Test drive Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D: the heart of a European

We present to you the first model of a Japanese company equipped with a motorcycle with a Bavarian start.

There is definitely logic in Toyota's decision to start supplying diesel units from BMW - the Japanese manufacturer intends to focus its efforts on improving its traditional strengths, such as the development of gasoline and hybrid technologies, and diesels will rely on one of the proven leaders in this area. However, as a general rule in Japanese, the first step in a new endeavor is small, elaborate, and not at all confident. The role of the pioneer of diesel cooperation between BMW and Toyota fell to the well-known seven-seat Verso family model, under the hood of which a 1,6-liter self-igniting engine with 112 hp was recently found. and 270 Nm inherited a two-liter unit with 124 hp. Japanese. It's safe to imagine a more impressive debut of the Bavarian powertrains in Toyota's European lineup (in fact, the design roots of the engine in question can be found in the French concern PSA), but apparently both sides preferred to take their time and touch the ground before the joint activity. boil in full force.

Despite its lower power rating, the Toyota Verso appears to be more agile than before.

In fact, the relatively modest performance of Toyota's new engine and the nominal reduction in power and torque compared to its direct predecessor may give rise to misguided expectations - in fact, the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D now accelerates one idea faster than with the previous one. the current two-liter unit. The 1,6-liter diesel starts to pull confidently and evenly at about 1500 rpm, and its operation has become noticeably quieter and even more than its two-liter Japanese counterpart. The low gears of the precision-shifting six-speed transmission are relatively short, while the top gears are quite long, which provides both sharp acceleration when starting from a standstill, and reduced fuel consumption and noise during prolonged driving at high speeds. And so we touched on the topic of consumption - in a mixed driving cycle in real conditions, Verso with its new engine consumes about half a liter per hundred kilometers less diesel fuel than the previous engine.

Otherwise, the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D is not a big surprise to what we're used to seeing: the interior is spacious and functional, ergonomics are good, and the chassis adjustment offers a reasonable compromise between stability and satisfactory comfort.

CONCLUSION

Although the new Toyota Verso engine has a rated power and torque reduction over the previous XNUMX-liter engine, real-world dynamics are even slightly improved and combined fuel consumption has been reduced by about half a liter per hundred kilometers. ... Perhaps modest at first glance, but convincing as a result of the debut of BMW diesel engines in Toyota's lineup.

Text: Bozhan Boshnakov

Photos: Toyota

2020-08-29