Simplicity was Toyota’s philosophy when it devised the Tercel 4WD. In place of a two-speed transfer box of the sort you might find in a “proper” off-roader such as an old Land Rover, there was an extra-low ratio and a second ratio to engage four-wheel drive. Power was from a 1.5-litre single overhead camshaft engine, combined with modified suspension, increased ground clearance and a weight penalty of 2cwt over its front-wheel-drive stablemate. This newspaper found the Tercel 4WD an excellent vehicle, and Toyota promised it would venture where most other cars “wouldn’t even attempt to tread”.
However, when What Car? evaluated the Tercel against the Land Rover 110, the Mercedes-Benz 280GE, the Range Rover, the Subaru 1800 GLF and the Suzuki SJ410, the more obviously road-biased Toyota was the most limited performer on the test course. However, it concluded that the Tercel 4WD was “essentially an occasional off-roader rather than a true workhorse machine” that was smart and roomy.
Autocar echoed these views, finding “slushy mud and rough roads” held no challenge for the Tercel. It was “an ideal vehicle for anyone whose business or recreational lifestyle is generally an outdoors affair – the angler, camping enthusiast, farmer or veterinarian, for example”.