Among the many truck-related announcements today, Toyota made headlines when it unveiled the all-new 2016 Tacoma at the Detroit Auto Show this afternoon. As we reported earlier, the new Tacoma will have two engine options for 2016 that include a 2.7-liter four-cylinder gasoline motor and a new 3.5-liter V6. But many have wondered whether Toyota would offer a diesel option, maybe something based on the overseas diesel that powers the Hilux.
The official word came down from Toyota Tundra and Tacoma Chief Engineer Mike Sweers, who answered the question directly during a live chat today at NAIAS hosted by AutoGuide Group Editorial Director Colum Wood.
“We will not be offering a diesel engine,” Sweers said of the new Tacoma platform. “We’ve looked at diesels, and diesel is a difficult topic right now because of the new Tier 3 emission regulations.”
Sweers didn’t avoid the fact that diesel motors have their selling points, but to him the added complication is what has kept Toyota away.
“Diesel, from a fuel economy standpoint, is about a 30 percent improvement right out of the box,” Sweers said. “The downside to diesel is the emissions has to be certified at the same level as a gas engine. So the way to do that is you have to put on an after-treatment system. The after-treatment system is very expensive [and] it adds $3000 or more dollars per vehicle cost. So if we consider that cost, versus the fuel economy improvement, and the fact that diesel is $1 more per gallon more than gasoline, is there a return on the investment? And the fact that as we move towards the future and we get past 2017 and then 2019 [emissions] regulations … can you make that diesel survive? So is it a two-year engine? Is it a four-year engine? That’s the question. From an investment standpoint, it’s very difficult to show a return on that investment.”
Sweers noted that his team’s focus, much like any other truck manufacturer, is to find a solution that improves fuel economy while meeting emissions requirements in a cost-effective platform – and to Toyota, that option is not a diesel motor. This is disappointing news for those hoping Toyota would slap a compact diesel into its mid-size truck at some point in the future, but Toyota feels its on the right track with its new 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V6. The new-to-the-Tacoma engine features Toyota’s D-4S technology, which features both direct and port fuel injection for improved efficiency and performance. This is the same basic motor platform used in the sporty Lexus RC350, though it will certainly be tuned and re-calibrated to fit the Tacoma. Sweers even noting during the chat that this calibration work hasn’t been completed, which is part of the reason no performance or fuel economy numbers were given. Toyota is confident, however, that this motor will offer greater power and efficiency over the current Tacoma.
Although Tacoma diesel dreamers are awaking from their slumber in a cranky mood, Toyota’s new 3.5L V6 could provide performance not too far off from a small diesel – at least in theory. But it’ll be some time ’til we know, so if it’s all too much to bear knowing there’s no diesel coming, go back to sleep and we’ll wake you up once we have more 3.5L data.
To replay the entire 2016 Toyota Tacoma chat from earlier today, check out the video below.