The latest round of Toyota Celica rumors appear to haWve legitimate traction as a Toyota Executive appears to confirm that the model is indeed coming to showrooms.
Bombshell statements from a Toyota executive appear to confirm the Celica is preparing for a comeback.
Toyota’s GR brand has managed to make a name for itself by building sports cars that launched Toyota back into the forefront of the performance vehicle market. They included the GR Corolla, GR86, and the Supra. however, the company has always talked about expanding the lineup even more. While a performance SUV has been repeatedly talked about, another model has been repeatedly teased too, the Celica.
While the company has repeatedly denied the rumors in the past, a Toyota executive appears to have spilled the beans about the potential return of an iconic nameplate into production after a long absence.
Celica would add cog to GR’s performance plans
The model was last seen in the early 2000s as a budget minded coupe that came with four-cylinder power.
The apparent confirmation came from Best Car magazine which based its information on an alleged confirmation issued by a Toyota Vice President during Rally Japan. At the event, the exec apparently made the bombshell claim during a Q&A session at the event with the whole incident being instigated by CEO Akio Toyoda who passed the question onto the VP when asked about the Celica by the outlet.
While there’s currently no formal sign of the Celica, the return of the nameplate would end a several decade-long absence with the Celica last seen in the early 2000s when the budget coupe offering was axed due to the decline of the broader sport coupe market. That Celica was also a part of Toyota’s bungled “Project Genesis” plan which was the ancestor of the doomed Scion nameplate and it was powered by a pair of frugal four-bangers including a high-revving Yamaha-sourced four-cylinder. The new model (assuming it exists) would most likely follow the same core script but fuel economy would get a higher priority this time around thanks to a new four-cylinder engine.
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Celica has always been a master of disguise
While its appearance as a coupe would follow old habits, the nameplate has covered other segments and might appear as an SUV.
An interesting wrinkle in the latest round of Celica rumors si what form the Celica would take. While the model was most revently known as a coupe, it has also been sold as a hatchback and a convertible. Neithe ro f those two options make much sense for the nameplate in 2024 and if Toyota doesn’t go down the obvious rabbit hole, the model could perhaps return as an SUV.
It’s no secret that the company has been looking to add more SUVs into its portfolio especially for certain markets. The performance SUV market is one such plave and the GR brand would benefit from a new model which could benefit from the Celica nameplate. Older Generation X buyers (and some early millenials) have fond memories of the Celica and an SUV with the nameplate would not only allow Toyota to fill yet another niche in th eutility vehicle market, but also have a relatively easy route when it comes to marketing thanks to its Celica connections.
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