The is a subcompact car manufactured by Toyota from 1978 until 1999 across five generations, in five body configurations sized between the Corolla and the Starlet. Manufactured at the Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Japan, and sharing its platform with the Cynos (aka Paseo) and the Starlet, the Tercel was marketed variously as the —sold at Toyota Japanese dealerships called Toyota Corolla Stores—and was replaced by the Platz in 1999. It was also known as the and sold at Toyopet Store locations. Starting with the second generation, the Tercel dealership network was changed to Vista Store, as its badge engineered sibling, the Corolla II, was exclusive to Corolla Store locations.
The Tercel was the first front-wheel drive vehicle produced by Toyota, although it was the only front-wheel drive Toyota to have a longitudinally mounted engine. For example, the E80 series Corolla's frame (except AE85 and AE86) is similar to the L20 series Tercel's frame. Also, Toyota designed the A series engine for the Tercel, attempting simultaneously to achieve good fuel economy and performance and low emissions. Choice of body styles increased as well, with the addition of a four-door sedan.
The name "Tercel" was derived from the Latin word for "one third", with "tiercel referring to a male falcon which is one-third smaller than its female counterpart. Similarly, the Tercel was slightly smaller than the Corolla. The early Tercels have a logo on the trunk with a stylized falcon as the T in Tercel. All Tercels were assembled at the Takaoka factory in Toyota City, Aichi or by Hino Motors in Hamura, Tokyo. Hino assembled the third generation Tercel from 1986 to 1990 for the two-door and some three-door models. When Japanese production of the Tercel/Corsa/Corolla II (and the related Cynos/Paseo coupés) came to an end in 1999, 4,968,935 examples had been built.
First generation (L10; 1978)
The Tercel was introduced in Japan in August 1978, Europe in March 1979 (Geneva Motor Show) and the United States in 1980.Finnish "Tekniikan Maailma" Magazine, 18/79 It was originally sold as either a two- or four-door sedan, or as a three-door hatchback. The hatchback's rear design was the result of using taillights similar in design to those used on the bigger Mark II: the Tercel was originally intended to be sold through Toyopet Stores, alongside the Mark II. The Tercel ended up being marketed through the Corolla Store and the Diesel Store locations in Japan, while a version badged "Toyota Corsa" was marketed in parallel through the separate Toyopet distribution network. In the United States it was named the "Corolla Tercel". Models sold in the US were powered by a 1,452 cc SOHC four-cylinder 1A-C engine producing at 4,800 rpm. Transmission choices were either a four- or five-speed manual, or a three-speed automatic available with the 1.5-litre engine from August 1979 on.
In the Japanese market, the 1,500 cc engine developed at 5,600 rpm, while the 1.3-litre 2A engine, added in June 1979, offered a claimed . In Europe, mainly, the 1.3-litre version was available, with .
In this new front-wheel-drive design, the first for Toyota, the engine is mounted longitudinally. The transmission is mounted under the floorpan, as is the case in a rear-wheel-drive car. Unlike a rear-wheel-drive car, the transmission has a ring and pinion gear on the front part of the transmission, underneath the engine. The engine, transmission and differential are located a little off of the centre line of the car. Halfshafts then extend from the transmission to the front wheels. This made for a taller package than usual, making the beltline higher as well, but Toyota felt that traditionalists might be scared off by a transverse setup. As early as 1980, Toyota also hinted that this setup made the conversion to a four-wheel-drive setup easier,Hogg (ed.), p. 176 although such a version had to wait for the second generation. The Tercel also had rack and pinion steering, the first time such a design was used by Toyota since the 2000GT.Hogg (ed.), p. 178
In August 1980, the Tercel (and Corsa) underwent a facelift, with considerable changes to the front and minor ones to the interior and rear. The 1A engine was replaced by the 3A of identical displacement but now with . This engine eschewed the TGP lean burn design used on the 1A, instead depending on a catalytic converter to meet the ever more stringent emissions standards of the time.
Second generation (L20; 1982)
Toyota redesigned the Tercel in May 1982, now called the Tercel in all markets. Its internal model code is the L20 series. It was available in three- or five-door hatchback models or a four-door station wagon, and also as a four-door sedan in Japan. The station wagon, known in Japan as the Sprinter Carib (, short for "caribou"), was introduced in August 1982. The wagon was also available with four-wheel drive (front-wheel-drive wagons were only available in select markets). In Japan, a four-wheel-drive sedan was also available; it, too remained in production alongside the wagon version even after the introduction of the third generation Tercel. Standard front-wheel drive vehicles (and four-wheel drive wagons not equipped with the six-speed manual transmission) came with either a three-speed automatic or a four- or five-speed manual transmission. The four-speed manual was reserved for the very simplest version in North American markets.
In Japan, body styles on offer were different for the different models as they had to suit the lineups of the various dealer networks. the Corolla II was originally only available as a three- or five-door hatchback, while the Tercel and the Corsa were both offered exclusively with the five-door or the four-door sedan body styles. The second generation Tercel was moved from the Corolla to the Vista sales network, while the Corsa remained available through Toyopet stores, and the Corolla II in the Corolla dealer network. The Toyota Diesel sales network, which had handled some Tercel sales earlier, was shut down in the 1980s.
As only the first two generations were sold officially in Europe, this was the last generation of the Tercel series available there, with either the hatchback or station wagon bodywork. In Japan, power outputs were as follows: 1295 cc 2A-U: at 6,000 rpmCar Graphic '80s Car Archives, pp. 9–10 1452 cc 3A-U: at 5,600 rpm (9.0:1 compression, 82.05–86.05) 1452 cc 3A-U: at 5,600 rpm (9.3:1 compression, 86.03–88.02) 1452 cc 3A-HU: at 6,000 rpm (variable venturi carburetor, 9.3:1 compression, 82.05–84.08) 1,452 cc 3A-SU: at 6,000 rpm (twin variable venturi carburettors, swirl intake version, 84.08–88.02)
North American Tercels were all fitted with the 1.5-litre engine, producing at 4,800 rpm. In Europe, both the 1.3 and the 1.5 litres were available, as per national importers' preferences. As with the earlier generation, engine and transmission were still mounted longitudinally, and the arrangements were the same. In some markets, engines received minor improvements, such as reformulated combustion chambers (to improve emissions and fuel economy), higher compression ratios, and new auxiliary devices for the carburettor assemblies.
The four-wheel-drive models (chassis code AL25, only with the 1.5 litre engine) could be equipped with six-speed manual transmissions, and could be shifted from two- to four-wheel drive without coming to a stop. The sixth gear it carries is an "extra low" (EL) first gear, a standard transmission gear with a very low (4.71:1) gear-ratio. The EL gear generates a 17.6:1 final drive ratio, giving the driver the torque needed to extract the vehicle from conditions which otherwise may have trapped it. It is only available when in four-wheel drive, and because of its low gear-ratio it is suitable only for very low-speed use. Also included with better equipped four-wheel-drive models was an inclinometer above the radio and air conditioner that measures the tilt of the car.
The new Tercel 4WD was built from existing pieces in the Toyota inventory. The engine, transaxle and front-wheel-drive system were from the existing Tercel; the longitudinally mounted engine made such a conversion a simple affair. The coil-sprung, live rear axle and the drive shaft was taken from the rear-wheel drive Corolla. The only major part specifically designed for the new Tercel 4WD was the transfer case, built into the transmission. The transfer case provides the driver with three different power arrangements: Normally, the car is operated with front-wheel drive. When the driver pulls the 4WD selector lever back into four-wheel drive, or presses a button on the gear selector for the automatic transmission, front and rear differentials are driven at the same RPM via a direct mechanical coupling. There is no conventional center differential, so the four-wheel-drive system can be used only on loose or slippery road surfaces (such as snow, gravel, or sand); otherwise the drivetrain experiences severe wear, and handling is compromised. The third power option (which was only available on the six-speed manual) is low range. This is not the same as the low-range power option found in a truck or conventional SUV, as the Tercel lacks a high-range-low-range transfer case. When the lever is placed in four-wheel-drive mode it becomes possible to down shift the vehicle from first to EL.
In 1985, there were minor changes to gear ratios and to the grille design, and the interior was updated in 1986. The Tercel wagon (and four-door sedan in Japan) continued with the same design until February 1988 (when the Sprinter Carib was replaced by a larger, Corolla-based design), while the sedans and hatchbacks moved on to the newer design.Car Graphic '80s Car Archives, p. 26
In 2025, CBC in Canada reported on a man whose Tercel wagon had been driven over and was still in operation.
Europe Versions available in Europe: 1.3 litre DX (three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback) 1.3 litre GL (three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback) 1.5 litre GL (three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback) 1.5 litre 4WD (five-door estate, only version from 1986 onwards)
Engines: 1,295 cc 2A: at 6,000 rpm 1,452 cc 3A/3A-C: at 5,600 rpm
Gallery
Third generation (L30; 1986)
In 1986, Toyota introduced the slightly larger third generation Tercel with a new 12-valve engine which featured a variable venturi carburetor, and later models with EFI. From this generation on, the engine is mounted transversely, with the transmission mounted on the right side of the engine in a layout developed by Dante Giacosa and earlier popularised in such vehicles as the Fiat 128 and Volkswagen Golf. Other changes included revised rack-and-pinion steering and a newly designed, fully independent suspension. The Tercel continued in North America as Toyota's least expensive vehicle, while it was no longer offered in Europe. In other markets, the smaller Starlet was also offered.
In Japan, the top trim package Tercel Retra GP-Turbo came installed with Toyota's four wheel independent suspension, labeled "Pegasus", along with their "Lasre" branded multi-port fuel injection, using the 3E-TEU engine. "Retra" was short for retractable, a reference to the car's unique hidden headlamps.
In 1986, Toyota also introduced a turbodiesel version with Toyota's 1.5-litre 1N-T engine coupled with a manual five-speed transmission. This was exclusively sold in the Japanese market.