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Now, the Celica Mk7 is a modern classic and while many are owned as second cars, there are still quite a few that are daily drivers, which just goes to show how usable these eye-catching coupés are.
History
Shown at the January 1999 Detroit motor show as a concept, it was later that year, in November, that the final iteration of the Celica reached the market. It came with a 1.8-litre petrol engine rated at 140bhp, but a year later a 189bhp edition was added to the range, badged Celica 190. The Celica 1.8T Sport arrived in August 2001, with a sportier design inside and out; mechanically it was a Celica 190.
Updates at the end of 2002 brought minor adjustments for the interior and exterior, as well as the brakes and suspension.
The 190 was discontinued and the range now consisted of the Celica, Premium, Style and T Sport; all featured the 140bhp engine except for the 189bhp T Sport. The Red and Blue special editions of April and July 2004 respectively were based on the Celica 140, while the limited-run GT of July 2005 used the T Sport as its starting point.
On the road
The Celica is sure-footed with crisp steering and sharp handling, helped by a kerbweight of just 1,185kg. When it was launched, it featured an all-new 16-valve 1.8-litre engine that powered the front wheels, but in 140bhp form it’s short of torque and suffers from high gearing.
The 189bhp edition addresses this with more power and shorter gear ratios, but these make it noisier on the motorway, and thirsty. But if you want some fun, it’s definitely the Celica 190 that you should be seeking out.
Which one should I buy?
Facelifted cars from late 2002 have a higher-quality interior and bigger front brakes, while the T Sport also came with ESP, brake assist and traction control. The 189bhp engine doesn’t feel all that torquey, but we’d always opt for one of these over the 140bhp alternative, which doesn’t seem worthy of such a sharp-looking coupé. All Celicas came with a six-speed manual gearbox; any automatic is a grey import.