[citation needed] The market segment occupied by the Sprinter Marino and Corolla Ceres was served by a new concept of vehicles Toyota manufactured under the WiLL brand, that was shared with products from other Japanese manufacturers and service providers.

These cars were offered for consumers who wanted the luxurious approach offered by the Crown hardtop and sedan, as well as the Mark II (4-door sedan), Cresta (4-door hardtop) and Chaser (4-door hardtop and performance enhancements), and the next segment down on the Corona and Carina, called the Corona EXiV and the Carina ED which were all offered at reduced prices and reduced tax liability based on the vehicles size and engine displacement.

The Ceres/Marino twins saw competition from other Japanese manufacturers in this size classification, such as the Nissan Presea, the Mazda Lantis, and the Honda Integra.

The Silver Top 4AGE engine produces 160 hp (at 7500 rpm) and the 2nd most powerful of the high performance 4A-GE Toyota motors ever made, only beaten by the Black Top 4A-GE which is around 5 hp (4 kW) more powerful (available in the Sprinter Marino 1997 to 1998 with 6 speed manual or 4 speed auto).

The Marino featured a specially developed five-speed manual gearbox as well as an automatic version and optional limited slip differential.