Toyota Motor Europe’s (TME’s) Belgium-based Technical Center led the development of the Verso 1.6 D-4D, ensuring a seamless match between the engine and the Toyota gearbox and vehicle electronics, while safeguarding the comfort and dynamic performance of the original Verso. Several components were newly developed, ranging from engine mounts over a dual mass flywheel, a new gearbox housing and gearing and a Stop-and-Start system to further improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

Production of the Verso 1.6 D-4D will commence in January 2014 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey in Adapazari, Turkey—the sole production facility of the Verso range which also produces the latest generation Toyota Corolla.

At Toyota, we believe that tackling environmental challenges facing our industry will require more than one single approach. Hybrid is at the core of our strategy towards sustainable mobility, but we also see a role for clean diesel in Europe. Working together with an industry leader like the BMW Group allows us to benefit from economies of scale to reduce development costs as well as improve our time-to-market.

—Didier Leroy, Senior Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, and President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe (TME)

Sourcing diesel engines fits within a wider collaboration between the BMW Group and Toyota, under which the companies announced plans to:

• Co-develop a fuel-cell system;

• Conduct a feasibility study for the joint development of a sports car platform;

• Work together on creating lightweight vehicle body technologies; and

• Undertake joint research into lithium-air batteries.