Toyota Sprinter


The Toyota Sprinter is a compact car manufactured by Toyota as a variant of the Corolla. Exclusively sold in the Japanese domestic market, the Sprinter was aimed to be sportier than its Corolla sibling and also using different sheet metal mostly on the C-pillar. The Sprinter was exclusive to Toyota Auto Store, while the Corolla is similarly unique to Toyota Corolla Store. In 1998 Toyota Auto Store was replaced by Netz Store.
The Sprinter is notable for being used as the base vehicle for two joint projects between Toyota and General Motors in the United States, known under GM as the S-car. From 1984 to 1997, variants of the Sprinter were manufactured by NUMMI in Fremont, California, known as the Chevrolet Nova and Geo Prizm.
Each generation of the Corolla had a corresponding Sprinter sibling, until the introduction of the E120-series Corolla in 2000. The Sprinter was indirectly replaced by a rebadged Corolla hatchback called Allex, which also sold at the Netz Store dealer network, and commercial Sprinter wagons were replaced by Probox.

First generation (E10; 1968)

The first generation Sprinter was introduced in April 1968, thirteen months after the introduction of the regular first generation Corolla. The car was marketed as a fastback coupé version of the Corolla and sold at Japanese dealership sales channel called Toyota Auto Store. and Corolla was sold at a different dealership in Japan called Toyota Corolla Store. This was the only version to include the word "Corolla" in its name.
In Japan, the coupé was offered in three trim levels; Standard, Deluxe and SL. The Standard and Deluxe trims differed in equipment options such as radio, boot mat and metallic body paint. The SL trim, based on the Deluxe trim, added front disc brake, tachometer, console box, bullet-shaped wing mirrors and SL badge on the front grille.
Like the rest of the E10 Corolla range, the coupé was originally powered by a 1077 cc K engine, producing. The sporty SL trim was equipped with more powerful high compression dual carburetors K-B engine, producing. The K engine was paired with either 4-speed manual or a 2-speed "Toyoglide" automatic transmission, while the K-B engine in the SL trim was only available with floor shift manual transmission.
In February 1969, a minor facelift was introduced with larger amber front turn signals, a standard front 3-point seatbelt, headrest, interior improvement and a new SL emblem design. Another improvement occurred in September 1969 with a bigger 1166 cc 3K engine with output, while the SL trim was also upgraded with 3K-B high compression dual carburetors engine, generating. The "Corolla" name was also dropped from the brochure, but the emblems on the grille and front wings were retained. This new model with 1.2 L engine now bearing KE17 code.
The Corolla Sprinter was also sold in Europe and North America as a part of Corolla's range.

Second generation (E20; 1970)

In May 1970, the Sprinter was released as the sister car of the second generation Corolla coupé, as the coupé was no longer exclusive to Sprinter. Toyota had promised its Toyota Corolla Store dealers in Japan that they would receive exclusive rights to sell the Corolla. In order to sell through the Toyota Auto Store dealer network, the Sprinter was no longer bearing Corolla nameplate, even though the differences were mostly cosmetic. The wagon/van version of Corolla was not available for the Sprinter
The 3K/3K-B engines were inherited from the previous generation, with additional high compression single carburettor 3K-D and low compression dual carburetors 3K-BR engines. A 1407 cc T engine was added to the line up in September 1970, followed by more powerful T-B/BR/D engines for sporty SL/SR models which could be paired with new 5-speed manual transmission option in April 1971. The 4-door sedan version of Sprinter debuted in August 1971, together with the facelifted coupé. range received the 1588 cc, DOHC 2T-G engine in March 1972; this model was known as the Sprinter Trueno, the twin of the Corolla Levin. Another facelift occurred in August 1972, the 5-speed manual became available for the sporty SL/SR grades with 1.2 L 3K-B/BR engines and additional bumper extensions for the 1.4 L coupés. The coupé The OHV dual carburetors version of 2T-G engine called 2T-B/BR was launched in April 1973 specially for SL, SR and cheaper model of Sprinter Trueno called the "Sprinter Trueno J".

Third generation (E40, E60; 1974)

April 1974 brought the third generation Sprinter based on the third generation E30 Corolla 2-door coupé and 4-door sedan. Once again, the differences between the Corolla and Sprinter were mostly cosmetic. The sedans received a more formal upright grille, while the coupé received a sleeker, aerodynamic looking frontal treatment.
The Corollas were given E30–38 codes while the Sprinters were given corresponding E41–47 codes, making it the only generation that did not bear same chassis codes as Corolla. A three-door shooting brake style liftback with the coupé's front end was added to the line up in January 1976.
In 1976 in Japan, due to tightening emission standards, all engines with dual carburettors were deleted from the line up and replaced emission compliant engines. Engines with "U" suffix used the TTC-C catalytic converter system. Some engines, such as the 1.6 L 12T engine used the TTC-L technology. These Japanese market vehicles became the E60 series.
In January 1977, a minor facelift was introduced along with an additional hardtop coupé variant and the return of Trueno with the new fuel injected 1.6 L 2T-GEU, which was also added to the liftback GT. Another round of emission tweaks happened again in mid 1977, with the introduction of the 1.3 L 4K-U engine as the new standard for the base models, replacing the smaller 1.2 L 3K-U engine. The short-lived 12T engine was also refined to become the 12T-U using the TTC-C catalytic converter system. The Sprinter underwent its second facelift in April 1978, which can be identified by its thick shock-absorbing bumpers.

Fourth generation (E70; 1979)

The 1979 fourth generation Sprinter was based on the fourth generation Corolla coupé, 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and 3-door liftback, without the 2-door sedan and wagon/van variants again. As before, the differences were cosmetic — the Corollas had a simpler treatment of the grille, head lights and tail lights while the Sprinter used a slightly more complex, sculpted treatment. The 1.4 T engine was replaced by a bigger 1.5 L 3A-U, and a 1.6 L fuel injected 2T-GEU engine became available for every body styles as GT variants. In August 1979, a 1.8 L 13T-U petrol engine was introduced.
The Sprinter received a facelift with a wedge-shaped nose in August 1981. The front end of this facelift model was later reused for the facelift model of Australian and European markets E70 Corolla. The obsolete 2-speed automatic transmission for 1.3 L 4K-U engine was replaced by a 3-speed unit and also the 1.8 L 13T-U engine was discontinued due to poor sales. In February 1982, the 1.8 L engine was reintroduced for sedan only, but as diesel engine called 1C, which was the first diesel engine for the Sprinter/Corolla range and could be paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission option.

Fifth generation (E80; 1983)

The fifth generation Sprinter was based on the 1983 fifth generation E80 Corolla range. Like the Corolla, the model line was split into FWD and RWD models.
Unlike the 5-door liftback which had minimum exterior differences, the [|E80] Sprinter sedan was designed with different sheet metal on the rear part. It got two additional windows on the C-pillars and different tail lamps which was placed a little higher due the higher boot position. The 3/5-door "FX" hatchbacks were not available for Sprinter. From this generation forward, the 2-door coupé and 3-door liftback body styles were now exclusive to the Sprinter Trueno/Corolla Levin range.
In October 1984, a high performance GT model was added to the line up and only available as sedan. It was powered by a 1.6 L DOHC 16-valve 4A-GELU engine, the same engine that was similar to the 1.6 L 4A-GEU engine that powered the popular AE86 Sprinter Trueno/Corolla Levin. Minor facelifts occurred with new exterior styling in May 1985. The 1.3 L 2A-LU and 1.6 L 4A-ELU engines were also discontinued, with the former being replaced by the 12-valve 1.3 L 2E-LU engine.
The four-door sedan and the five-door liftback were also manufactured in Fremont, California and sold for the North American market under the resurrected name of Chevrolet Nova, the first of several Toyotas built by General Motors known as their S-platform under license at NUMMI.

Sixth generation (E90; 1987)

The sixth generation Sprinter was shared with the sixth generation E90 Corolla range, introduced in May 1987. The E90 series was the first generation with Full-time 4WD option. The Sprinter was offered as a 6-window sedan as before, 5-door liftback called Sprinter Cielo and a rebadged Corolla commercial van. The van was the first in the Sprinter history, although the Corolla also gained a passenger oriented wagon version as well. The Sprinter got more upmarket four-wheel drive wagon version called Sprinter Carib and exported as Corolla 4WD wagon.
The E90 sedan and "Cielo" liftback were introduced first in May 1987, with three petrol engine options; carburetted 1.3 L 2E, 1.5 L 5A-F and high performance fuel injected 1.6 L "red & black top" 4A-GE. A full-time AWD version of the sedan, powered by a 1.6 L 4A-F engine was introduced later in October. Another Sprinter range was added to the line up in August 1988, with the additional commercial van model. This model had exclusive 1.5 L 3E petrol engine and 1.8 L 1C-II diesel engine as option.
The facelift arrived for Sprinter sedan and liftback in May 1989. The sedan also received 1.5 L fuel injected 5A-FE petrol engine from Cielo, 4A-FE from Sprinter Carib for AWD models and also a revised 1.8 L 1C-III diesel engines shared with the commercial van. The 1.6 L 4A-GE engine was also replaced by the "red top" version, boosting the power from. Another engine options for sedan were introduced in August 1989, a new 5A-FHE engine for top FWD models and a 2.0 L 2C-III diesel engine for AWD models.
Like the older E80 series-based Chevrolet Nova, the E90 series was also used as the basis of North American market Sprinter-based sedan and liftback with slightly different front end called the Geo Prizm.