Toyota Matrix combines a sporty sedan and gear-hauling wagon
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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KOHALA COAST, Hawaii -- All land on the big island of Hawaii, dominated by twin volcanoes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, slopes down from these cloud-covered cones to the sea.
On the desert-dry southern slope of Mauna Kea, Waikoloa Road cuts a wiggly line in black asphalt through lumpy fields of hardened black lava that at one time flowed over slopes of the volcano.
Strips of white paint define edges of the pavement and become our guide to distinguish asphalt from lava so we can keep all four tires on track while tearing through curves in a sporty new five-door hatchback that carries the badge of Toyota.
Tagged as the Matrix, this new car with its unusual canted roofline disguising boxy parameters of a wagon has a 2003 model-year designation and rides on a new chassis shared by the next generational design of Toyota's subcompact Corolla sedan.
Yet it's clearly different from any other vehicle in Toyota's extensive product line.
Wheels plant at perimeters of the platform and fenders bulge to cover them, setting up the sturdy stance of a bulldog. The external package is then decorated with rakish lines marked by an aggressive face with angular corner headlamp clusters, a windshield canted severely and the sweeping roofline that crimps rear edges and curls low into blackened back pillars.
Matrix was developed by Toyota's trendy CALTY design studio in Newport Beach, Calif., and production versions come together in a Canadian plant at Cambridge, Ont.
Toyota pitches it as a cross-over utility vehicle that blends the sleek lines and nimble manners of a sporty car with the practicality of a boxy sport-utility wagon and the budget-minded affordability of a subcompact sedan.
It looks cool and feels fun to drive but also has usable space in the cabin that adapts to active lifestyles.
A wagon-style layout contains two rows of seats for five, plus the bay in back for cargo.
Up front, two bucket seats stand tall and sit high for easy access and good visibility.
A second-row bench has room for three riders but the seatback splits in two sections and each side folds forward independently to expand cargo room.
The back bay, accessible from the hatchback-style door at the rear, has a flat floor and, with both rear seatbacks folded down, provides up to 53 cubic feet of storage space.
A track system in the floor adapts to various accessory kits to mount sports paraphernalia such as mountain bikes, snowboards or water skis.
On Waikoloa Road we're driving the top of three models -- Matrix XRS oriented with front-wheel-drive system, a high-performance engine borrowed from Toyota's Celica GT-S but with a wider bore and much shorter stroke, and a six-speed manual transmission also from Celica and modified with a lower drive ratio to improve bottom-end acceleration.
The twin-cam in-line-four plant, displacing 1.8-liters from an aluminum alloy block and fitted with aluminum alloy cylinder heads, produces a robust 180 hp at 7600 rpm with torque of 130 lb-ft at 6800 rpm.
Generous bore and stroke for cylinders combined with a tall compression ratio plus sophisticated valve control produce the higher output of this engine.
Toyota labels the valve wizardry as VVTL-i for variable valve timing and lift with intelligent control. It works as oil pressure at engine speeds above 6000 rpm increases the degree of lift for intake and exhaust valves, thus ultimately boosting the power.
That computerized valve timing seems to light a fuse for fired-up runs to a high-revving redline of 8300 rpm.
And the six-notch stick, mounted close at hand on an appendage extending from the center dash, moves with a favored short throw and feels gutsy in all gears.
Two additional trims on Matrix -- the price-leading Standard edition and XR grade -- come with either front-wheel or all-wheel driveline and a thrifty four-cylinder engine that also measures to 1.8 liters but has a smaller bore and stroke and reduced compression ratios.
With front-wheel-drive, this plant generates 130 hp at 6000 rpm with 125 lb-ft of torque running at 4200 rpm.
The four-wheel-drive version musters 123 hp at 6000 rpm and torque up to 118 lb-ft at 4200 rpm.
In two-wheel-drive mode, these Matrix models use either a manual five-speed transmission or an optional automatic four-speed. The automatic goes exclusively with the four-wheel-drive version.
Fuel economy looks best with the manual five-speed. This version, as certified by the EPA as an ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV), scores figures as high as 35 miles per gallon for highway driving.
On the four-wheel-drive Matrix, fuel figures run up to 30 miles a gallon under the EPA rating of a low emission vehicle (LEV).
A new suspension system for all Matrix models employs MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam with toe control in the rear and stabilizer bars fore and aft to check lateral body roll.
The all-wheel-drive models get a double wishbone design in back that accommodates the added differential equipment.
Variable-assist power steering through a rack-and-pinion device feels crisp and contributes to the sporty demeanor of Matrix.
For braking, XRS comes with disc brakes and an anti-lock system plus electronic brake force distribution. Other models show front discs with rear drums and ABS as an option in front-wheel-drive mode but standard for four-wheel-drive.
Steel 16-inch wheels go to Standard and XR grades, with optional 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels that show up on XRS. Both XRS and XR models also offer 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels capped by P215/50/17 low-profile tires.
Matrix Standard stocks manually-controlled rearview mirrors, a rear window defogger, tonneau cover for the cargo bay and a two-piece cargo net. Optional gear includes air conditioning, power windows and power door locks, and an audio system with CD and cassette decks.
Matrix XR adds the power controls and air conditioning, plus variable intermittent wipers and a rear window wiper, sport steering wheel and side rocker panels.
Matrix XRS also carries foglamps, underbody spoilers front and rear plus a keen audio system with six speakers.
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| 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Subcompact 5-door sports wagon
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| Model Options: |
Subcompact 5-door sports wagon
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| Wheelbase: |
102.4 inches
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| Overall Length: |
171.3 inches
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| Engine Size: |
Standard / XR: DOHC 1.8-L I4
XRS: DOHC 1.8-L I4
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| Transmission: |
Standard / XR: Manual/5
Auto/4-ECT
XRS: Manual/6
Auto/4-ECT
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| Drive: |
Standard / XR: FWD / AWD
XRS: FWD
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| Braking: |
FWD: Power disc/drum/
opt. ABS/EBD
AWD: Power disc/drum/ABS/EBD
XRS: Power 4-disc/ABS/EBD
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
FWD M/5: 29/35 mpg
FWD A/4: 27/32 mpg
AWD A/4: 25/30 mpg
XRS M/6: 24/29 mpg
XRS A/4: 24/30 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 17,000 to $ 24,000 |
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