Toyota promises its next-generation 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will help change the game for performance while also opening up avenues of development.
When Toyota announced it entered a three-way partnership with Mazda and Subaru to develop a new family of engines, fuel economy and performance were the two top priorities in the project with each firm being allowed to go at it their own distinct way. Toyota chose to build traditional four-cylinder engines and the new family was supposed to be the best of both worlds.
However, not much was known about their full potential, but a new report appears to clear the air on some of these questions and the new engines could have the potential to deliver strong performance and that might be good news for fans of the GR brand in particular.
Engine shows its flexibility in Yaris
The beefier 2.0-liter was last seen in this mid-engined GR Yaris tester at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.
The new engine made its appearance at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon but this time it was mounted in a mid-engined Yaris test mule in a strong display of how flexible the engine was when it came to certain applications. Toyota didn’t reveal specific information outright at the show, but a report from CarWatch appears to shine a new light on what it’s capable of. The publication had the opportunity to interview Hiroki Nakajima who claimed the new engine would be a “game changer” while also claiming that engineers wanted the new engine to produce 400 PS in its most potent form which would roughly translate to 394 hp in traditional measurements.
Nakajima also hinted that the engine has room for even more power when pushed on the subject by a reporter hinting that Toyota might have a few cards up its sleeve when it comes to some of the secrets that still lurk deep inside the engine. Lesser versions of the engine are planned but its ability to be mounted both longitudinally and transversely hint at the impressive amount of flexibility that’s also baked into its construction too.
More Toyota Stories
- Toyota Highlander Set to Go All-Electric as Toyota Ramps Up EV Plans
- Toyota Announces Steep Discounts For 2025 bZ4X
- Q&A: Toyota Brand Boss David Christ Talks the Future of Hybrids, Plug-Ins and BEVs
What’s next?
The in-house engine could help Toyota solve some immediate problems including a potential loss of engines from BMW for the Supra if the Z4 is discontinued.
In addition to the fiery 2.0-liter it’s cooking up, Toyota is also making a smaller 1.5 liter four-cylinder. Unlike the 2.0-liter, this engine is meant to be put into more mainstream vehicle offerings and can fit in certain models where the 2.0-liter would be too big or impractical to use. This helps improve fuel economy and also allows Toyota the opportunity to potentially bring back other sports car marques with the smaller engine allowing them to appeal to a wider dragnet of consumers.
With both of these engines, Toyota is attempting to create a potent one-two punch for its future models. One such candidate would be the next-generation Supra. The firm confirmed recently that the Supra name would be sticking around, but with its platform companion the BMW Z4 ending production, Toyota might find itself cut off from BMW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. An in-house solution would allow Toyota to prepare for this eventuality while also delivering more performance than ever before.
0 Comments