Toyota is well known for its “electrification” strategy. That can seem like a misnomer. That’s about EVs, yes, but more than anything, it’s about nearly every Toyota and Lexus having at least a hybrid option. In fact, some vehicles like the Camry are only sold as hybrids. And the forthcoming 2026 RAV4, which was the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. last year, will only be sold as a hybrid, too.
After a deep-dive conversation with Toyota officials, I got a clearer understanding of how, especially Toyota’s 2.4-liter in-line four, could be versatile enough to be deployed in the Tacoma, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser—and in other vehicles, too. How Toyota and Lexus manage to flexibly apply this engine—and other engines—so readily is really the story of a lot of decisions Toyota has made over several years.
Why care?
Because as Toyota goes, so goes the entire car industry. Suddenly, a struggling Porsche needs more hybrids, too. So does Nissan. So does every carmaker. As demand for EVs softens, Toyota has found its go-steady approach and, as usual, industry leadership. Here’s the magic formula and the subtle ways Toyota’s been super smart about hybridization, especially in a few ways you’d never guess.
In order to give you the most accurate story about Toyota powertrains, we consulted with Benjamin Geller, a principal engineer at Toyota North America, as well as with other Toyota sources, and also used material provided to the media via Toyota North America.
i-FORCE MAX Vs. Hybrid MAX
Blame automotive marketers for the following reality. Toyota and Lexus have two different hybrid systems in their trucks and SUVs, and they’re named almost identically. There’s the i-FORCE MAX in the Tacoma, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser. Then there’s the Hybrid MAX, which powers vehicles like the Highlander, Grand Highlander, and also the Lexus RX 500h F SPORT, and the Lexus TX 500h F SPORT. But if you think it’s just marketing spin, it’s not at all. These are two very different systems, deployed for very different challenges.
i-FORCE MAX Is About Early Torque Delivery
Toyota explained that the i-FORCE MAX was developed around a very specific kind of hybrid application. It’s more economical than going for something like a V-8 to hit these horsepower and torque numbers, sure, but Toyota needed a hybrid that would have kinetic connectivity to all four wheels, because that’s absolutely critical for off-roading accuracy. So Toyota puts an electric motor in the bell housing, between the engine and the eight-speed torque-converter transmission, with a physical driveshaft that sends power to the rear axle. This setup pops more torque at a lower RPM, so you can drive super safely and dexterously, no matter the 4×4 conditions.
Toyota’s Premium Hybrid i-Force MAX
|
Turbocharged i-FORCE MAX |
Horsepower |
Torque |
|
Toyota 4Runner, $52,490 |
326 @ 6,000 |
465 LB FT @ 1,700 |
|
Toyota Tacoma, $46,720 |
326 @ 6,000 |
465 LB FT @ 1,700 |
|
Toyota Land Cruiser, $58,695 |
326 @ 6,000 |
465 LB FT @ 1,700 |
Yes, these numbers are identical, but what’s really going on here is that the 2.4-liter turbo is being augmented by a 48-horsepower electric motor designed to deliver instant torque, up to 184 foot-pounds. That’s why you see peak torque at just 1,700 RPM. Benjamin Geller, a principal engineer at Toyota North America, explained that this is different from Toyota’s strategy with vehicles that will primarily be used on pavement. The turbocharging strategy, as you can see from the numbers, is about torque more than ultimate horsepower, which is why the horsepower peak doesn’t happen until redline.
Ruggedness Is Critical
Geller adds that the deployment is subtly different in each of the above vehicles. But there are two keys across all three. First, they had to ensure maximum cooling, because Geller explains that they know these vehicles endure a ton of stress off-road and also during towing.
“We need a kind of rugged durability for more off-road, more rugged operation that we experience in our large trucks and SUVs.”—Benjamin Geller, Principal Engineer, Toyota North America
This is also why Toyota won’t use a CVT paired with the same 2.4 turbo that, for instance, gets placed beneath the hood of the Crown. Instead, all get eight-speed torque-converter automatics. Also, even though a CVT can “simulate” a shift, being able to manually control a real gear change is critical for engine braking when towing or when you’re crawling up a steep dirt wall off-road. “That’s what our customers are expecting, you know, being able to have that added control that, as they’re driving, off-road, towing, etc.” FYI, the tighter gear spread is also designed for that control—which is different from the broader-geared six-speed automatic in the more family-oriented Grand Highlander.
Throttle Mapping For Off-Road Modes
While Toyota won’t offer up visuals on this, they did explain that they specifically map throttle output for vehicles with low range (4Runner, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, GX). That’s important for all of these, but especially the first three, since hybrid power means you might easily overpower what the wheels can handle with too much torque. Retarding that with software, and tailoring that specifically to each driving mode, is part of Toyota’s secret hybridization sauce.
Hybrid Max Is The Same But Different
If you look at the Grand Highlander, you might just guess that because the Hybrid MAX version has the same 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the execution would be identical. Instead, the Grand Highlander (and the Lexus RX) have entirely different setups. Their electric motor has no mechanical connection to the front wheels. The gas engine drives those, and the electric motor provides power to the rear axle. Also, note the flatter torque curve.
Toyota And Lexus’s Hybrid MAX
|
Turbocharged Hybrid MAX |
Horsepower |
Torque |
|
Lexus RX 500h F SPORT Performance, $66,150 |
366 HP @6,000 |
406 LB FT @ 2,000–3,000 RPM |
|
Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX $60,770 |
362 HP @6,000 |
400 LB FT @ 2,000–3,000 RPM |
The Specs Don’t Tell The Story
Toyota’s Geller explains that you can’t just stack the maximum output of each motor, electric and gas, to come up with the total power production of each vehicle. So even though, technically, the RX 500h Hybrid MAX 2.4-liter engine is good for 271 horsepower, and the rear-mounted electric motor, 107 horsepower, you don’t see 378 peak horsepower. Instead, Geller says that there’s a “hand-off” where the two powertrains may be trading optimal output, and that part of that is down to software, tuning—and to reduce stress on the entire system. In general, electric motors are great at producing instant torque, and gas engines are happy to plod along at lower RPM. Flexible torque is the name of the game for the Hybrid MAX, and Toyota officials explained that while RX and Grand Highlander customers may tow now and then, the drivetrain is really designed around quicker highway response.
Not All Toyota Hybrids Are Premium Priced
There are a few factors that you have to consider. Not all of Toyota and Lexus’s hybrids come with the extreme power of the models listed above—which are at the most expensive ends of their respective lineups. That’s one reason why the bulk of Tacoma buyers choose the non-hybrid option.
However, a vehicle like the 2.5-liter hybrid Camry still gets plenty of pop, because the combined juice from both its front and rear electric motors kicks up to 174 horsepower. So, even though the net combination with the gas motor is only ever 232 horsepower, owners benefit from all that electric power, even with modest 184 horsepower from the gas engine. This is also how the Camry yields a remarkable 51 MPG combined—since most of the time the electric motors are doing the heavy lifting.
If you’re really digging into the numbers, you’ll see that, often, Lexus vehicles with the “same” powertrain and even, probably, the same battery and electric motor output get just a little more power. That’s because, often, they get better breathing exhaust, and even though the powertrains are developed for both Lexus and Toyota, Lexus vehicles will be given some extra spice.
“They get co-developed, and where it makes sense that we need additional refinement for Lexus, such as a power bump with premium octane.”—Benjamin Geller, Principal Engineer, Toyota North America
TopSpeed’s Take
Toyota and Lexus aren’t perfect. Geller made clear that when Toyota first offered hybrids on the Prius way back in the 1990s, they had some hiccups. Their powertrains are unbelievably smooth now. Anything you might have previously experienced on hybrids, like obvious moments of hand-offs between gas and electric propulsion, is ancient history. But the big four-cylinder Toyota depends on these days can be a little “granular” at mid-RPM. Geller says Toyota continues to work on refining what they offer, and considering how much better their hybrids are today, that effort is clearly paying off.
There will be new frontiers, though. Toyota says it’s close on in-house solid-state battery tech. And even though they’re an ultra-conservative carmaker, Toyota does know the day is coming when EVs will dominate what they do. A few years ago, a Toyota official told me that Toyota is conservative because they’re obsessed with getting the formula right. Yep. Q.E.D.