Toyota, which used to say "no" to turbocharging, is beginning to change its thinking. At this year's Beijing Auto Show, Shinji Kitada, President of Toyota China, told reporters that Toyota is making substantive preparations to produce turbocharged products, although the launch date has not yet been fixed.
In fact, Toyota has always had turbocharging technology but has not brought it to China. As recently as the end of last year, Tadashi Yamashina, newly appointed by Akio Toyoda as head of Toyota's R&D center in China, said frankly: "I do not think turbocharging plus direct injection plus small displacement is a good choice. Our route is direct injection plus hybrid plus small displacement." However, Toyota, which has always bet on hybrid technology, is now casting its net more widely.
Kitada said that, besides hybrids, Toyota is investing in and exploring all technology routes. For example, Toyota has always studied how to improve conventional powertrains, and it is already making substantive progress on introducing direct-injection and turbocharged products, although the timing is not yet clear.
As for specific products, senior executives at FAW Toyota and Lexus both said that concrete plans are already in place. Kiyotaka Ise, Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, said that China will introduce a stricter emission standard in 2015; to lower emissions, Lexus will continue to expand its product line below 2.5 liters and will also consider some turbocharged products. In addition, Tian Congming, Executive Vice President of FAW Toyota, revealed that FAW Toyota also has plans for turbocharged products, but that the timing and product details cannot yet be disclosed.
