Looks like Toyota will have engineering help from Isuzu in designing diesel hybrids. I wonder how long it will be before we hear any details?

Link to article

Toyota will buy 100 million shares of Isuzu stock for about $375.0 million from trading houses Mitsubishi Corp. and Itochu Corp. The stock purchase was to have been completed Friday, Nov. 10.

Toyota certainly can afford it. In the six months ended Sept. 30, its operating profits rose 35.1 percent to $9.27 billion. Indeed, according to Takeshi Suzuki, Toyota's senior managing director for finance, one of the company's challenges is finding ways to return more profits to shareholders.

After the purchase, Isuzu's largest shareholders will be Mitsubishi Corp. with 9.7 percent of the stock, Itochu with 7.2 percent and Toyota with 5.9 percent.

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Diesel hybrid?

While the deal addresses Toyota's diesel shortcomings in the near term, it also positions Toyota to reclaim the green mantle from clean-diesel leaders. Says Watanabe, "In the future we may come up with a diesel hybrid as well."

The duramax in the GM trucks is an Isuzu joint venture. It might be that Toyota is positioning themselves to use such an engine in the new Tundra that is slated to compete with the domestic's 3/4 ton and larger trucks.

I would love to see Toyota release a jetta TDI killer, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

[quote=ag4ever]The duramax in the GM trucks is an Isuzu joint venture. It might be that Toyota is positioning themselves to use such an engine in the new Tundra that is slated to compete with the domestic's 3/4 ton and larger trucks.

I would love to see Toyota release a jetta TDI killer, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.[/QUOTE]

That would be the Prius. They are the same size and accomplish the same goal at about the same price level.

Now if Isuzu's diesel technology were to be put into a Corolla or Yaris or small pickup... that's additional business opportunities.

Lifetime fuel usage: 2.1 GPC ( 1.99 recent )

I have an Isuzu TDi in my car, and it's a cracker of an engine. Quick and 50 mpg and can run on straight vegetable oil unmodified (in the summer).

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ecotech/ecot.htm