“Toyota’s 1-litre three-cylinder is clearly the best in its class. Fleet drivers tell me that this engine is indestructible!” Robert Bielecki, motoring journalist
This time last year, Toyota won the sub-litre category by only nine points. But some things just get better with time, and that’s definitely the case with the Japanese OEM’s three-cylinder unit, which romped home to win its class by more than 100 points over the second placed Smart diesel engine. Such an achievement means Toyota has won the sub 1-litre award for the last three years – making the Aichi-headquartered company the leader in small powertrain development.
Explaining why so many judges backed Toyota’s urban heart yet again, Christophe Congrega from L’Automobile Magazine in France said, “This three-cylinder has all the punch and torque to make city driving fun. But at the same time, its fuel consumption and emissions are incredibly low.”
Weighing in at just 67kg – which makes it one of the lightest automotive engines ever to be developed – the compact 993cc unit has been installed in a range of vehicles from four different car makers. Weight-saving technologies applied include an all-aluminium construction, an extra-small cylinder bore-to-bore distance and the innovative use of a resin throttle body and fuel delivery pipe. Marking a first for Toyota was the approach to the intake system and engine cover, which for the three-cylinder powertrain is integrated into a single, compact design.
As a result, in a typical Toyota Aygo model, the eco-friendly three-cylinder ensures an ultra-efficient fuel consumption rating of 4 litres/100km (62mpg), while emitting a mere 109g/km of CO2. But the need to be green in an urban environment has been coupled with impressive performance. Its advanced variable valve timing system optimises timing to deliver 67bhp. As a result, the engine has speedy acceleration – a must for city cars. The 93Nm of torque that comes good at 3,600rpm is particularly helpful when needing to accelerate in urban areas.
Results
1. Toyota 1-litre three-cylinder (Aygo, IQ, Yaris/Vitz, Citro?n C1, Peugeot 107, Subaru Justy) 318
2. Smart Diesel 799cc (Smart Fortwo) 216
3. Mitsubishi 999cc turbo (Smart Fortwo) 214
4. Opel 1-litre three-cylinder twinport (Opel Agila, Corsa, Suzuki Splash) 149
5. Mitsubishi 999cc three-cylinder (Smart Fortwo) 82
6. Kia 1-litre four-cylinder (Picanto) 73
