TOYOTA CARINA
Toyota's Carina was a handsome and refined compact car that featured a wide range of body styles. The Carina E was popular, particularly in the UK, where it became Toyota's best-selling car by the end of its life. Although it was discontinued after 2001, the Carina lives on in popular memory and on the roads by owners who have recognized it for its clean style, performance, and reliability. To find out more about this now hard-to-find classic, keep reading on.
Origin
The Carina was designed to sit between the existing Corolla and Camry and was released in Britain in 1971 alongside the Celica. If the Celica was the sportier sibling, the Carina was the more restrained and traditional one.
1st Generation (A10/A30; 1970-1977)
The first-generation Carina was available in a wide range of body styles and permutations, including two- and four-door sedans, a two-door coupe, and an estate. Its most characteristic features were its four round headlights and vertical rear lenses. The Carina was well equipped, boasting standard features such as tinted glass, contour reclining seats with integrated headrests, a push-button radio, and a luxurious loop-pile carpet. Its suspension was an independent strut/coil system at the front and a rigid 4-link coil type at the rear.
The first-generation Carina was powered by a 1.4L, three 1.6L, a 1.8L, and three 2.0L inline four-cylinder petrol. Transmissions were 3-, 4-, and 5-speed manuals and 2- and 3-speed automatics.
2nd Generation (A40/A50; 1977-1981)
The second-generation Carina, released in 1977, shared a similar chassis to the facelifted first-generation models. Its distinctive four-headlight setup and four body styles (depending on the market) were carried over. This generation's linear styling with clean lines was new. For the first time, fuel injection technology was also available as an option for the top-end models.
The second-generation Carina's engines were 1.4L, three 1.6Ls, two 1.8Ls, and three 2.0L inline four-cylinder mated to either 4/5-speed manuals or 3/4-speed automatics (depending on region and model year).
3rd Generation (A60; 1981-1988)
Angles took over the third generation's exterior, the preferred look of that time. This included a mew-slanted nose and square headlights that replaced the round units. Body styles available for the third generation were the 4-door sedan, 3-door hatchback coupe, Surf station wagon, and 5-door van.
The third generation received two 1.5Ls, four 1.6Ls, three 1.8Ls, a 2.0L inline four-cylinder petrol engine, and a 1.8L inline four-cylinder diesel engine.
4th Generation (T150; 1984-1988)
The fourth generation was the first Carina to come with the combination of front-wheel drive and transverse engines as standard configuration. To help differentiate it from the Carinas of the previous generations, the Carina was named the Carina II. Thanks to its attractive styling, spaciousness (even more than the earlier versions), reliability, and low cost of upkeep, among many others, the fourth-generation Carina II helped the nameplate bounce back from a sales decline experienced by its third generation.
The fourth generation's engines were 1.5L, two 1.6L, a 1.8L, a 2.0L inline four-cylinder petrol, and a 2.0L inline four-cylinder diesel.
5th Generation (T170; 1988-1992)
Toyota simplified the Carina for its fifth generation, reducing the number of body styles to the sedan, liftback, and estate and focusing on four key areas: a pleasant exterior that was aesthetically pleasing and provided performance benefits; performance across the board; spacious interior with excellent ergonomics; and high overall quality and reliability. They achieved these by smoothing the Carina's body surface, using the interior space more efficiently, and improving the engines. This generation was the first Carina to be offered a 4WD.
The fifth-generation Carina had two 1.5L, a 1.6L, a 1.8L, and a diesel 2.0L inline four-cylinder petrol engine.
6th Generation (T190; 1992-1996)
Although it grew in dimensions for a class-leading interior space, the Carina's body styles were reduced even further for the sixth generation, down to just the four-door sedan (the Caldina replaced the van and wagon models). Because it was positioned towards European drivers, it was called the Carina E.
The sixth generation's engines were a 1.5L, 1.6L, two 1.8Ls, a 2.0L inline four-cylinder, and a 2.0L inline four-cylinder diesel.
7th Generation (T210; 1996-2001)
Alas, all good things must come to an end. The seventh generation of the Carina was also its final version, produced only as a four-door sedan for the Japanese market. Many features and the overall body dimensions were unchanged. However, for the first time, the Carina adopted a newly developed body structure built in accordance with the GOA collision testing standards.
The engines were 1.5L, 1.6L, 1.8L, and 2.0L inline four-cylinder petrol and 2.0L and 2.2L inline four-cylinder turbo diesel.
Engine Performance & Technology
Engines used in the Toyota Carina are inherently reliable and incorporate many of Toyota's latest technologies (for their time) to deliver exceptional power and fuel efficiency. Highlights include the 1.6L 2T cross-flow engine of the first generation that produced 100 hp and was capable of 0-80 km/h in just 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 163 km/h, and also the 1.6L 4A-FE and 2.0L 3S-FE petrol engines of the fifth generation which received four-valves-per-cylinder, twin-cam architecture and fuel injection for more power, achieving even better fuel consumption and low- to mid-range response.
Safety & Reliability
The Carina is a safe and reliable vehicle. The list of standard equipment differs by generation, but you can expect safety features to be up-to-date or even advanced for their respective eras. For example, in its sixth generation, ABS, dual SRS airbags, ELR 3-point seatbelts in all five seating positions, and adjustable rear headrests are standard across the board.
Trim Configurations
Besides its standard level, the Carina has higher-grade trims, like the fifth-generation G limited, which has an upgraded high-performance 4A-GE engine, and the fourth-generation upper trim level, which has optional aerodynamic headlights.
Conclusion
Though no longer in production, the refined, compact Carina still delivers reliable performance you won't be ashamed of even today. Find your perfect Carina in excellent condition and at a hard-to-beat price here at BE FORWARD.
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