Unlike the larger sedans, the Carina ED, and later the Corona EXiV, were genuine four-door hardtops without a B-pillar connecting the rear door support to the roof.

The Carina ED went on sale not long before the Plaza Accord was signed and the Japanese bubble economy took off.

The ED achieved huge sales in Japan, and other Japanese manufacturers followed with similar designs, including the Mazda Persona, Nissan Presea, and Honda Integra.

The pillared hardtop approach was also used on the yet smaller Corolla/Sprinter platform, called the Corolla Ceres and the Sprinter Marino.

[3] In May 1988 the 1S-iLU was replaced by the 1.8-liter 4S-Fi, with 105 PS (77 kW) JIS net; this meant that the engine lineup now consisted entirely twin cams.

The luxury features included with the Celica 2000GT-R were also offered on the Carina ED Type X, including the digital dashboard, automatic climate control, cruise control, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support and side bolsters, four-way adjustable steering wheel, and the AM/FM stereo cassette with a built-in equalizer.

Some changes were made to the availability of engines, while the transmissions and the front and rear suspension carried over from the previous generation.

Some of the optional features included a MOMO leather-wrapped steering wheel with matching manual transmission gearshift handle and matching 14" alloy wheels, keyless remote entry, a driver-side airbag, and a six-disc CD player installed in the trunk added to the AM/FM Stereo cassette player.

The speed-sensitive power steering was linked to the ECT-S automatic transmission and TEMS, so performance and handling could be changed for spirited driving.

Structural integrity was improved, and a crumple zone safety cage was offered for the passenger compartment.

The Carina ED benefited from the sleek styling of the 1993 Toyota Supra A80, including the interior, form-fitting seats, and the wrap-around dashboard.

Other options included remote keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, and a cabin air filter.

[1] TOM'S appearance items replaced the previous MOMO equipment, adding special alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and automatic transmission gear selector, while the manual transmission knob was stainless steel and vehicles equipped have a badge on the front fender below the all-new side turn signal indicator.

To take advantage of the all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering, Toyota also installed a modified MacPherson strut for the front wheels called Super Strut instead of installing the more elaborate and expensive TEMS and offered limited slip differential for front wheel drive vehicles.