It really is too bad of Toyota to withhold their excellent 3L Turbo diesel engine from Americans and Canadians. This engine is available elsewhere in the world, for example in Australia, on vehicles which are essentially similar to the 4Runner. Torque of the diesel is actually a little higher than that of the 4L V6, though HP is less. Driveability and acceleration are reported by owners as excellent and fuel consumption is reported as being almost 1/3 less than that of the gas engine - a dramatic and highly desirable improvement for the 4Runner which north american customers would very much appreciate!
This diesel engine already meets stringent emission standards required in other countries, and it is hard to imagine that it would be that difficult to get it adapted for USA and Canadian standards. Because the torque of this 3L diesel engine is only slightly higher than that of the 4L gas engine, I would expect that no significant upgrading of the transmission drivetrain would be required, minimizing potential additional costs associated with a diesel engine. This 3L diesel engine would be a much better option than the current 2.7L 4 cyl gas engine option with its much lower torque which offers only marginally improved economy and must work hard to move such a heavy vehicle.
Come on Toyota, when are you going to stop withholding advanced efficient clean diesel engine technology from north americans? - engine technology which is already provided to thousands of customers in many other countries.
There just doesnt seem to be the market to support it in the US....otherwise they would have one here..... at this rate we still cant get a full size diesel....
I am not sure why we are not being allowed a turbodiesel 4Runner, Tacoma, and Tundra in this country. A modern turbodiesel in the 3.5L-4.0L range would be perfect for the 4Runner and Tacoma, and a 4.5L-5.0L would be perfect for the 1/2 ton Tundra. Figure the smaller unit with compound turbocharging or a twin scroll or variable vane turbo should be good for around 270hp and 450lb-ft, and the larger unit for a 1/2 ton Tundra with similar technology should make an easy 320hp and 500+lb-ft of twist. Both would put out great performance for towing or hauling, and should easily return over 20MPG highway.
The downside is cost, but there are tax credits available for diesels, so why not!?
The best I can figure it is the gov. and the US auto makers. GM has a 25% stake in toyota. The big truck market is the only
thing they have left. My friend snuck a real Smart Car in from canada a few years back. 3 cyl. turbo diesel that got a real
100 mpg. Remember in any barrel of crude their are only so many gallons of oil, the rest is made into gasoline and a few other
products. So maybe we are being hosed to keep the price of gas up and the cost of diesel down a bit? I can tell you I won't
buy another gas powered truck. The mileage is terrible if you pull anything heavy and not that good when empty.
Do you suppose that some states might loose revenue from not being able to SMOG check the diesel.
Not sure if that is really a great revenue generator for most states. The state I live in has no vehicle inspections whatsoever.
Of course you live in S H I T A S S Kalifornia, so your state's predilection to make things suck and cost too much probably weighs heavily on many manufacturers reluctance to offer diesels in the United States.
The US has tighter emissions requirements for diesels than other countries. No doubt Toyota COULD get their diesel's to meet these emissions requirements (just like VW, Mercedes, BMW, etc have) But there is a cost of doing that. Once fuel prices subsided last year, it looks like Toyota/Honda threw out their plans to bring diesels here. Now that diesel is priced out of site, the economics of it just don't add up.
Not to spoil everyones good time here, but after driving the 2010 4runner with the v6, I realize why they did this. Not every vehicle is meant to have tons of HP at its disposal to be classified a good performer. If anyone has been around long enough to remember the old 4runners with the 22r in it, that engine didnt put out squat for HP but it can wheel circles around most stuff out there today. The new runner, complete with more off-road toys than I have seen on one since the landcruiser is very capable and VERY fun to drive, both on and off road. Will it win any races..... not against a tundra but its quick regardless. The improvements toyota has made to this 4runner is fantastic. The 4.7 runner in generations past was not a good seller, did not tow that much, and didnt get the greatest gas mileage. But it was fast. Personally, a huge engine in that vehicle is not necessary.
So to say that toyota sold out and is missing the mark with not offering a v8 anymore is kind of bull (to me that is). They seem to have made a MUCH more capable 4runner than the previous generation and that is what is important to me. Sure there may be some pissed gearheads, but they can always drop in their own v8 if its that important to them........on the diesel side, I really wish they could have pulled one out of a hilux or hilux-surf for this vehicle. The drop in HP would have sucked, but the torque for off-roading would be more than worth it.
Not to spoil everyones good time here, but after driving the 2010 4runner with the v6, I realize why they did this. Not every vehicle is meant to have tons of HP at its disposal to be classified a good performer. If anyone has been around long enough to remember the old 4runners with the 22r in it, that engine didnt put out squat for HP but it can wheel circles around most stuff out there today. The new runner, complete with more off-road toys than I have seen on one since the landcruiser is very capable and VERY fun to drive, both on and off road. Will it win any races..... not against a tundra but its quick regardless. The improvements toyota has made to this 4runner is fantastic. The 4.7 runner in generations past was not a good seller, did not tow that much, and didnt get the greatest gas mileage. But it was fast. Personally, a huge engine in that vehicle is not necessary.
So to say that toyota sold out and is missing the mark with not offering a v8 anymore is kind of bull (to me that is). They seem to have made a MUCH more capable 4runner than the previous generation and that is what is important to me. Sure there may be some pissed gearheads, but they can always drop in their own v8 if its that important to them........on the diesel side, I really wish they could have pulled one out of a hilux or hilux-surf for this vehicle. The drop in HP would have sucked, but the torque for off-roading would be more than worth it.
I would still like a V8 option since I know the 4.6L V8 and 6 speed will fit, but if I had to choose between a diesel V6 or a gasoline V8 for the 4Runner I'd go diesel every time and never look back. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine a good 3.5-4.0L V6 turbodiesel making around 270hp and more importantly 420-430lb-ft of torque at nice low RPM's, plus getting another 3-4 MPG on average fuel economy. Seems like a win win to me. Better off roading power, better towing/hauling power, longer range. So it would cost more, but there is still a $4,500 tax credit for alternative fuel (diesel qualifies) vehicles to help defray it.
Why No Diesel Engine for 2010 4Runner?
Linear Mode
