(first posted 3/8/2018) Over the years, the Toyota Corolla has been available in myriad permutations: front-, rear-, or four-wheel-drive; sedan, coupe, hatchback, liftback or wagon; and powered by hybrid, diesel, supercharged and turbocharged engines. Many of these varieties are long gone – may the sporty FX 3-dr hatchback and rear-wheel-drive GTS coupes rest in peace – but there’s one Corolla variant that, now more than ever, could reappear. I’m talking about the four-wheel-drive wagon.
You may be wondering, “Doesn’t Toyota have the RAV-4 now?” and you’re right. Both the Corolla and RAV4 share a platform and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But the RAV4 has more overtly high-riding, SUV-esque styling than the four-wheel-drive Corolla ever did. The European car market is now infested with ever-so-slightly “off-road”-styled versions of hatchbacks and station wagons and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that an all-wheel-drive Corolla wagon variant could appear to fill a niche, à la the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack.
Like many Corolla variants sold throughout the world over the years – for example, the famous AE86 cars – the four-wheel-drive Corolla wagon wore Sprinter badges in its home market. In Japan, it was the Sprinter Carib; in North America, the Corolla All-Trac; in most other markets, Corolla Touring or simply Corolla 4×4. In many markets, it was sold as a Corolla wagon alongside the actual Corolla wagon, a more conventionally-styled wagon with front-wheel-drive.
The Corolla 4×4 was the second-generation of Sprinter Carib exported throughout the world. The first was sold as part of the Tercel series but Toyota decided to grow the wagon and take it slightly upmarket. Improvements included a larger, more refined engine (a twin-cam, 102-hp 1.6 instead of a SOHC 1.5) and full-time four-wheel-drive with a lockable center differential.
Although there remained a rather quirky rear, toned down somewhat from the Tercel wagon’s ATM-style rear end, the second-generation Sprinter Carib was now recognizable as part of the Corolla/Sprinter family of Toyotas. It made sense to ditch the Sprinter Carib name outside of Japan, considering the equity of the Corolla nameplate and “Carib” being a homonym to that peculiar chocolate substitute.
Although Toyota produced plenty of exciting Corollas in the 1980s – like the aforementioned AE86 – the Sprinter Carib wasn’t one of them. In fact, it was about as exciting as the similarly named food. The weight of the 4WD system added a significant 300 pounds to the regular Corolla’s 2200-pound curb weight and, while the wagon had a more powerful engine than most of the Corolla range, it added only 10 hp and 5 ft-lbs over the carbureted 1.6 initially available in lesser Corollas. Peak torque also didn’t arrive until a rather high 4400 rpm, meaning you had to rev it to get the most out of it.
This wasn’t a performance car and neither, for that matter, was the related All-Trac sedan sold in various markets. The Sprinter Carib may have been a response to Subaru’s success with all-wheel-drive but Toyota had no response to the sporty, turbocharged coupes in Subaru’s Leone/Loyale series that would be the progenitors of Subaru’s hot Impreza WR-X.
Four-wheel-drive Tercel/Corolla and Civic wagons had been a constant throughout much of the 1980s but they began to disappear in the 1990s. The Sprinter Carib lived for two more generations but it was exported to few markets outside Japan, and North America and Australia weren’t among them. Slow sales ultimately doomed the niche Corolla offering. However, now that the entire world is craving anything with a smidge extra ground clearance and a tad more plastic cladding, a Corolla All-Trac would probably sell pretty well.
Corolla wagons photographed in Washington Heights, NY in 2013 and Brisbane and South Brisbane, QLD in 2018.
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: 1987 Honda Civic 4WD Wagon (Shuttle) – The Automotive Swiss Army Knife
Curbside Capsule: 1991 Toyota Camry All-Trac – A Brief Four-By-Foray
A Corolla All-Trac wagon was my family’s car when I was a child and the first car I remember riding in. Thanks for the memories!
I like the concept but the styling on this car leaves me cold. The roof/greenhouse treatment reminds me a bit of the current Kia Sedona (another car I struggle with a bit).
I have US-market Corolla brochures across several years in the early ’90s; they picture the far less eccentrically styled 2WD Corolla wagon and mention the availability of the AWD model but don’t show it at all, or give it a tiny picture that only shows the front.
The Tercel wagon (Sprinter Carib) introduced in 1982, possessed an abundance of originality and character in its exterior design. It could easily be confused as a styling effort originating from Renault. It looked very French. I agree with JP, this second generation Sprinter Carib lacked warmth/character. Without the charm of the first wagon. Reflecting the somewhat anonymous design Toyota soon became known for.
Yeah, now that you mention a French connection, I see a hint of Talbot Rancho in its looks. There was also an AE110 based Sprinter Carib estate, which some markets got as the regular Corolla estate, that was available in 2WD and all wheel drive. I understand Toyota dropped the Sprinter line with the NZE Corolla generation in 2001/2.
The rear window/liftgate/tail lights also have a Renault R5 vibe to them. The charm and practicality of the wagon’s overall design is so French.
My family had one of these, a 1992 model purchase new and driven for approximately 14 brutal years. It went between my mother my sister and I, and served us beautifully for 240,000 hard miles. It never ever broke down, and was to today the most reliable car any of us have ever had. Exciting it was not, but the charm of this vehicle made itself apparent when it rolled past a hundred thousand miles, and still ran just as it did when we picked it up at the dealer originally. It was extremely slow, even with the 5-speed manual transmission, but it returned fairly good fuel economy at around 35 MPG. The four-wheel drive system was primitive, but it worked well for the most part. I can’t tell you how many times the very usable cargo space and folding seats came in handy, moving myself and my friends between college housing both in Canada and the USA. I had the pleasure when in Australia in January of driving a 1991 GT-5 model, belonging to my partner’s uncle. It was the same color, white as subject vehicle. Did not have the tint which would have been valuable in the Australia sun. It’s still held together beautifully even at close to 30 years old.
When we sold hours in 2006, I sold it on Craigslist and just a few hours and had lots of interest in it. Granted it was priced low, but it was also severely rusted in spite of annual oil sprays on the underside and Cavities. It made it its entire life on its original clutch, original axles, original engine and transmission. Did begin to burn a little bit of oil, but considering how it was driven and for how long I feel it was entitled. If it hadn’t been for the rust we’d probably still be driving it.
I got a good laugh when you said “ATM-style rear end”….thats exactly what my brother and I used to say— “It looks like that car has an ATM on it’s rear hatch! Can we get some money?”
Good one!
There is one of these (or there was one recently) for sale on Craigslist near me. Physically it looks pretty decent, but unfortunately it has the automatic transmission which I am assuming would make a slow car nearly glacial. Though in it’s favor was a price under $1,000.
I saw a twin the car pictured on Craigslist a year or two ago. It really surprised me as there wouldn’t seem to be much of a market for a small, all wheel drive, station wagon.
The only time I have tried to drive a Corolla of this generation I was quite cramped behind the wheel and entry and exit into the front seat was not easy…but then I am taller than the average Japanese driver.
Wasn’t there a 4WD variant of the Toyota Matrix that replaced this?
Not sure that the all wheel drive Matrix replaced this, if for no other reason than that the Tercel and Corolla are “real” wagons, and not hatchbacks. They also had a stepped roofline that, admittedly the Tercel had in FWD guise though the Corolla wagon in FWD did not.
I always thought that it was a bit odd that the XRS Matrix got AWD, while the Corolla XRS with the same drivetrain did not? IIRC.
Rear also looks like concept version of Firebird, with wagon-ish rear, from late 70’s
I havent seen one this model for a while but the later shape AE100? 4WD Corolla wagons are still common in NZ, there was a diesel variant too, though both petrol and diesel are hard to find in manual, I did look for one at one point trying to find a replacement for a significantly tired Corona diesel I was driving but went to the PSA store again, good little cars and they drive ok and without the myriad problems Subarus present when the mileage gets high,
It always annoyed me that the number plate on Aussie first-gen models wasn’t part of the ‘ATM’ and instead just sat off to the side. This photo was taken in the rain so it’s a bit difficult to see, but the big red piece of plastic just said TERCEL. I vaguely remember a similar ‘faux-reflector’ on later 60-Series LandCruisers but unfortunately Google Image Search isn’t any help….
It seems to me that the AWD Tercel was fairly popular, but this AWD Corolla was not and I don’t remember seeing very many of them.
Mitsubishi built a similar AWD wagon that was sold as the Dodge and Plymouth Colt.
I like (because of course I do) that the pics in this post show lighting variants. The main car—first photo, for example, with the Australian plates—has the Japan-spec corner lamp unit which houses two bulbs: one providing a side turn signal repeater function from behind the amber lens in the little thumb-shaped area protruding from the aft area of the assembly, and a second bulb behind the colourless main section of the lens providing the car’s front position lights (Americans call them “parking lights” and Brits call them “front sidelights” even if they’re nowhere near the sides of the car).
Then there’s the sixth pic showing a US-spec car. Same front position light bulb, but no side turn signal repeater; instead that bulb provides the front sidemarker light function from behind a flat, non-protruding amber section of lens with reflex reflector (retro-reflector).
The fourth pic (red Tercel) shows the European setup: only one bulb in the front corner lamp, providing the front position lamp function. Separate side turn signal repeater behind the front wheel.
Thanks for this blast from the past Will! Though I’ve never looked into it before, if you had told me that Toyota never sold these in the U.S., I’d have believed you as I don’t ever recall seeing one.
I do remember seeing an occasional Tercel All-Trac from time to-time. In fact, my next-door neighbor growing up owned one in the early-1990s. He replaced it with a ’95 Camry wagon, and eventually a Prius.
Friends had one of these (in the US). I only drove it once but it was not inspiring. However it was good in the snow with its skinny tires; I’m thinking 155-13, certainly no larger than 165.
I have had two Tercel 4wd’s and now a Corolla 4wd as it is called in Australia. All have been amazingly reliable cars and only once in 15 years have I needed a tow when the clutch gave out on first Tercel. Other than that with all cars around 300,000kms have I needed more than standard servicing. I do do some preventative maintenance in replacing hoses etc before they get to old to which I think help with the reliability. I don’t treat them with kid gloves Towing a 14ft caravan and some light offroading with occasional 1,600km round trips for instance.
The Tercel and the Corolla have significantly different qualities. The 2wd/4wd Tercel is nimble, slow but light but buzzy at freeway speed. The Corolla cruises quietly has more power (doesn’t’ feel that slow TBH) but is not so good off road. It does have electric windows, mirrors, central locking AC power steering etc though.
Both were designed and made during Japans Bubble economy boom years. At that stage Japan and its products were world leaders and had progressive design. (think egg shaped Previa, Mr2etc.)
Unfortunately I don’t see a corolla wagon let alone a corolla 4wd wagon making its way to Australia even though skoda and VW have cars in this market. Toyota stopped importing the wagon in 2005 when it said that 1,000 sales a month wasn’t enough to justify continued imports.
Just want to add I’ve been driving a 1991 All-trac wagon since 1998 (got it when it had 108,000) and it’s now over 345,000 miles. Original engine (no significant leaks) and clutch and almost everything works. I truly love this car but it’s definitely showing its wear. No A/C or power windows or any of the newer technology and a few things don’t work, like rear window washer and heater control (it’s all on or all off). Still, it’s been the most reliable car I’ve ever owned and I’m 73. Now trying to find a replacement and it’s almost impossible to find a smaller wagon with manual transmission (I love my stick shift), all-wheel drive, good gas mileage (at least 30 in the city), good visibility, and character. Nothing like that old Toyota.
Still driving my 1990 Corolla Alltrac at 345.000miles. 2005 AWD Matrix was a good replacement (I hope). Found 2 with low mileage, 60k – 90k. My longtime mechanic said “no more” Corolla repair last year. Too much evidence on $$ failures to come. Plenty of rust underneath. Just needs a tune-up at the moment. More, to drive distance. My ski school car, packed with gear, people. Preceded by 4WD Tercel wagon-45 TOY years. Had them both for a bit. The CRV was an option. But the Matrix feels more like (more spunky, higher) home. I’ll be heartbroken if it doesn’t last 15 years (30 total like my Corolla). It has not had my good care for its early years…. I’m uncertain that the AWD in Matrix is as good as the COR alltrac.
Hey people anybody will know we’re I can get a front left fender for my 1991 Toyota Corolla wagon 4wd
Corolla = Dullrolla
If used as a verb regarding an automobile, “Toyota decided that the original Tercel AWD wagon was too noticable, so when the time came, Toyota corollaed it into invisibility.”
If used as a noun regarding appearances, “Bob is considered a good looking guy, but through all his many marriages, his wives were corollas of different ages, races and sizes.”
Having driven a Subaru Leonie 4×4 with turbo and a 4×4 Corolla, I’d take the Corolla every time, they actually go better, but Subarus steer better,if you know how to drive them I also drove a 4×4 Toyota Corona over my favourite driving road and it was scary yet a 2wd NZ Corona will blitz a non turbo Legacy over the same road,
Spares or the lack of them put many cars that age off the road now.
Well, you must’ve read something in the marketplace correctly in this write-up, because we now have the Corolla Cross here in North America and it seems to be pretty popular. I see quite a few of them around now. They aren’t terrible looking little cars either. I just find that the Corolla is too small for me in general so I would never own one personally, but they definitely seem to be filling a niche in today’s market. I’m old enough to remember when the Corolla All-Trac and Tercel 4wd were thick on the ground here. This article was a nice bit of nostalgia as well.