Toyota reveals new 'Dynamic Force' powertrains

It's not every day the world's largest car-maker introduces a new range of powertrains, but Toyota has announced exactly that this week with the reveal of new 'Dynamic Force' engines, transmissions and hybrid drive systems.

Designed for use with its latest TNGA (Toyota Next Generation Architecture) platform – meaning they're unlikely to power Toyota's top-selling HiLux and LandCruiser models – they will begin to emerge in production cars from next year.

Indeed, Toyota says it plans to introduce 17 variations of nine engines, 10 versions of four transmissions and 10 versions of six hybrid systems between 2017 and 2021.

By that time at least 60 per cent of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold annually in Japan, Europe, China and the US will employ them, "reducing CO2 emissions in those markets by 15 percent or more", claims Toyota.

The next cab off the TNGA rank will be Toyota's redesigned Camry, which has been confirmed to debut at the Detroit motor show in January, and is likely to be imported here from Thailand after the Japanese car-maker closes its Australian manufacturing operations late next year.

Toyota is claiming the powertrains will bring "approximately 10 percent better power performance and approximately 20 percent better fuel economy", thanks to greater thermal efficiency and reductions in energy loses from internal friction and exhaust and cooling systems.

So far just one engine (a direct-injection 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder), two transmissions and three hybrid systems have been revealed, but all are claimed to allow lower bonnet heights and lower centres of gravity thanks in part to the TNGA platform.

The new 2.5-litre four, which is likely to debut Down Under in the 2018 Camry, is claimed to have a thermal efficiency of 40 per cent (and up to 41 per cent when employed in a petrol-electric hybrid system, presumable in Atkinson-cycle form), which Toyota says makes it among the world's most energy-efficient engines.

Toyota has also promised an upgraded 2.5-litre hybrid system and a new "high-performance" Multistage THS II for rear-wheel drive vehicles.

"THS II for 2.5-liter engines excels in both power and fuel-economy performance due to the synergistic effect of size-reducing, weight-reducing and loss-reducing technologies coupled with the high thermal efficiency and output of a new TNGA-based engine," said Toyota.

"Multistage THS II gives hybrid vehicles an all-new driving image with its start-from-stop acceleration performance and abundant direct feel. In addition to improving system efficiency at high speeds, intermittent use of the engine at high speeds has also been made possible, further improving high-speed fuel economy."

Toyota's plug-in hybrid tech – so far unavailable in Australia – will also come in for improvement, via a new dual-mode drive system that allows the electric motor -- which was hitherto used only as a generator -- to provide direct drive, "resulting in powerful driving, even when in EV mode", said Toyota.

The upgraded PHEV system will be augmented by a large-capacity lithium-ion battery that's claimed to increase EV-mode driving range to 60km or more.

Finally, matching the world's most advanced automatic transmissions available today – at least in term of number of ratios – Toyota also revealed two new 'direct-shift' autos: an eight-speed for front-wheel drive cars and a 10-speed for rear-drive vehicles.

Both gearboxes are said to be lighter and more compact that the ones they will replace, with the 10-speed claimed to maintain a smooth shift feel despite delivering shift times among the world's quickest.

Toyota says both units also bring advances in energy loss – thanks to smoother gear tooth surfaces and optimised clutch friction material – and efficiency due to wider gear ratios and a broader lock-up range.