Toyota CELICA BLUE SPECIAL EDITION
Toyotas Celica Has Been A Firm Favourite With British Motorists For A Long Time. Will The Latest Model Blue Range Maintain Its Appeal? Steve Ghosley Reports
If Blue Is The Colour, then Toyotas Celica coupe is very possibly your car. For the time being anyway. The special edition Celica Blue line-up were looking at here offers a special colour-co-ordinated feel in, yes youve guessed it, with plush upholstery and added equipment.
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The Celica coupe has always been a firm favourite with the British car-buying public as it combines Toyotas reliable engineering with sharp styling and sporty road manners with a starting price of well under £20,000. By creating these value-for-money versions,
Toyota are hoping to maintain the current interest in the Celica and boost sales. There are two models in this particular special edition line-up, namely the Celica Blue and the Celica Premium Blue. Both come with the impressive 140bhp 1.
8-litre VVTi engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. The Blue can be distinguished from its humbler standard range sibling by its 17-inch alloy wheels with unique blue centre caps and T Sport-style rear spoiler, accoutrements that most buyers will doubtless hanker after. Inside the Blue adds a Sony six-disc CD multichanger as well as two-tone blue and granite leather upholstery with door inserts. The Celica Premium Blue model is enhanced further with the inclusion of a sunroof and climate control automatic air-conditioning.
Both cars in the range are offered in Astral Black or optional Crystal Silver and Lagoon Blue metallic.
"the Yamaha-designed VVT-i 1794cc unit is, on paper at least, anything but slow."
The Celica has been upgraded in recent times with a whole package of tweaks to make it stand out on the road and in the showroom. Modifications have been made to both front and rear shock absorbers in order to create a flatter, more comfortable ride, while at the same time improving traction. Changes have also been made to the steering to create a more responsive feel, while small aerodynamic modifications have resulted in superior high-speed stability by reducing rear lift. The overall effect is a more planted feel on the road.
There are bigger front brake discs too. The Celica Blue range features the recent styling changes that run to a revised front grille, a bigger badge and restyled front and rear lamps. Inside, the darker interior colour scheme of graphite and blue leather create what Toyota hope is a higher quality feel to the cabin. Theres revised
seat trim too, updated heating controls and nicer coloured lighting for the ancillary switchgear and the audio unit.
The two main reasons why people buy Celicas remain unchanged. First, that wonderful high-revving 1.8-litre engine. And second, that unmistakable sharp-edged styling - still clean, aggressive and particularly stunning from a front three-quarter view.
The range of two starts with the Blue priced at £18,650. Toyota reckon that the built-in extras would cost £1,000 if added to the Celica Style, the car that the Blue is based on, yet the increase in price over the Style equivalent model is only £500. It is a similar case with the Premium Blue at £19,150, which benefits from £1,500 of additional equipment but only costs £1,000 more than the Celica Style and Premium model on which it is based. Don't let the comparative lack of power put you off buying the 140bhp Blue. Absolute power has corrupted many a cleverly conceived coupe. In any case, the Yamaha-designed VVT-i 1794cc unit is, on paper at least, anything but slow. Indeed, this 1.
8-litre 140bhp Celica's 0-62mph time of 8.7s comfortably beats most other rivals. You can get the most from it too, thanks to the smooth six-speed manual gearbox. Older Celicas tended to suffer from premium pricing but this car seems likely to prove a much more sensible proposition.
For one thing, Celicas tend to hold their value. For another, the combined fuel consumption figure of nearly 37mpg and the 185g/km emissions figure should make the Toyota the cheapest car in its class to run. Though there's enough legroom for a couple of adults to sit in the back, headroom is at more of a premium. Having said that, the given space is a lot less cramped than that offered by rivals like Audis TT or Alfas GTV. We could go on to talk about split-folding rear seats and useful luggage space but we'd be in danger of coming over all practical. For a while, it looked as if the new breed of powerful upstart hot hatches would put a major dent in Celica sales figures, offering more performance per pound. It seems as if the British car buying public are more educated than they often get credit for, understanding the Celica to be a scalpel sharp and beautifully balanced car, even with just 140bhp under the bonnet. The latest range of revisions should be enough to keep the car on most shortlists, and the Blue version we examine here looks destined to keep the success story running.
The Celica, in one form or another, has been on sale in the UK for more than thirty years now and like George Girshwins song, its popularity remains enduring.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Toyota Celica Blue special edition range
PRICE: £18,650-£19,150 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 185g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph 8.7s / Max Speed 127mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 27.4mpg / (extra urban) 45.6mpg / (combined) 36.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height (mm) 4335/1735/1432
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