The Sprinter Marino made its debut in May 1992, together with its sister car Corolla Ceres. The huge success of the 1985 Carina ED had created a fad for 4-door hardtops, and the demand for a Corolla-class 4-door hardtop was met by the Marino. As the first 4-door hardtop in its class, the Marino featured low-roofed, sporty proportions. It was a "pillared" hardtop, with unobtrusive center pillars that were virtually invisible when the sashless door glass was rolled up.

The height was 1,315 mm, or 70 mm shorter than the sedan. It was virtually the same model as its sister car, the Corolla Ceres, with only minor differences in the grille and headlamp designs. The available power units included 1.5-liter 105 PS (5A-FE), 1.6-liter 115 PS (4A-FE), and 1.6-liter 160 PS (4A-GE) engines, which were all shared with the Levin and the Trueno. The transmission was either a 5- or 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. While the Sprinter sedan and coupé were fully remodeled in 1995, the Sprinter Marino underwent only minor changes in key mechanical components including the engine, transmission, and suspension. As the popularity of 4-door hardtops waned, production of the Marino was discontinued in June 1998.