The Toyota Paseo, a Japanese car with a Spanish name. 'Paseo' in English means 'a leisurely walk.' This car, classed as compact, is styled to look sporty. It shares the same platform as other Toyota models like the Toyota Starlet and is somewhat based on the Toyota Tercel. A shared platform allows for all three models to share some of the same spare parts. In Japan, the car was named the Toyota Cynos.
The car was initially offered as a two-door coupé, though it later became available as a convertible. It also has a rare version that came with a cabriolet body type in 1997.
The vehicle's layout is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive. It began its life in 1991, though after just two generations it ceased production eight years later in 1999. Throughout its life, the car was produced at the Takaoka Assembly plant in Toyota City, located in Aiki, Japan.
Unfortunately, the Toyota Paseo wasn't received well by car enthusiasts. It was positioned as an economical sports car, even though its performance didn't come anywhere near that image. Its name, which translates to 'a leisurely walk', softened the whole 'sports car' image even more.
To put it in simple terms, most reviewers found the vehicle to be boring.
First Generation (1991-1995)
The first generation of the Toyota Paseo carried a 1.5-litre engine. In most parts of the world, the car had an output of 75kW and 123 Nm of torque. Unfortunately, this version of the car didn't meet the strict emissions requirements in some places, the State of California, for instance. For those markets, the Paseo utilized a different engine with an output of 69 kW and 136 Nm of torque.
Transmission-wise, the car came in 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic.
Second Generation (1995-1999)
The second version was given slightly more modern features, especially in terms of its engine's electronics. On the exterior, buyers could also notice a difference in the sheet metal used for the body of the car.
The second generation came available in two body types, a two-door coupé and a two-door convertible. Most models came with an engine that had an output of 66 kW and 117 Nm of torque.
The Japanese versions of this car are the Alpha, Beta, and Juno. In the UK, however, the Paseo came in three versions, to wit, the base ST model, the Si, and the Galliano. The differences between all these versions of the car were mainly aesthetic. For example, the Si version included 14-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, and a Sony CD player.
Just like the first generation Paseo, its transmission came in options of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic.
Sadly, there were very few differences in terms of the engine. This lack of options and an underpowered engine made this 'sports car' a huge disappointment to many car enthusiasts.
Discontinuation
The Toyota Paseo was discontinued in July of 1999. One reason for this was the poor reception and sales of this vehicle. Despite being off the market for over a decade now, the Toyota Paseo is still available in Australia on the second-hand car market, even in 2019.
If you’re interested in buying some spare parts for a rare Paseo that you have, try the Carpart.com.au marketplace. It has car sellers all over Australia, and the chances are high that you’d find one here. You may also send us a parts request so that we can do the searching for you. Contact us at hello@carpart.com.au!
- Rasyad 'Ray' Hasbollah