Toyota unveils new Celica

Europeans will get their first glimpse of the restyled Toyota Celica at the Paris motor show next week - but New Zealanders can clap eyes on it now.

The car goes on sale in New Zealand this weekend, priced the same as the outgoing model.

It comes with styling revisions inside and out and suspension changes for a more comfortable ride.

The face of the Celica reveals most of the exterior changes, with a wider air intake in the lower grille and restyled foglight surrounds. The Toyota logo is now mounted on the bonnet instead of the grille.

Toyota says it changed the front and rear shock absorbers to improve damper response for a flatter ride and improved traction.

Inside, the instrument panel has been redesigned to make it easier to read and the audio system gets more power.

The front seats now come in a combination of black, silver and red.

The five-speed manual Celica costs $45,000, the four-speed automatic with manual override $46,000.