Toyota's New Four-Cylinder Engine

Buried deep in the Toyota Venza's press materials was news of a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine Toyota calls "all-new." Toyota remained mum on details, but automotive forecaster CSM Worldwide puts the engine's output at 188 hp. Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said Tuesday that because the Venza shares components with the Camry sedan and Highlander SUV, the engine would likely find its way into both vehicles down the road. Kwong wouldn't confirm CSM's numbers.

If the figures prove accurate, it would be a substantial gain over Toyota's existing 157-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Given the engine's size, we figure torque — the stuff you feel when pulling away from a stoplight — would increase similarly. That should prove handy in the Highlander, as the prospect of a 2.4-liter engine in an SUV that size doesn’t bode well for highway passing. Presumably it would also yield better gas mileage than the Highlander's 18/24 mpg city/highway (2WD).

But what would it do to the Camry's mileage? Larger engines traditionally mean lower mileage, but Toyota promises "excellent fuel efficiency" with the engine when paired with a six-speed automatic in the Venza. (The Venza also has a V-6, but mileage figures for either engine have yet to be published.) The current four-cylinder Camry has a five-speed automatic and gets 21/31 mpg city/highway. If the larger engine can manage similar numbers and top the archrival Honda Accord for outright oomph — right now the four-cylinder Accord feels a bit gutsier — it could go a long way to boost the Camry's appeal.

Comments

[J]

So no words on the torque yet?

Honda's 2.4L still makes 190hp at a whining high RPM.

[Al]

If the new 2.7 liter 4 is anything like the "newish" 3.5 liter V6, then it won't be quiet and silky smooth like Toyota's engines of old. The new V6 is rough, heavy on gas and sounds like a diesel.
Give me a Honda or even a Hyundai any day.

[Infosaur]

2.7 is HUGE for a four pot!

That's almost 3/4 liter per cylinder!

It equal to half a 5.4L V-8.

Almost 350ci territory.

Toyota promised to come with some new engine technology, wich should improve gas mileage by 15%.

[Tony]

For Toyota, 2.7L is not news. They had it already in their pickup trucks.
Basically, they blew some dust from the old books, added new features and here we go.
Also. Somewhere around the world they have bunch of engines we don't even know about. They have diesels as well. May be it is just one of those engines, new for us but old for everyone else?

[navy770]

the 3.5 has better mpg then the old 3
so the 2.7 should have better mpg then the 2.4.

[LM]

Putting a 4-cyl in the Highlander makes no sense whatsoever. They already have a 4-cyl/V6 5 or 7 passenger car-based SUV - it's called the RAV4. Building a 4-cyl Highlander and lowering the price into the mid-20s is called cannibalism.

My guess is Toyota's goal in all this was to move the Highlander solidly into the $30-40k range (with it's sister the RX in the $40-50k range) and leave the RAV4 in the 20-30k range. What they might do is put the new 2.7 in the RAV4 and perhaps in 2010 or 11 in the Corolla/Matrix XRS.

Perhaps the Venza is intended to cover the $25-35k crossover range for people who want a larger vehicle than a Camry but aren't sold on the toyishness of the RAV4 and can't afford a Highlander.

[J]

Pretty soon we'll see 3 liter 4 cylinder engines again

[George]

The 2gr-fe (toyota's 3.5 V6) gets exceptional mileage, assuming you put the correct fuel in it.
It takes European mid-grade, 95RON, so use US mid-grade at the minimum.

[trainer]

With that big a four cylinder, I hope they balance it well, or even put in balance shafts. Mitsubishi made a 2.6 liter four in the 1980s that had two balance shafts in the block spinning at twice the crankshaft speed and the engine was as smooth as a six. Porsche used the same type of technology for it's 3-liter four they put in the 944.

[Geoff]

To the person who commented on the new V6 in the Camry's and other vehicles, I must admit the engine is a bit loud, but it is not heavy on gas (compared to the 2.4L), and only get 1-2MPG worse according to the EPA, and produces 111HP more.

[Jim]

When they come out with a Hybrid Venza then people will be buying this incredible "RX Lexus-Like" vehicle because gas is getting EXPENSIVE !

[Jim]

When they come out with a Hybrid Venza then people will be buying this incredible "RX Lexus-Like" vehicle because gas is getting EXPENSIVE !