Toyota 1-litre 1KR-FE
“Quite simply the smoothest three-cylinder engine that I’ve ever experienced”
Jake Venter, CAR, South Africa
In 2007, the honour in the Sub 1-litre category at the International Engine of the Year Awards goes to the Toyota 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine found in the Aygo/Citroën C1/Peugeot 107 triplets, plus the Yaris/Echo/Vitz.
The Toyota 1-litre is said to be the lightest internal combustion engine on sale today. Weighing 69kg, its designers employed an all-aluminium construction and made the throttle body and fuel pipe out of resin instead of metal. Meanwhile an extra-small cylinder bore-to-bore distance makes for a very compact engine block – the wall thickness between the bores is just 7mm, thinner than on any other Toyota engine – and the air intake system and engine cover are integrated into a single unit, a design first for the Japanese firm.
With 67bhp and 93Nm at 3,600rpm, the engine has impressive power and torque for a 1-litre. And with a potential 4.6L/100km (61.4mpg), the powerplant also has the lowest combined cycle fuel consumption for a petrol engine in its segment.
Key to achieving these figures is the adoption of VVT-i variable valve timing, which Toyota says is the most advanced such system in the segment. In addition, a new resin coating for the pistons, thin, low-tension piston rings and the three-cylinder configuration all contribute to the decrease in friction losses.
Judge Ken Gibson from The Sun newspaper in the UK described the engine as, “A modern engine for the real world. It may only be a 1-litre but this engine has real character, surprising performance and great economy.”
“Quite simply the smoothest three-cylinder engine that I’ve ever experienced”
Jake Venter, CAR, South Africa
In 2007, the honour in the Sub 1-litre category at the International Engine of the Year Awards goes to the Toyota 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine found in the Aygo/Citroën C1/Peugeot 107 triplets, plus the Yaris/Echo/Vitz.
The Toyota 1-litre is said to be the lightest internal combustion engine on sale today. Weighing 69kg, its designers employed an all-aluminium construction and made the throttle body and fuel pipe out of resin instead of metal. Meanwhile an extra-small cylinder bore-to-bore distance makes for a very compact engine block – the wall thickness between the bores is just 7mm, thinner than on any other Toyota engine – and the air intake system and engine cover are integrated into a single unit, a design first for the Japanese firm.
With 67bhp and 93Nm at 3,600rpm, the engine has impressive power and torque for a 1-litre. And with a potential 4.6L/100km (61.4mpg), the powerplant also has the lowest combined cycle fuel consumption for a petrol engine in its segment.
Key to achieving these figures is the adoption of VVT-i variable valve timing, which Toyota says is the most advanced such system in the segment. In addition, a new resin coating for the pistons, thin, low-tension piston rings and the three-cylinder configuration all contribute to the decrease in friction losses.
Judge Ken Gibson from The Sun newspaper in the UK described the engine as, “A modern engine for the real world. It may only be a 1-litre but this engine has real character, surprising performance and great economy.”
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