Toyota Soluna: which version to buy
Between the two Toyota Soluna versions in this catalogue, the engine, drive, ground clearance, and chassis layout are identical. The only measured difference is the gearbox: 1.5 MT is Manual with 5 gears; 1.5 AT is Automatic with 4 gears. There is one generation (1996–2003), Sedan, so there is no later generation that adds power, gears, or a different body.
Between the two Toyota Soluna versions in this catalogue, the engine, drive, ground clearance, and chassis layout are identical. The only measured difference is the gearbox: 1.5 MT is Manual with 5 gears; 1.5 AT is Automatic with 4 gears. There is one generation (1996–2003), Sedan, so there is no later generation that adds power, gears, or a different body. If you want the extra gear and a Manual, that is 1.5 MT. If you want Automatic, that is 1.5 AT. Acceleration, top speed, mpg, kerb weight, and tank size are not measured for either version, so those cannot be used as a tie-breaker here.
Which version to choose
1.5 MT and 1.5 AT share the same 1498 cm³ Gasoline engine: 100 hp (74 kW) at 6000 rpm, 130 Nm at 4400 rpm, 4 cylinders Inline, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), compression ratio 9, bore and stroke 78 × 77, fuel 95. Both are FWD. Both have 150 mm ground clearance. Front suspension is Independent, spring; rear is Semi-independent, torsion. Front brakes are Ventilated disc. Rear brakes are not measured on either version.
Arithmetic on those figures:
- Power per litre: 100 hp ÷ 1.498 L = 66.8 hp/L on both 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT.
- Torque per litre: 130 Nm ÷ 1.498 L = 86.8 Nm/L on both.
- Kilowatts vs horsepower: 74 kW is the same 100 hp pair on both.
- Peak torque arrives 1600 rpm before peak power (4400 vs 6000).
- Bore is 1 mm larger than stroke (78 vs 77).
- 1.5 MT has 1 more gear than 1.5 AT (5 vs 4).
- Gearbox type is the only named difference: Manual vs Automatic.
Weight per horsepower cannot be calculated: kerb weight is not measured, and gross weight is not measured, on both versions. “What the extra money buys” cannot be priced here: prices are not in this dataset. What the Automatic buys, in the numbers we have, is a 4-speed Automatic instead of a 5-speed Manual, with no change in hp, Nm, displacement, fuel, cylinders, layout, boost, or drive.
There is no restyling listed as a separate generation. Production of both versions is dated 1996-01-01 to 2003-12-31, the same window as the single generation.
Toyota Soluna specs: 1.5 MT vs 1.5 AT
| Version | hp | Nm | Displacement (cm³) | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Gears | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 MT | 100 | 130 | 1498 | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | 5 | FWD |
| 1.5 AT | 100 | 130 | 1498 | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | Automatic | 4 | FWD |
Power is also listed as 74 kW at 6000 rpm on both. Torque peak is 4400 rpm on both.
Engine: same 1498 cm³ on both versions
The Toyota Soluna engine in this catalogue is one specification, fitted to both gearboxes. 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT both use 1498 cm³ Gasoline, 4 cylinders Inline, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point). Compression ratio is 9. Bore and stroke is 78 × 77. Fuel is 95.
Because displacement, hp, and Nm do not change between versions, choosing 1.5 AT does not buy more power, and choosing 1.5 MT does not buy a larger engine. Specific output stays 66.8 hp/L and 86.8 Nm/L either way. There is no second engine displacement in the data, and no boosted version (boost is No on both).
Gearbox: the only measured split
1.5 MT: Manual, 5 gears, FWD. 1.5 AT: Automatic, 4 gears, FWD.
That is a 1-gear gap and a Manual vs Automatic gap. Drive does not change (FWD on both). Engine rpm points do not change. If the decision is “I want five gears and Manual,” the catalogue has one match: 1.5 MT. If the decision is “I want Automatic,” the catalogue has one match: 1.5 AT. There is no 5-speed Automatic and no 4-speed Manual in this model’s data.
Performance and economy (mpg)
0–100 is not measured for 1.5 MT. 0–100 is not measured for 1.5 AT. Top speed is not measured for 1.5 MT. Top speed is not measured for 1.5 AT. City consumption is not measured for 1.5 MT. City consumption is not measured for 1.5 AT. Highway consumption is not measured for 1.5 MT. Highway consumption is not measured for 1.5 AT. Combined consumption is not measured for 1.5 MT. Combined consumption is not measured for 1.5 AT. CO2 is not measured for 1.5 MT. CO2 is not measured for 1.5 AT. Eco class is not measured for 1.5 MT. Eco class is not measured for 1.5 AT.
You cannot rank 1.5 MT against 1.5 AT on 0–100, top speed, or mpg using this dataset. A 5-speed Manual versus a 4-speed Automatic is a real difference in the table, but consumption and acceleration figures that would show its effect are not measured.
Dimensions, weight, ground clearance
Kerb weight is not measured for 1.5 MT. Kerb weight is not measured for 1.5 AT. Gross weight is not measured for 1.5 MT. Gross weight is not measured for 1.5 AT. Fuel tank is not measured for 1.5 MT. Fuel tank is not measured for 1.5 AT. Wheel sizes are not measured for 1.5 MT. Wheel sizes are not measured for 1.5 AT.
Ground clearance is 150 mm on 1.5 MT and 150 mm on 1.5 AT (difference 0 mm). Weight per horsepower cannot be computed when kerb weight is not measured. Clearance does not help pick a version: it is the same number on both.
Front suspension Independent, spring and rear Semi-independent, torsion are the same on 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT. Front brakes Ventilated disc are the same. Rear brakes are not measured on either.
Generations: what changed (one generation only)
Toyota Soluna has 1 generation in this catalogue: 1 generation, 1996-01-01 to 2003-12-31, body Sedan, 2 versions (1.5 MT, 1.5 AT).
There is no second generation to compare on hp, gears, or body. Nothing in the data shows a restyle as a separate generation. Both versions run the full 1996–2003 window; neither is dated as a late-only or early-only engine. “Which generation changed what” for Soluna, on these numbers, is: the generation did not split; the model stayed one Sedan generation with two gearbox versions of the same 100 hp / 130 Nm / 1498 cm³ Gasoline engine.
Reliability and problems
This dataset does not list failure rates, recall counts, or known problem items for 1.5 MT or 1.5 AT. Reliability cannot be scored from the numbers given. What is measured and identical on both: 100 hp, 130 Nm, 1498 cm³, Gasoline, 4 cylinders Inline, boost No, FWD, 150 mm clearance, Independent, spring front, Semi-independent, torsion rear, Ventilated disc front. What is measured and different: Manual 5 on 1.5 MT versus Automatic 4 on 1.5 AT. What is not measured (and must not be treated as absent from the car, only absent from the table): 0–100, top speed, mpg, tank, kerb weight, gross weight, wheels, rear brakes, CO2, eco class.
Decision in one line
Buy 1.5 MT if you want the 5-speed Manual on the 100 hp / 130 Nm / 1498 cm³ Gasoline FWD Sedan. Buy 1.5 AT if you want the 4-speed Automatic on the same engine, same 66.8 hp/L, same 150 mm clearance, same generation years 1996–2003. There is no other version in the data, and no later generation that raises power or adds a different body.