BMW-engined Toyota Verso

It was two years ago that both Toyota and BMW inked the deal in which BMW would supply Toyota's European division with its 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre diesel powerplants beginning 2014. The diesel engine dupply venture is of course part of a bigger deal and that includes the joint research on Lithium-air batteries, the development of a sports car and a fuel cell system.

Toyota's MPV, Verso, is the first car to benefit from this partnership. The Verso will be equipped with a BMW-sourced engine - the 1.6 D-4D variant that will be launched in Europe early next year.

Toyota's R&D Team at its European technical centre in Belgium were involved in the development of a number of new components, including engine mounts, a dual-mass flywheel, a new gearbox housing/gearing and a stop/start system to further improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

The production of the Verso 1.6 D-4D kicks off in January 2014 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey's Adapazari plant. A lot more is expected soon from both these companies and we may also see many other manufacturers following suite and collaborating on creating a brighter future.