Toyota Sprinter Coupe

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32215, 6 February 1970, Page 11

Toyota Sprinter Coupe

r It is only comparatively ' recently that Japanese sports saloons and coupes have started to appear in this country, and one of the most recent to come on the market is the Toyota Sprinter two-door coupe, a very well-equipped small car which costs $2958, $llO9 of which must be in overseas funds.

For this price one gets as standard a considerable amount of equipment that is usually optional. This includes a push-button radio, tinted glass all round, heater, screen-washers, headrests, reclining seats, cigarette lighter and reversing lights. The car as tested had a 1077 c.c. engine producing about 79 b.h.p., but the latest models will have an 1166 c.c. unit producing 83 b.h.p. at 6600 r.p.m. and correspondingly greater torque. The Sprinter has reclining individual front seats, and to get into the back, one must push the reclining mechanism lever and fold the back of one of the front seats forward. Entry is no more difficult than with most two-door cars. With the driver’s seat right back—and all but the shortest drivers will almost certainly want it right back —there is just adequate leg and bead-room for an adult In the rear seat The seats are comfortable particularly those in the front which also give a good degree of lateral location during cornering. The boot is not particularly large, but provides a fair amount of luggage space. Inside the car, there is a small shallow oddments tray behind the gear-lever, a large glove-box in front of the front passenger, and a parcel tray under the dash.

Under the bonnet, the accessibility of the normal service points is particularly good. INSTRUMENTS The Sprinter’s dash is top ped by a heavy roll of padding, and the face of the dash, except where there are instruments, is of painted metal. From the left, there is the glovebox, then a central panel carrying the push-but-ton radio, the heater slides, the cigarette lighter and wiper-washer knob, and the excellent slide control for the choke. The main instrument panel is finished in a mockwood material. It carries three large dials, the speedometer and trip-meter, another dial with fuel and water gauges and lights for oil pressure and alternator charge, and the tachometer dial.

The tachometer is redlined at 6750 r.p.m., which corresponds to about 29 miles an hour in first gear, 53 miles an hour in second, and about 78 miles an hour in third. In addition to the other instruments, there are warning lights for the handbrake, main beam, and indicators. The headlights knob is on the extreme right of the panel, and the stalk on the right of the steering column controls the dipswitch, indicators, and the headlight flasher. The unusually feeble horns are controlled by a large padded push-button in the centre of the alloy-spoked, mock-wood steering wheel. The top of the dash has a vinyl covering for part of its width, and black-painted metal nearer the screen itself. The paint, however, is not matt enough, and this part of the dash top occasionally reflects annoyingly in the screen. There are grab-handles on the roof for all the passengers. There is an airextractor vent on the left rear of the car, but there are no face-level vents. The handbrake is on the central tunnel, behind the console, and on the lower edge of

the dash above the gearlever there is a drawer-type ashtray. There are individual ashtrays for the rear passengers.

There is a courtesy light built into the mirror base, and the mirror itself gives an excellent view to the rear, and is supplemented by streamlined mirrors on each wing. Otherwise visibility is generally good, although the screen pillars are rather thick and it is not possible to see the rear extremity of the car from the driver’s seat. The wipers clear a good area of the screed, and have two speeds. The screen washers, as is usual with Japanese cars but certainly not with British ones, produce an excellent volume of water. CONTROLS The Sprinter’s pedals are quite well positioned, but the treadle-type accelerator pedal is too close to the brake, so that although heel-and-toe operation is easy, it is also easy to catch the welt of one’s shoe under the edge of the acclerator treadle when coming off the brake, although fortunately it is less easy to catch one's shoe under the brake when coming off the accelerator. The driving position is good, and the mock-wood rim of the steering wheel is rgther more pleasant to handle on a hot day than the usual plastic wheel, but is not as comfortable as genuine timber. The Sprinter is a very pleasant car to drive. The noise level is reasonable — about average for a car of this size—and the performance is brisk. The gear change, although fairly long in its movements, is particularly good, with effective but completely unobstructive syncromesh on all four gears. The clutch is light but a little sudden, and tne brakes —there are discs on the front wheels—are progressive and not too heavy. The ride is quite firm but comfortable, there is little roll, and the steering is just light enough and quite direct with 3.3 turns from lock to lock for a 30ft turning circle. There is a fair amount of feel in the steering.

Although the tachometer is red-lined at 6750 r.p.m., the engine sounds a little busy over about 5500 r.p.m., but it does not sound strained, and will pull smoothly up to the maximum.

In spite of the two large twin-choke carburettors, the accelerator movement and response is progressive and the pressures required are low. The engine is flexible enough to pull happily from as low as 20 m.p.h. in top gear, but for best results one should use the gears, as one would expect with a car of this type.

BRAKING The handbrake had no trouble locking the rear wheels in a 20 pi-P-h. downhill stop, and in a 50 m.p.h. panic stop the car pulled up with only a very slight slew: something that would probably disappear with a little weight in the back. Apart from a slight smell, the brakes showed absolutely no ill-effects after severe use.

The handling is particularly safe. Initially there is a light but noticeable understeer, which persists to quite high cornering speeds before becoming neutral. One would have to corner exceptionally hard to provoke oversteer on a dry road. When it does occur it comes in very progressively, and the inside rear wheel tends to lift and

cause the car to lose some of its speed. All in all the Toyota Sprinter is a very pleasant and well-mannered little sports coupe, and one which in spite of its fairly high price—largely a result of duties—is likely to find favour with many buyers seeking a vehicle of this type. TECHNICAL ■nglna: As tested, water cooled four cylinder overhead valve unit, bore 75 mm. stroke 61 mm, 1077 c.c., compression ratio 9.0 to 1, 79 b.h.p. at 6600 r.p.m.. 615 ft lbs torque at 3800 r.p.m.. twin two-choke downdraught carburettors. 7.9 gallon fuel tank. Now models will have 1166 c.c. engine producing 83 b.h.p. at 6600 r.p.m., compression ratio 10 to 1, torque 75 ft lb at 4600 r.p.m. Transmission: AlLsyncromesh four-speed gearbox, floor-mounted change, aingle dry plate diaphragm spring clutch with mechanical actuation. Suspension: Front, independent by coil springs, wishbones and transverse leaf springs; rear, semi-elliptic leaf springs. Brakes: Hydraulic, discs front and drums rear. Handbrake on rear wheels. Steering: Worm and sector, turning circle 30ft. 3.3 turns lock to lock. Dimensions: Length. 151. Sin; width. 58.5 in; height, 53in; wheelbase, 90in; ground clearance. 6.7 m. Performance: Makers’ figures. 1077 c.c. model, top speed 90 m.p.h., max. cruising speed 78 m.p.h.; 1166 c.c. model: top speed 100 m.p.h., max. cruising speed 85 m.p.h., 0 to 60 m.p.h. in 11.4 sec, standing quarter-mile in 17.8 sec. (Test car made available by Cable Price Corporation. Ltd.)