This newly developed ultra-light compact engine for minivehicles leads its class*1 in performance, environmental friendliness and quiet operation. |
This newly developed 660cc engine represents the crystallization of Daihatsu's technological expertise gained over nearly a century of experience since the company's founding as an engine manufacturer in 1907. The new TOPAZ KF is a full upgrade of the popular TOPAZ*2 engine, offering across-the-board performance benefits. Combustion efficiency shows significant improvement, thanks to the basic design of long-stroke pistons and ultra-compact combustion chambers with high efficiency intake ports and other enhancements. Mechanical friction is greatly reduced by the adoption of lightweight pistons with NSP surface processing, low-tension piston rings, multi-bore bearings and other innovations. As a result, performance shows a practical improvement averaging about 5% in terms of torque characteristics and about 10% for fuel efficiency (compared to previous Daihatsu engine model). With maximum output of 43kW (58PS) and maximum torque of 65N·m (6.6kg·m), this engine delivers a feeling of smooth acceleration from startup to high speed. Furthermore, weight has been reduced by about 25% compared to our previous engine, thanks to widespread adoption of polymer materials and the use of a high-strength aluminum cylinder block, which reduces weight by about 8kg compared to a cast iron cylinder block. Individually balanced crankshafts and other measures help achieve extremely quiet operation. Several technologies contribute to improved environmental performance, particularly our Super Intelligent Catalyst, a further evolution of our Intelligent Catalyst technology.
Also, along with enhanced combustion efficiency of the engine itself, we have made further progress with our Catalyst Early Activation System, which detects ionic current in the combustion chambers to purify exhaust emissions right after the engine starts up. Together, these innovations achieve extraordinarily clean performance for emissions reduction equivalent to 75% below Japan's 2005 regulations. In the TOPAZ KF name, the "K" signifies Japan's "kei" small vehicle class, while the "F" stands for "future."
As Daihatsu incorporates it into upcoming production cars, the TOPAZ KF is truly destined to lead the way to the future.
*1: Claim based on naturally aspirated engines in the Japanese minivehicle "kei" class, as of October 2005.
*2: TOPAZ= An acronym for Top from A to Z, reflecting Daihatsu's goal in of aiming for the highest performance in terms of power, environmental friendliness and reliability in power trains and related technologies. |
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High-efficiency light and compact metal-belt CVT contributes to fuel economy. |
Daihatsu developed this new CVT (continuously variable transmission) to improve fuel efficiency by raising power transmission efficiency, while also reducing size and weight. Employing the world's first input-reduction type 3-shaft gear train configuration, it achieves extraordinarily high power transmission efficiency in the world's most compact and lightweight package*3. An ultra-wide gear ratio, and leading-edge electrohydraulic control assure outstanding acceleration characteristics across the range for a smooth yet responsive driving experience. In tandem with the TOPAZ KF engine, this earth-friendly CVT helps achieve top level*3 fuel economy for the minivehicle class.
*3: As of October 2005. |
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Super Intelligent Catalyst |
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Super Intelligent Catalyst extends self-regenerative capability to rhodium and platinum. |
Already employed in many Daihatsu vehicles, the Intelligent Catalyst is a world leading Daihatsu innovation that revolutionizes catalytic converter performance by effectively preventing degradation of the catalyst's exhaust cleaning performance over time. Created by applying Daihatsu's original nanotechnology, the Intelligent Catalyst gives self-regenerative capability to the precious metal palladium (Pd) (the precious metal used as a catalyst by most automobiles), which tends to suffer performance loss when exposed to engine heat. By maintaining a high level of catalytic performance over the long term, this technology not only contributes to environmental preservation, but also enables a reduction of about 70% in usage of the precious metals used in catalytic converters, which are scarce resources. In a conventional catalytic converter, the dispersed precious metal particles tend to clump together over time, thereby shrinking the effective surface area available for reaction with the exhaust, which leads to reduced emissions purification performance. Daihatsu's solution was to embed the precious metal as ions in the ceramic substrate, so that a repeated cycle of solid solution and segregation responding to the natural changes in the exhaust gas effectively suppresses clump enlargement, creating a self-regenerating mechanism for the catalyst.
Now, with the development of new materials, Daihatsu has developed the "Super Intelligent Catalyst," which goes beyond palladium to give rhodium (Rh) and platinum (Pt) (the most expensive of the precious metals used in catalytic converters), this self-regenerative capability as well.
This new technology saves precious metal resources while delivering ultra-clean performance. Together with our Catalyst Early Activation System, we plan to increasingly apply this technology to future Daihatsu production cars.
 The Intelligent Catalyst technology upon which the Super Intelligent Catalyst is based was announced in the July 11, 2002 edition of the scientific journal Nature, and attracted considerable worldwide attention. It has also received numerous awards, including the 35th Ichimura Prizes in Industry: Meritorious Achievement Prize, administered by the New Technology Development Foundation, the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. (JSAE) Technological Development Award (53rd), Environmental Protection Agency (USA, 2003), and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) (2004).
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The torque of a 2-litre engine from a clean and fuel-efficient 1.2-litre direct injection diesel engine. |
| Designed with mass production in mind, this 1.2-litre in-line 2-cylinder direct injection 2-cycle diesel engine delivers a balance of performance, clean emissions and fuel economy. It is based on the 660cc in-line 2-cylinder direct injection 2-cycle diesel engine technology announced at previous Tokyo Motor Shows. It employs a hybrid scavenging system, which combines a supercharger and turbocharger. In pursuit of the torque of a 2-litre class engine together with outstanding fuel economy, we employed a turbocharger to utilize exhaust gas energy, an original scavenger port for optimized swirl, and a state-of-the-art common rail system to optimize injection pressure under all driving conditions. Thanks also to a residual gas control system and electronically controlled cooled EGR system, this compact engine maintains smokeless, low-NOx combustion over a wide load range. Not only is performance extremely clean, but the use of a balance shaft helps attain low vibration as well. |
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