The Toyota Blizzard was a small four-wheel-drive vehicle built for Toyota by Daihatsu between March 1980 and 1990. It was sold only in Japan, through Toyota Vista Store dealers, and came in two generations: the LD10 based on the Daihatsu Taft and the LD20 based on the Daihatsu Rugger.
Toyota Blizzard at a glance
| Maker | Toyota, built by Daihatsu |
|---|---|
| Production | March 1980 – 1990 |
| Class | Compact four-wheel-drive vehicle |
| First generation | LD10, based on the Daihatsu Taft (Scat) |
| Second generation | LD20, based on the Daihatsu Rugger |
| First engine | 2.2-litre (2,188 cc) L diesel |
| Second engine | 2.4-litre (2,446 cc) 2L diesel, 83 PS |
| Later engine | 2L-T turbodiesel, 96 PS from 1985 |
| Gearbox | Four-speed manual, five-speed from 1983 |
| Drive | Part-time four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case |
| Market | Japan only |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Toyota Blizzard.
History of the Toyota Blizzard
LD10 (1980)
The first Blizzard was launched in 1980 and was a rebadged Daihatsu Taft, also known as the Scat. It used a naturally aspirated 2.2-litre (2,188 cc) L diesel engine, at first with a Toyota four-speed manual gearbox and from 1983 with a five-speed. Although the body was visibly a Daihatsu, the engines were Toyota units, and the model was exclusive to Toyota Vista Store. It is now rare: fewer than a dozen examples are known in North America. The LD10 was replaced in 1984.
LD20 (1984)
The second generation was based on the Daihatsu Rugger and used the 2.4-litre (2,446 cc) 2L diesel with 83 PS; from 1985 a 96 PS 2L-T turbodiesel was added. It had part-time four-wheel drive, a five-speed manual gearbox and a two-speed transfer case. A minor facelift in 1987 replaced the round headlamps with rectangular ones and brought larger bumpers.
Place in the range
The Blizzard gave Toyota a tiny off-roader below the Land Cruiser at a time when compact four-wheel-drive cars were becoming popular in Japan. Because it was built by Daihatsu and sold only through one Japanese dealer channel, it remained a niche model, and production ended in 1990 without a direct successor in Toyota’s range.
Design and features
- Daihatsu engineering: based on the Taft and then the Rugger, with Toyota diesel engines.
- Part-time four-wheel drive: a two-speed transfer case in the LD20.
- Diesel only: 2.2- and 2.4-litre four-cylinder engines, later with a turbocharger.
- Japanese-only model: sold through Toyota Vista Store.
Toyota Blizzard versions
- LD10 (1980–1984): Taft-based with the 2.2-litre L diesel.
- LD10 five-speed (1983): a five-speed gearbox replaced the four-speed.
- LD20 (1984): Rugger-based with the 2.4-litre 2L diesel of 83 PS.
- LD20 turbodiesel (1985): the 2L-T engine of 96 PS.
- 1987 facelift: rectangular headlamps and larger bumpers.
The Blizzard was Toyota’s smallest off-roader below the Land Cruiser, and it shared its Daihatsu parentage with the Cami. More cars are in the Toyota collection.
Sources
- Toyota Blizzard, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, equipment
