What they said when the Toyota Celica was new… (May 10 2000)
DESPITE the sextet of syllables, the words Toyota Celica slip very easily off the tongue in very much the same way as the car itself performs its roadway work.
The Toyota Celica has been on the motoring scene in varying forms since 1971 and has now metamorphosed into a graceful looking coupe with head-turning looks and light and nimble driveability.
This Toyota range has four models on offer, three of which, the entry model, Style and Premium derivatives, come powered by 140bhp 1.8-litre VVTi petrol engines, while the range-topping Celica T Sport has a 189bhp version of the 1.8 power source.
While the flagship T Sport also comes with Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control with Brake Assist, its stablemates are not quite so well equipped, but I found the Celica Premium test car to be still generously kitted out for three grand less.
On board the Premium model you will find digital climate control air con, electric sunroof, electric windows with driver's single-shot up and down, heated electric door mirrors and a fully integrated radio and CD system, which should suit most people's interpretation of a pretty generous toy box.
For safety's sake, there are dual front airbags on board, driver and front seat passenger side airbags, electronic sensing front seat belt pretensioners with force limiters plus side impact door beams.
The inside story is one of more than a touch of class with good quality facia plastics and trim materials. Darker, more sober colours with contrasting inlays have been used to good effect, there is new coloured lighting to help make control buttons for sound and air con systems easier on the eye while the switchgear has a slick feel to it.
There are a number of places on board for your bits and bobs including a rear parcel shelf, a large lockable glove box, centre console storage, front door bins and a centre tunnel storage area for CDs.
In addition, there is nothing cramped about the luggage bay which, surprisingly for the genre, swallows a goodly amount of cargo through its large, liftback rear door which makes loading and unloading a pretty practical exercise.
The Celica Premium model also features the welcoming feel of leather covering the high-backed, figure-hugging sports seats in which the driver sits low and almost straight legged behind a leather-clad tiller which tilts to help provide an agreeable driving position as you look along the imposing line of the bulging, businesslike bonnet.
However, headroom could pose a problem for some, particularly if you have to slide the front passenger seat forward to provide more space for rear seat passengers. Still, the Celica doesn't pretend to be anything other than a 2+2, a model in which the rear seats are really only for occasional use.
On the tarmac, mounted on 16-inch alloys, the Toyota Celica still merits celebrity status, judging by the head-turning as you drive along.
The 1.8-litre VVTi engine, while not searingly fast in strictly supercar terms, is sufficiently gutsy to enable you to enjoy a hugely capable chassis set-up which provides a high level of poise and control.
This 16-valver kicks in 140bhp at 6,400rpm and provides 125lb/ft of torque at 4,200rpm. With a six-speed, smooth-slotting manual gearshift transferring power to the front wheels, the Celica will take you from 0-62mph in under nine seconds, en route to a top speed where legally allowable, of 127mph, in surprisingly economical fashion.
Linking together a series of twisty bits is sheer joy. The smooth and accurate power steering adds its weight to a gripping performance and supple ride to help you swiftly change direction. It's an extremely rewarding drive, whatever the roadway conditions.
Overall, this Toyota Celica is an eye-catching, curvy coupe, well stacked with driver appeal while feeling impressively composed in its roadway work at all times.
Words: Malcolm Robertshaw
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