The Toyota E engine family is a straight-four piston engine series, and uses timing belts rather than chains. The E engines were the first multi-valve engines from Toyota designed with economy, practicality and everyday use in mind. Like many other Toyota engines from the era, the E engine series features a cast iron block, along with an aluminium cylinder head. E engines are lighter than earlier Toyota engines, due to the hollow crankshaft, thinned casting of the cylinder block, and several other reductions in auxiliaries as well as in the engine itself. Carbureted versions include a newly designed, variable-venturi carburetor. All of these changes improved economy and emissions. The members of the E engine family, range from 1.0 L to 1.5 L. The E family supplanted the K engines in most applications. A large number of parts in the E engine series are interchangeable between each other.

The Toyota K series is an inline-four engine that was produced from 1966 through 2007. It is a two-valve pushrod engine design. It was originally built from the Toyota Kamigo plant in Toyota City factory in Japan.