ideal for city driving, yet economical on the open road. The engine has an excellent flat torque curve with a maximum 190 Nm from 1,800 rpm to 3,000 rpm and develops maximum power of 66 kW (90 hp DIN) at 3,800 rpm. This engine is remarkably economical with fuel consumption of 5.0 l/100km. This engine also offersâ€“as a first in industry â€“a catalytic converter inside the EGR recirculation cooling system for optimised emission control.

Performance for the Auris D-4D 90 is a top speed of 175 km/h and acceleration (with five speed manual gearbox) to 100 km/h in 12.0 seconds.