Toyota’s 2010 Land Cruiser debuted in the U.S. with its popular 2008 dual Variable Valve Timing Intelligent engine still intact. This 5.7-liter double overhead camshaft (DOHC) 32-valve electronic fuel injection (EFI) V8 boasts 381 horsepower @ 5600 rpm and 401 pound-feet of torque @ 3600 rpm. The power of the Toyota-designed “smart” engine adequately compensates for the SUV’s 5,688-pound curb weight.
The engine first appeared in the United States in the company’s Tundra pick-up truck in 2007, coinciding with Toyota’s 50th anniversary of its entry into the U.S. automobile market. VVT-i engines were incorporated into the Land Cruiser the following year. The newly-designed engine was part of an overall redesign of the Cruiser.
“Intelligent” design employs an onboard computer that continually monitors whether the sports utility vehicle (SUV) is accelerating, cruising, passing, idling, or going uphill or down. Every hundredth of a second, the computer subtly prompts any automatic adjustments of the air intake and exhaust necessary to maintain maximize engine performance. As a result, emissions in the 2010 are reduced enough to eliminate the need for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) emissions device.
VVT-i technology has improved the vehicle’s gas mileage, as well. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage for the 1997 pre-VVT-i Cruiser was estimated at 12 miles per gallon (mpg) city and 14 mpg highway, with a combined average of 13 mpg. Mileage estimates for the 2010 model stand at 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway, with a combined average of 15 mpg.
The dual Variable Valve Timing Intelligent engine works in an unassuming way, literally under cover; but it occupies an important position in the enhancement of under-the-hood technology. Thanks to the VVT-i and other state-of-the-art engines, we are one step closer to manufacturing a powerful, earth-friendly SUV.
Tags: double overhead camshaft, electronic fuel injection, exhaust gas recirculation, mileage estimates, variable valve timing