A famous quote states that "Art is uncompromising and life is full of compromises." The Toyota Caldina is definitely a piece of art with no compromise. It was first manufactured for the mass market in 1992. The Toyota Motor corporation intended it to be a replacement of the Toyota Carina Surf. It has always been a wagon even with the continuous changes that have taken place on the model.




The first generation vehicle was a 5-door with rear suspension that was independent strut oriented. The commercial wagon had semi-independent leaf springs and this made it ideal for heavy load carriage. The first generation was manufactured up to 1997.

The second generation Caldina was manufactured from 1998 to 2002. This car was in the same class as the premio and the carina. It weighs 1470kgs.


The Toyota Caldinas' that were made at this time were inspired by the Toyota Avensis station wagon. This release had 4-wheel drive models that had 3s-GE Engines. They were called ST215. The active sport version of the Caldina was artistic in the sense that the GT-T was equipped with a turbo-charger that exuded 256hp/191kW. This GT Caldina with 260 Horsepower had a 4th generation engine that was the 3S-GTE. The 4-drive system of this car is similar to that the the Toyota Celica GT-4. The models that did not have turbo and 4 wheel driver were made either with the 7A-FE for the 1800cc model and the 3S-FE engine for the 2000cc model. The 7A and 3S engines are petrol propelled. The diesel version of this caldina ran on a 3C-TE Engine and it was a 2000cc model.

The second generation Caldina has an optional stability control (VSC). In addition to the electronic control, there car matches the acceleration speed of the Subaru WRX and it can move from 0-100km/h within 7 seconds.

In 2000, this 2nd generation Caldina got spice up with a new bumper and longer headlamps.

In 2002, the Caldina ZT was released. Inspired by greater speed, aerodynamic enhancement and a sleek shape, this model has taken the market by storm. There are nine modifications of this car. All of them are wagons that are gasoline propelled.

The following is a breakdown of the modifications:
GT Editions

1. GT-Four N Edition - 3S-GTE Engine, 2000cc - Turbo Charged.
2. GT-Four - 3S-GTE Engine, 2000cc
   
3. GT-Four C Edition - 3S-GTE Engine, 2000cc

Specs of the 3S-GTE Engine:

1.998 liter I-4 Turbo/Intercooled (3S-GTE)
Power: 191kW / 6200rpms
(256hp / 6200rps)

Torque: 324Nm / 4400rpms
(239 ft-lbs / 4400rps)

Economy: 10.6 km/liter (24.9 m/g)




ZT Editions

1. ZT (4WD) - 1AZ-FSE (D-4) Engine, 2000cc
2. ZT (Front WD) - 1AZ-FSE (D-4) Engin, 2000cc

Z Editions

1. Z (4WD) - 1AZ-FSE (D-4) Engine, 2000cc
2. Z (Front WD) - 1AZ-FSE (D-4) Engine, 2000 cc
3. Z (Front WD) - 1ZZ-FE, 1800cc

Engine: 1AZ-FSE
Fuel Cycle	4GR	Power Output (kw(ps)/rpm)	110(150)/6000
Cylinder	L4	Torque (Nm(kgm)/rpm)	198(20.2)/4000
Valve	DOHC	Fuel Tank (L)	60
Turbo	-
Displacement	1998
Bore Stroke (mm)	86x86
Steering	RP

X Edition

1. X (Front WD) - 1ZZ-FE Engine, 1800cc

The Kenya Toyota Club has chosen the Toyota Ist as the car of the year 2011.

The Toyota Ist was first released by the Toyota Motor Corporation in 2002. It was an improved hatchback than the Vitz with more space and a better shape.
The car has enough legroom for the passengers too.However, there are no leather seats for this model.
There is also enough space in the boot.

The Toyota Ist is the same car that sells in America as the Scion.

CAR EDITIONS AND ENGINES
The car is usually released in F and E editions.

It works on an NZ-FE engine. Toyota Motor have however improved this engine from the original 2NZ-FE engine to a stronger 1NZ-FE engine. The 2NZ-FE engine had a displacement of 1298(1300)cc and the newer engine has a displacement if 1496(1500)cc.

These engines are VVTi technology. All the car engines are 4-cylinder Double Overhead Camshafts(DOHC).

FUEL CONSUMPTION AND MAINTENANCE
The car is not a guzzler. It is an ideal car for a first car owner in Kenya.

It has a fuel tank with a maximum capacity of 42 liters and so with 4500, you have a full-tank and some loose change. The car rolls for 18 kilometers with a liter of Petrol and this means you can move from any corner of Nairobi to town and back with a budget of ksh200.

Service does not cost much and the car will run for long without needing any mechanical check.

SPECS AND PARTS
The car exudes a power of 109bhp and it has a torque of 138nm for most of the 1500cc engine propelled. The car has a compression ration of 10.5 and its gears are automatic. The transmission technology applied on this car is CVTi.

The car has a wheel base of 2460mm, a turning radius of 5500mm and a kerb weight of 1150kg. At the front, the car uses ventilated disc brakes while at the rear it uses drum brakes. It uses coil spring suspension with strut type springs in front and torsion beam coil springs in the rear.

The car has 6 airbags and it uses ABS control. It has electrical retractable side mirrors which have indicators and auto-climate air-conditioner. The back seats can be knocked down.

Some of the important specs missing from this masterpiece are traction control, steering controls, push start engine button and rain sensing wipers. The car does not have a sunroof but there is a new version of the scion that is set to be released with a convertible top.
The car has a sports shape and it can easily be modified into a aero or any other design. TRD works perfectly on this model.

The cars has a rear wiper and a sleek door on the rear.

The Toyota Probox/Succeed is the new Toyota Kid on the Block in Kenya. It is the predecessor of Toyota 102/103. It is quite a common car around Eastleigh in Nairobi, South C and Meru. It has also started reaching Garissa and Wajir.
Toyota Probox
The Kenya Toyota Club thinks that this is a good car for a starter businessman. The rear seats can be removed to create more carriage space. This could make a good car for selling eggs, pharmaceuticals and such light merchandise.

The Toyota Probox has only one shortcoming. It does not have leaf springs. It has coil springs. However, it is still a strong car though it is much lighter.

The car seats are mainly fabric. There are no leather seats for this model. This makes it more of a factory car than a luxury car. However, you can still spruce it up into a hotter version.

The probox and the succeed are mainly automatic gear transmitted but there are a number of them that are manual gears. They were released by the Toyota Motor Corporation in 2002 and they have recorded great sales within Asia and Africa in the last 3 years. It has a simple dashboard with basic features like the speedometer, a digital odometer, the air conditioning system and the radio.

Toyota Probox has a simple engine. They are mostly 1500 cc engines. There are a few that are 1300 cc. Most of the probox models have VVTI engines.

The Toyota Probox Engines

Difference between Probox and Succeed

Toyota Probox has a more serious look. The Succeed assumes a sporty look.
Toyota Succeed
The Toyota Succeed look has lights bordering the number plate area. The Probox has no lights on the rear door.

Toyota Succeed Rear
Toyota Probox Rear

The Toyota Motor Corporation is full of surprises. That's the least the Kenya Toyota Club can say about the Toyota Noah and Toyota Voxy minivans.

TOYOTA NOAH

The first edition of this Multi Purpose Van (MPV) was released in the 90s'. This was the Noah Liteace and the Townace. It was an EFI engine and it had features like rear sliding doors and a sunroof. It had plenty of space although the shape was still conceptual.
The Older Version of the Noah

The Toyota Noah Liteace graduated to a bigger and better version in 2001.
The Front View of the Noah. Notice the N Badge
The Rear View of the Noah

TOYOTA VOXY
This is a 2000cc minivan that is similar to the new model Toyota Noah.
Older Model

Newer Model
The Voxy can be modified by giving it a sporty look and TRD also looks great on the motor.
Sporty VOXY


DIFFERENCE AND SIMILARITY BETWEEN TOYOTA NOAH AND TOYOTA VOXY

These cars are twins in many ways. They both have the following features:

• Valvematic engine technology with the 3ZR-FAE Engine. Both are medium duty vans powered by the 152bhp 2.0 D-4 direct injection I4 engine - This engine is designed for maximum fuel economy and outstanding vehicle performance.
• CVT (Continously Variable transmission) technology - This technology is designed to give the car more power, smooth steering while consuming the least fuel. It changes the distances between belts creating better acceleration and lower RPM hence using less fuel. With this technology, you can't hear the change in gear selection and it is capable of accelerating from 0 - 100 mph in 9.6 seconds.
  
• Steering-assisted Vehicle Stability Control System
  
• Electric Power Steering System
  
• Anti-lock Brake System
• Traction Control System
• Hill Start Assist Control respectively.
• 4 wheel drives
• Both have seats with one-touch folding" third-row seats and second-row "long-slide multi-use rotating" seats with a child seat mode.

The main difference between these cars is the Badge and the outer shape. The Toyota Voxy has a more sporty look than the Toyota Noah that looks more appealing to the mother's for shopping and driving the kids to school, picnic and weekend outings.

The Badge in the Noah shows a nicely defined N while the badge on the Voxy shows a bold V. These are the only features that you can use to differentiate these two vans from the front view.

The Toyota Voxy has a sharper exterior while the Noah
Rear View of the Voxy
Front View of the Voxy