Toyota reportedly plans 15% economy with 1.5‑liter hybrid

Toyota has revealed a new 1.5-liter hybrid system that could make the next-generation Corolla more than 15% more fuel efficient. The current Corolla Hybrid returns up to 50 mpg combined. A 15% gain on that would be roughly 57.5 mpg, though that is only an illustration, not a Toyota estimate.

Engine built from scratch

The new engine is not just a smaller version of the old one. Toyota says it was designed from the start to work with electric motors, and it comes in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms. The naturally aspirated version is meant to replace the current 1.8-liter hybrid engine. The engines are smaller and more efficient than the ones they replace, and the electric motors, power control units and inverters are lighter and more compact.

Toyota plans to build the system on one platform that can host hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric models. The company says factories could then shift between powertrain types without major changes to the vehicle's shape or interior. That flexibility is meant to cut development and production costs while still meeting different customer demand.

A Corolla Cross prototype spotted by CarScoops may be testing the same multi-pathway platform. The mule, a heavily modified test car, has a shorter wheelbase than the production model and no exhaust tailpipes. CarScoops says its hunch is that the car is testing the new platform, and the new engines and platform are expected to reach the road next year.