How Toyota VALVEMATIC technology works

Every auto manufacturer has a collection of jargon to describe proprietary technology and design: VTEC, SKYACTIV, Fluidic Sculpture. One you may have heard of recently is Toyota’s VALVEMATIC, found in the latest 2017 Toyota Corolla.

This performance and efficiency-boosting feature can be experienced specifically in the Corolla LE ECO trim. Launched in other markets previously, VALVEMATIC made its North American debut in 2014 when the eleventh-generation model was first launched.

Enhancing the company’s Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) system — which continuously varies the timing of the opening and closing of intake valves depending on the driving demands to improve output, VALVEMATIC is also able to automatically adjust the amount of lift based on engine conditions.

Basically, this means if the vehicle is cruising along in the city with minimal load on the motor, the valve opens up less, using less gas and improving consumption. At higher speeds, more lift is initiated, increasing intake of air and fuel to help get things moving along quicker. Other benefits of the setup include a smoother process of drawing air into the cylinder and more stable combustion meaning fewer CO2 emissions.

As a result, efficiency is improved by five to 10 per cent, and engine performance by at least 10 per cent. Again using the Corolla as an example, the LE ECO makes 140 horsepower while standard trim levels produce 132. Fuel consumption in mixed city and highway use is 6.8 L/100 km, compared to 7.3 L/100 km in the normal non-VALVEMATIC-equipped LE, both variants mated a Continuously Variable Transmission with intelligent Shift (CVTi-S).

Still curious? Talk to one of our product advisors at any of our 4 Toyota locations located in: Richmond, Port Moody, Abbotsford, and Peace Arch.