Toyota commences building strong hybrid engines in India

According to Team-Bhp, Toyota has started building strong hybrid engines in India. The new engines are expected to be used for the upcoming mid-size SUV that Toyota is co-developing with Maruti Suzuki.

The engines have a displacement of 1.5-litres and 2.0-litres. Right now, only a couple of engines are being made at the facility. The new engines are being tested and being optimized. As of now, it is not clear which engine will make its way to the new mid-size SUV. Having said that, the new engines could also be used for the new generation of Toyota Innova Crysta.

The strong hybrid system is better than the mild-hybrid system that Maruti Suzuki is currently using. It is called SHVS. The strong hybrid system could be similar to the one found on the Toyota Camry. It would have a large enough battery that would be able to drive the car on electric power alone.

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This helps in taking off the load from the engine and increasing fuel efficiency. The system would also be able to provide torque assist at lower speeds so the engine won’t have to work hard. The current mild-hybrid system of Maruti Suzuki cannot drive the vehicle alone on electric power but it does come with an integrated starter generator and idle engine start/stop.

New upcoming mid-size SUV

Toyota and Maruti Suzuki will sell their own versions of the mid-size SUV. It will no longer be a simple rebadged vehicle like Toyota currently does with the Urban Cruiser and the Glanza.

Maruti Suzuki is calling their version of the SUV, YFG whereas Toyota has codenamed their version D22. The SUVs are expected to be launched during the festive season of this year.

Currently, the Glanza and the Urban Cruiser are made by Maruti Suzuki and then sold by Toyota. However, this will change with the upcoming SUV. Both the SUVs will be built at Toyota’s manufacturing facility in Karnataka and then Maruti Suzuki will sell their version through their dealerships.

The new SUVs would be based on Toyota’s DNGA platform. The platform was specifically made to underpin vehicles that will be sold in developing markets. The platform is already being used by Daihatsu and Toyota for some vehicles that are currently being sold in foreign markets.

The new mid-size SUVs are the most important new launch from both manufacturers. Maruti Suzuki has tried to breach the mid-size SUV segment with the S-Cross but they were not successful. The YFG and D22 could be able to make a significant impact in the mid-size SUV because of their hybrid power plant. We would have to wait for the launch of both the vehicles.

The mid-size SUV segment is very competitive. The rivals are known for their long feature list. Fortunately, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota will also have a good feature list this time. They have a new 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 360-degree parking camera. Both of which we have already seen on the recently launched Baleno. The D22 and YFG would also come with cruise control, multi-function steering wheel, multi-information display, automatic climate control, keyless entry and much more.

Via Team-Bhp

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