Quote:
Originally Posted by Sedoy
Can anyone explain to me what's the point of Toyota's 2.4L turbo i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain? The gas consumption is the same as the non-hybrid BMW i6 B58 in X5 or even X7, but slower, more complicated, takes more space, can't be plugged-in and requires premium gas. I do get old high MPG and slow 2.5L hybrids, but new i-FORCE MAX hybrid striggle to deliver any MPG improvements compared BMW I6s. Does this make any sense or we are just spoiled by awesome BMW powertrains? Maybe emissions, CAFE?
BTW, love the styling Tacoma/4Runner styling and physical controls.
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The point is torque. It's exactly what the high-revving V6 engines lacked.
I drove a 3.slow 4 runner extensively. Then the higher HP V6 engines starting coming along, much higher compression, much higher rev limits, etc. These were decent for a few years, especially when turbo tech was still extremely laggy and required revving up to 3K to build up any significant power. V8s were kind of the go-to back then, but they are big in the engine bay, heavy and take a lot of gas...at all times. Even as they pumped those V6s higher and higher, up to around 350 in some cars, they still never had the shove of a V8 or modern turbo car. The torque curve tells you all you need to know...it has to rev to 7K or whatever for peak and it's not flat. Now modern turbo engines make full torque around 1300-1500rpm, all the way up through their rev-range. The one in my ZR2 makes 430lb/ft of torque. This also gives cars a good shove down low, since they are making all that torque way WAY before the top of the rev range. Turbo lag with turbos now attached directly to the block where the exhaust manifold basically houses the turbine section, often with twin scrolls and other arrangements, is a thing of the past. Trans tunes and pedal response are different reasons why cars aren't "faster", but having a "normal" and "sport" setting allows them to get the mileage for the testing in the normal setting, and then that better response in the "sport", showing that there's no significant turbo lag.
Hybrid is another way to add torque, especially from 0mph. Again, these modern turbos make full torque at ridiculously low rpm compared to old 90s tech and before, but hybrid brings that to the next level.
Torque.