Toyota says it wants its next-generation four-cylinder powertrains to be like the legendary 2JZ engine as it prepares to enhance its lineup of ICE-powered powertrains to help it adjust to changing market trends.
Toyota has been turning up the heat when it comes to the types of partnerships it’s willing to enter with other automakers to create new products and powertrains. While the Japanese auto giant’s existing partnerships with BMW and Subaru have already produced production vehicles, a recently announced triple alliance with existing partner Subaru and Mazda has the potential to vastly expand what it can bring to the table in the development of fuel-efficient powertrains.
Toyota is so confident in fact, it thinks the new engine will be talked about in the same vein as the legendary 2JZ four-cylinder engine of the 1990s with a Toyota engineer seemingly confirming that the company was shooting for that lofty benchmark when it began development on the new four-cylinder powertrain.
Toyota brings up an icon from its past
This claim was made by a Toyota engineer during a recent event where all three of the new engines were unveiled which was reported by the Japanese publication Karuma News. The partnership between the three companies will see them develop a new family of carbon neutral engines with each firm being allowed to go at it in their own distinct way. In the case of Toyota it’s developing three four-cylinder engines with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine and its turbocharged counterpart being the smallest while a bigger 2.0-liter engine will focus on performance applications.
The engineer in question reportedly said “Toyota has a globally popular engine called the “2JZ engine.” I would like to aim for an engine that surpasses that.” This statement seems to indicate that the engineering team has a lofty target with the 2JZ engine being one of the most iconic engines of the 1990s. While it’s better known for its applications in the A80-era Toyota Supra, the engine also had underrated cameos in the Lexus IS 300 and the GS 300 and rapidly emerged as a favorite powertrain of choice for enthusiasts looking to tune their cars to deliver maximum performance. If these new generation engines can replicate some of this appeal and be flexible enough to satiate the needs of tuners, the company might succeed in achieving that milestone.
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Toyota continues to be an outlier in the race towards electrification
This latest partnership is a continuing reminder of Toyota’s unique stance when it comes to electrification. Unlike some of its rivals which had a more aggressive stance on making their vehicles all-electric, Toyota chose to instead put the bulk of its efforts on expanding its presence in the hybrid vehicle market with the company also putting a strong focus on maintaining a healthy lineup of ICE-powered entries to allow customers to continue having a wide variety of choice in their vehicle purchase.
The company has also made progress on its lineup of EVs but is taking a more calculated approach to the segment which has allowed Toyota to rapidly adjust to changing market conditions with demand and sales for EVs recently beginning to cool off. This is in contrast to some of its rivals which have been forced to noticeably pivot and alter their own plans for adopting all-electric lineups to respond to shifting market trends and the change in customer demand and reception towards EVs.
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