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Lexus Shares Details on Future Engines

Posted by Kevin on October 15th, 2013

Koei Saga, the Toyota senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain research & development, shared some details with Automotive News on the company’s future engine plans:

…Lexus recently trademarked “NX 2.0T” for a two-liter turbo version of its upcoming Lexus compact crossover [but] Saga is not convinced that Toyota will emphasize turbocharging across many product lines.

Saga believes that “upsizing” the displacement of engines, and running them on the more efficient Atkinson cycle of fuel combustion — used in Toyota’s hybrid system — may deliver better power gains without sacrificing fuel economy.

While a larger displacement Atkinson cycle engine may offer less top-end horsepower than a traditional Otto internal combustion engine, its increased thermal efficiency allows for strong acceleration and better fuel economy, Saga said.

A 2L turbo has a number of wide-ranging applications and makes for a good starting point, but it’s the engines with increased displacement and the Atkinson cycle that makes for the bigger surprise — going to be interesting to watch Toyota run counter to the industry trend of relying on turbocharging.

[Source: Automotive News] (subscription required)

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Comments
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    Yong Thian Ding
  • October 15, 2013
On country that didn't have tax against engine displacement , sure bigger displacement is better for heavier car ... I still wish on day , there's IS 200t F-Sport , I wonder if it would be just my dream .
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    Lasse J. Nordvik
  • October 15, 2013
I think it's very wise to not focus on a single engine technology. Different types of engine suit different vehicles and markets.
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    F1orce
  • October 15, 2013
One big disadvantage of the Arkinson Cycle is that they produce much less power and torque. Sure you can have bigger displacement Atkinson cycle consuming the same amount of fuel as say a smaller Otto engine. But your making less power and torque. Atkinson engines are good for Hybrids because their sole purpose in the Hybrid is to act as a power generator to charge the battery. While allowing less consumption of fuel.
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      Kain
    • October 16, 2013
    i think you should check your knowledge about the hybrid system again...
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      3pipes
    • October 16, 2013
    sure hybrids produce less power and torque(at least on paper), but its also important to note that they instantly produce torque. I think its a good move for Toyota. Other markets require higher taxes to smaller displacement engine and also the bigger the displacement, the lesser the stress the engine has to suffer resulting to better reliability and it can accommodate various modifications from tuning companies.
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      F1orce
    • October 16, 2013
    I was not arguing Hybrids. I was just arguing Lexus's decision in using Atkinson Cycle engines as the main driver for their cars.
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      emptystreets130
    • October 16, 2013
    An Atkinson Cycle sole purpose is NOT to charge the battery. It still operates like any engine on the road. And not all Hybrid are Atkinson Cycle. Lexus still has some Otto cycle Hybrid vehicle like the RXh, the LSh and the 3rd gen GS. The Hybrid system is to help supplement the engine in providing power to the wheels or power to the accessories.
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      F1orce
    • October 16, 2013
    I know the Atkinson engine also drives the wheels. But this article states that Toyota is considering using Atkinson cycle engines alone for their cars! Which is not a good move at all because Atkinson Cycle engines are weak and particularly torque deficient. In the Hybrid cars the electric motor has to assist as the electric motor produces much more torque than what the Atkinson engine ever could.
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      rsxterminator
    • October 17, 2013
    did you miss the part about engine upsizing? for instance the 204hp 185 ft lbs 2.5L V6 can be replaced with the 3.5L V6 atkinson that makes 286 hp and 254 ft lbs. i dont know if the 3.5L will have better mpg than the 2.5L, but im sure it can be tuned for less power and better mpg. the inherent narrow powerband of the atkinson cycle can also be partially offset with 8-9 speed trannies, or dare i say, a CVT...
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    3pipes
  • October 16, 2013
I believe its a no-brainer statement from Toyota. They know their business and if their soon to be released 2-liter-turbo equipped vehicles comes flying off their showrooms, there's no reason for them not to focus on turbocharging. They are currently the king of hybrids and if they can produce a better turbocharged engine(I know they can), it will provide better product flexibility and they will be able to meet various demands from different markets.
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      F1orce
    • October 16, 2013
    I think the winning formulae at Toyota is diversification regarding their drivetrains. Their current GR V6 engines are excellent. It's just that right now there is a trend with downsized turbo engines. This new trend is extremely overrated IMO. Generally speaking you get less MPG, less reliability and increases maintain ends requirements. I mean if you have a choice between a Turbo 2.0t or a 3.5L V6 than I'd say the V6 would be the much smarter choice.
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    leopard08
  • October 16, 2013
If toyota make the turbo by water system work. i bet ya the competition will have some catching up to do
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    BlackDynamiteOnline
  • October 17, 2013
Toyota obviously has a great history of turbocharging, going back to the Celica All-Trac in 1990, and the legendary Supra Turbo from 1993-1998. If they say turbocharging isn't a cure all, I'm sure they've gone over the technology with a fine tooth comb, and see a more logical solution for the real world..... (Hybrids aren't a cure all either, BTW) BD

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