Toyota Caldina GT-4

Impressive.

That was the first word to come to my mind as I approached the Toyota Caldina GT-4. Now, this may seem strange to many American readers. "Impressive" is rarely a word that we associate with wagons, especially ones powered by 2-liter engines. However, in Japan, small engine performance is in, in almost all packages. The 2-liter performance wagon class is in here. Subaru has the Forester Cross Sports, Nissan has the Wingroad and Presage (Presage actually comes with either a 2.5-liter or a 3.5-liter), and Toyota has the Caldina.

Upon getting into the Caldina, I noted something that evokes a sense of nostalgia from 3rd generation Trans Am days: Ricaro seats. Nice support for throwing the car around. The instrumentation was stylish and fit the feel of the car well. The gauge cluster was sufficient with speedo and tach, but I personally would have liked to see an oil pressure gauge. The vehicle is equipped with a sport-shift transmission, incase you feel like going "manual". Possibly taking a cue from Subaru, the GT-4 is four-wheel drive with advanced traction control.

The supplemental equipment was there in abundance: computer DVD-ROM navigation with voice control, full climate control with outside thermometer, CD and MD player, TV receiver (for the nav-screen), and, of course, a clock. Well equipped I would have to say. While a driver doesn't need distractions, watching a bit of TV while one waits for an endless traffic jam to clear is quite an attractive proposition. As for optional equipment, you can have cameras mounted on nose facing right and left to help you pull out from a low-visibility parking place. Proximity sensors are optional too to help you park without dinging up the exterior.

Well, after my tour of the interior, I turned my attention to what lurked under the big scoop on the hood. What I found was a 16-valve turbocharged 2-liter that brought a smile to my face. There are more than 250 ponies sitting in there. (Amazing what can be done with a good turbo.) Think the hood is for ram air? Nope. It is a dedicated scoop for the intercooler. The air enters through a normal, but good-sized air-box. (It in the top right-hand corner of the picture. That sounds like a good place for an aftermarket high-flow filter...) The turbo sits in-front of the intercooler behind the radiator.

Toyota didn't limit its performance thinking to the engine alone. You probably have noticed the big red torsion bar to add to body stiffness. The aftermarket group has been selling equipment like this for a while. Toyota must have noticed...

The body styling itself is flowing, but there a few nice edges and sharp turns around the lights and windows. The headlights are big, as seems to be the Toyota trend. But, they aren't at all gaudy. Actually, I quite like them. The Caldina has stylish ground trimming and is not at all overdone. The front grill is emblazed with the Caldina "C" which fits the overall theme quite well. The back is accented by long bright red brake lights that stand out well with this paint color. The wheel-wells are given a flattened edging that is not overdone. Only a singular muffler, though. I think a matching one on the left side would have been in good taste. Can't argue with the big scoop on the front: its definitely cool.

Finally, rolling stock are Yokohama ADVAN (A-046T) 215/45ZR17s. Good aggressive tread. The 17-inch rims look beautiful and only compliment the overall look.

Yes, Toyota is known for such not-so-thrilling family vehicles as the Camry and the Corolla. But Toyota does have some sport hidden in places. And wagons aren't known for carving twisties or laying rubber, but every now and again, there are some surprises in the car world. Surprise! The Caldina GT-4. I'll let you know when I get a hold on the keys to one.

More pictures:

As pictured: 2,910,000yen (about $24,250(US))