Toyota Corolla to get BMW diesel power: report
Toyota’s high-selling Corolla hatchback is set to boost its popularity in Europe and possibly Australia with the introduction of a variant powered by a BMW turbo diesel engine.
UK car magazine Autocar is reporting that Toyota insiders have revealed the next-generation Auris – the European badge for the Corolla – due about 2014 will be one of the cars to benefit from the recent technology-share agreement between the Japanese car maker and BMW.
BMW is to provide Toyota with 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesels in return for a joint effort on lithium-ion battery development.
It’s believed Toyota will not share its hybrid know-how with BMW, while the diesel engines will not be permitted for use in Lexus models.
It’s likely the next Corolla would get the 1.6-litre BMW diesel that is used in the likes of the Mini Cooper D models and smaller or entry-level BMWs.
The 1.6L produces 82kW of power and 270Nm of torque. While it's 18kW short of the 100kW provided by the current Corolla’s 1.8-litre petrol engine, its significant amount of extra pulling power (plus 95Nm) should guarantee better driveability.
The diesel also delivers official fuel consumption of 3.8L/100km in the Mini Cooper hatchback compared to the Corolla’s 7.3 (both manual gearboxes).
Toyota Australia has already told CarAdvice that it would import diesel-powered versions of the Corolla and Camry if they became available for the local market.