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The name 'Celica' has identified Toyota's sporty coupe for 30 years. Originally built and perceived in the Seventies as a soft, well-equipped and stylish two-door, the mid-Eighties introduction of the excellent handling front-wheel drive model changed that image to one associated more with sports cars. Throw the turbo four-wheel drive GT-4 into the ring - along with its resulting success in world rallying - and there was no doubt that image and reality were being dramatically changed.
And, we'd say, changed for the better!
Subsequent to that, the models came and went, with every iteration becoming more curvaceous but unfortunately also losing performance and that new-found hard edge. The GT-4 disappeared from the model line-up and the naturally aspirated engines that remained drew more from the Camry school of design than the whistling roar of turbocharged machinery powering through forests...
Then the current model entered. A dramatic change in styling to 21st Century California-penned hard edges and lines, the seventh generation Celica trumpets renewed performance in every line of Toyota's press releases:
Smaller, lighter and with 40 per cent more power than the previous model!
0-100 slashed by nearly 2 seconds!
Six-speed manual or the first Toyota auto transmission in Australia with Formula One-type electronic shift!
And so it went on.... You could be forgiven that here was a genuine GT-4 Celica replacement.
Recently we got ourselves into a ZR Celica, curious to find out how well the publicity prose matches current reality. And the short answer to that? The Celica is a comfortable and sporty coupe, with excellent handling, a good equipment level and typically superb Toyota/Lexus build quality. But a grunting sports car? Nope....
And a major part of that role retrieval revolves around the engine.
Technically very advanced, the Yamaha-built 2ZZ-GE 1.8-litre (yes, you need to go back a long time to find a Celica with an engine so small!) is state of the art - from its all-alloy cylinder block to its variable valve timed head. Tech highlights include metal matrix composite cylinder liners, a full ladder-type main bearing girdle, serpentine belt drive for the accessories, and iron- and tin-coated flat-topped pistons giving an 11.5:1 compression ratio.
Topping all of that is the DOHC head that features a variable intake manifold and Toyota's VVTi variable valve lift and timing cam control. The latter system takes two approaches. Firstly, it constantly varies the timing of the intake cam, being able to seamlessly alter valve overlap from 4 degrees to a massive 94 degrees! In addition, the valve lift changes in one step with the engine switching to high-lift camshaft settings at 6000 rpm. The high-lift cam increase exhaust valve lift by 38 per cent and intake valve lift by a staggering 54 per cent!
Developing no less than 140kW from a naturally aspirated 1.8 litres is certainly going to require lots of revs, and in that regard the Celica doesn't disappoint. Peak power arrives at a screaming 7600 rpm, while less fortunately peak torque is also right up there as well, with 180Nm at 6800 rpm!
Perhaps with the six speed manual trans there is adequate engine response at all revs, but with the tested four-speed auto, the screaming 1.8 can be caught with a big-time dose of the torque shorts. Despite the fact that the U240E automatic trans boasts steering wheel up/down buttons, an electronic shift-control function to limit gear hunting on hills and winding roads, and a latest design 'super-flow' torque converter, there's not a lot it can do when there's little torque being developed by the engine.
That's not to say that the car is a lethargic lump - on part throttle it is sweetly progressive, able to keep up with normal traffic and perform excellently-timed downshifts to get past other cars on the open road. But try to take part in a traffic light grand prix and you'll find that off the line the Celica's 140kW feels literally more like 100. We measured a 0-100 time in the low elevens, while the manual trans model is apparently good for times more like 7.6 seconds! Below 3000 rpm the engine is flat, from three to six thousand rpm it starts to wake up, then abruptly at 6000 rpm it changes character and performance into a screaming firebrand. Unfortunately, a gearchange then always has to happen, which drops the engine revs straight back into the just-average performance available in the mid-range. Perhaps the six-speed can keep the engine always on the 6000+ rpm boil...
Of course, if you chose to push the lever across to the right and drive the auto manually with the steering wheel buttons, you have much more control over how the engine develops its power. Keep the car in second gear, for example, and drive it in the 'screaming firebrand' mode and those 140kW become real enough. The gearbox reacts very quickly to the button commands and with the incorporation of tricky stuff like the retarding of the ignition timing to momentarily drop engine power on pushbutton downshifts, it's a smooth system indeed.
And why would you ever be driving this type of car like that?
Well, around the twisty bits the Celica is simply exceptionally good. The leather-bound steering wheel connects to a power system with a meaty feel; add in just 2.9 turns lock to lock (together with a reasonable turning circle) and the Celica powers into corners with alacrity. In fact, the car is almost Peugeot-like in its cornering composure - the grip from the ZR's 205/50 Yokohama Advans is excellent, while the relatively long travel suspension (the upside of its visually awkward ride height) takes a lot of bump to throw the car off-line. All-new rear double wishbones and an improved MacPherson strut front-end (complete with 'linear control valve' dampers unique to the Australian car) deliver a firm ride that smooths out at faster speeds. While it is the front end that will always slide first, the Celica's handling prowess will keep many a more expensive car honest in the twisties. And another way of saying that is to make the point that in emergency swerve-and-recovers, the Celica is very competent.
Open the long doors and you'll find the cabin a well-equipped and comfortable place. Well, for the front seat occupants, anyway. You need to remember that this Celica is actually smaller and lighter (at 1155kg) than the previous model, and while Toyota suggest that interior space is up, inside it's not a roomy car. The boot is long but shallow (albeit it does hide a full-size spare and some storage compartments under the false floor), while rear seat room is simply claustrophobically cramped. The rising waistline means that the rear (non-opening windows) are tiny, while the front seats retreat far enough to almost touch the rear seat squab. Curiously, the hatch is so long - and the window angle so shallow - that rear occupants have their heads beneath the hatch glass, rather than under the roof lining. Either way, rear accommodation is for adult emergency use or small children only - better to keep the rear seat folded flat and to think of the car as a two-seater. Up front the room is better, although for tall people headroom will be a problem. Visibility is also limited, with thick A-pillars and an over-the-shoulder check difficult, with rear three-quarter vision poor.
However, the front seats are very good and there's plenty of equipment to keep occupants entertained. The ZR-standard sound system uses a neat in-dash 6-stacker CD together with radio and cassette functions. The double-DIN unit works through six speakers and sounds quite competent. Above the head unit is a large lidded compartment which we assume in Japan houses a satellite nav screen - and could be returned to that function with an aftermarket system or Toyota's own local optional upgrade. The instruments and controls are a mix of Toyota-generic (eg the effective and sophisticated cruise control) and Celica-specific (eg the orange-on-black instruments which incorporate some analog-style reverse-LCD gauges for odometer, fuel and temperature). The overall result is good-looking and largely effective, although we wish that a less fussy font had been chosen for the speedo and tacho numerals.
Convenience and safety functions in the ZR are everywhere - the remote won't lock the car until the doors and hatch are shut properly; the interior light normally stays on for 15 seconds when the car is unlocked and - irrespective of the door position - will extinguish itself after 20 minutes if the key is not in the ignition; the cruise control actuator operates the throttle butterfly directly so that the accelerator pedal doesn't move with cruise adjustments; there are flashing seat belt warnings for both the driver and passenger; the four airbag system uses sophisticated three-sensor control; and the ABS incorporates an Australian-developed gravel road mode.
The Celica is well built and durable (the test car had just under 20,000km on it and felt absolutely brand new in every respect), with an exciting engine a little mismatched in this case to an automatic transmission.
But the car handles beautifully and is a stylish and well-equipped package - and for many prospective buyers, that will be enough in itself.
Brand new it'll set you back a pricey $47,600, while as you would expect, prices are holding up well on the used car market.
Thanks to:
Gold Coast Rover MG for providing the test car. Contact 07 5593 5551
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