Description
In January 1999, Toyota unveiled an exciting-looking coupe named XYR at the Detroit Motor Show, and soon after, it launched the production version of it, the seventh generation of the Celica.
The Celica nameplate began its journey back in 1970 as a coupe and a three-door hatchback based on the same platform as the Toyota Carina. Over the next generations, the sporty coupe became a sensation in motorsports, both in the World Rally Championship and in the IMSA. Famous drivers, such as Bjorn Waldegard, Carlos Sainz, Dan Gurney, and Robert Huffman, drove the car to the highest places on the podiums. With such a great racing record, Toyota introduced the seventh generation of this nameplate on the market in 1999 for the 2000 model year.
Designed at Toyota's CALTY Design Centre in Newport Beach, California, the seventh generation of the Celica surprises everyone due to its aggressive front fascia that dropped the rounded shapes of the sixth generation. Its triangular, swept-back headlights and the carmaker's badge placed inside a small-sized scoop on the bumper looked unusual. In addition, the upper air intake tried to create the image of a sports car. Last but not least, the lower bumper featured an apron where the main cooling area was placed and was flanked by a set of side scoops for the available fog lamps.
From its profile, the sporty-looking Celica revealed a set of creases and sharp lines that emphasized the curved lines of the roofline and waistline. The raked windshield was followed by a short roof and a very long, sloped-down tailgate. While the designers looked very inspired when they made the car's front and profile, it looked like they lost their inspiration when they had to pen the rear end. Two small-sized taillights flanked the wide tailgate, and a tall bumper completed the aspect of the rear fascia.
Inside, Toyota created an attractive-looking dashboard fitted with a small-sized but logical instrument cluster. The speedometer took center stage and was flanked by the tachometer on the left and by digital gauges on the right. It looked spectacular for those times. Unfortunately, the quality of the materials was not what customers expected from the Celica. But still, they could get the car with a set of leather-wrapped sports seats that could sweeten the deal. In the back, the bench seat profiled for two offered just enough room for carrying children back and forth on short trips, but the headroom was limited for adult-sized occupants.
But the most disappointing part of the Celica's seventh generation was found under its skin. Unlike its previous two generations, it wasn't available with an all-wheel drive or a turbocharged version. Toyota offered the car with a choice of two engines with the same 1.8-liter displacement that provided less than 200 ponies in the highest version. For the lower-powered version, the Celica was available with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, while the top-spec version was offered with a six-speed manual only.
