Toyota Verso: first BMW diesel-powered vehicle announced

The addition of the four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine to the Verso (pictured bottom) range is the first step in the mid- to long-term collaboration between Toyota and the BMW Group on next-generation efficient technologies announced in December 2011.

The 1.6-litre unit produces 83kW of power at 4000rpm and 270Nm of torque between 1750-2250rpm and claims average CO₂ emissions of 119 grams per kilometre – translating to combined cycle fuel consumption of approximately 4.5 litres per 100km.

The Austrian-built diesel engine is already available in the Mini Cooper D sold locally, as well as the entry-level BMW 116d hatchback in overseas markets.

The introduction of BMW-sourced diesel engines to its passenger cars addresses a key weakness of Toyota, particularly in Europe, where diesel-powered vehicles account for more than half of the market.

The 1.6-litre engine is set to be joined by a larger and more powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel unit in Toyota’s future passenger car range, with vehicles like the top-selling Corolla small car and mid-sized Camry tipped to benefit from the engine sharing deal.

Toyota Australia has previously confirmed it would import models such as the Corolla and Camry powered by BMW diesel engines if they were made available to the local market.

Toyota Australia currently only offers diesel engines in its RAV4, Prado, LandCruiser and HiLux models.

On top of sharing diesel engines, the partnership between Toyota and BMW will also see the two companies co-develop a hydrogen fuel cell system, jointly develop a new sports car platform, work together on creating new lightweight vehicle body technologies, and undertake joint research into lithium-air batteries.

Production of the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D will begin in January at the brand’s manufacturing plant in Adapazari, Turkey, alongside the rest of the Verso range.