It's important to note the source reported in the Article. Auto Express UK and Gerald Killmann at Toyota Europe.
'Speaking with
Auto Express,
Toyota’s European R&D boss Gerald Killmann said the GT 86 was behind sales targets in all major markets, meaning the American-market Scion FR-S as well, and that this has created doubts towards developing further variants of the car."
1. Gerald Killmann is NOT Toyota's European R&D boss. Killmann's current title as last reported just a few days ago was European Projects Director at Toyota’s R&D Centre in Belgium. He previously (2011) was reported to be head of powertrain development at Toyota Motor Europe. This man's position at Toyota is being somewhat inflated by the author to suggest he's the boss for all R&D at Toyota in Europe.
2. The article revolves around Toyota using more diesel BMW engines in its cars. Is it possible or even likely that Killmann might favor developing platforms that use European sourced diesel engines over Japanese gasoline or hybrid powerplants if he's spent his career developing engines and relationships in Europe? True in the U.K. as I understand diesels are preferred to gas/electric hybrids. What about in the rest of the world?
Most importantly, the thrust and context of the article seem to be that BMW diesels are better performing and more popular than Toyota's current hybrid and underpowered gasoline engines, and that they will replace all Toyota engines in Europe moving forward which I find unlikely. I also find it unlikely that the widespread acceptance of diesels in Europe will ever translate to widespread adoption in the U.S. before most U.S. new cars move to electric and/or hybrid electric in the near future. Hoping that BMW sourced diesels replace Toyota hybrid's in the U.S. is pipe.
Take this article with a huge grain of salt despite it's officialesque sounding source. It's got the author's confirmation bias subtext throughout especially give that it's a U.K. blog.
Quote:
Toyota is best known for its commitment to hybrid cars, but Auto Express has learned that the company has agreed a deal with BMW to use "a whole family of transverse diesel engines" on various different platforms. The first model to emerge from this partnership is the Toyota Verso 1.6 D-4D, which uses the same 109bhp engine as the MINI Cooper D to help cut its CO2 emissions without affecting performance. However on the launch of the new Verso, Vice President for European R&D Gerald Killmann confirmed that Toyota was already developing other models in the range to use this engine, including the Auris hatch and estate, and the RAV4 crossover.
When asked how extensive this deal for engines was, Killlmann told us that "several platforms" has already been agreed, which opens up the possibility of several more BMW-powered cars, and could mean that a large 2.0-litre diesel is also on the agenda. These engines are set to gradually replace the current models in the range, and will help boost sales for the brand in Europe, where buyers are still skeptical about the benefits of petrol hybrids.
The new Auris is already performing well for the brand, as it is currently the fifth best-selling hatchback in the incredibly competitive C-segment, which includes cars like the VW Golf and Ford Focus. However the bad news for fans of sportier Toyotas is that Killmann told us that the GT 86 Coupe was flagging behind its sales targets in all major markets.
This poor performance is creating doubts about whether to develop a more powerful version, and Killmann told us, "A faster version of that car would be at the top of most people's wish lists, but like the cabriolet, it is hard to justify a business case to push either model into production based on the current sales."
He also said that Toyota was unsure of what the main factor behind the slow sales was, especially given that the car has been a huge hit with the automotive media. "Personally, I think that engine could use a little bit more" he explained, but whether that car will become a production reality now looks in serious doubt.
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