[table:6d22f92ec1][row:6d22f92ec1][col:6d22f92ec1]The Toyota ECHO was unveiled to the U.S. at the end of 1998 as "simple, functional and affordable" vehicle. It would soon become the replacement for the aging Toyota Tercel. The ECHO was designed along side of the two other Genesis Project vehicles, the Celica and MR2 Spyder. The three vehicles represented a push towards a more youthful market, but the project was ultimately considered a failure due to sluggish sales. ECHO sales looked promising in 2000 when Toyota sold 48,876 units, but the following year saw 42,464 sold. After that many dealerships stopped stocking the vehicle and sales fell to 30,859 and 26,167 in 2002 and 2003.

The ECHO was sold under the Toyota Platz nameplate in other parts of the world. In Canada the ECHO sedan and coupe was joined with an ECHO hatchback, which was a renamed Toyota Yaris. The North American ECHOs were powered by a 1.5L VVT-i engine (1NZ-FE) that made 108Hp. The basic platform and powerplant combination was used to develop the Japanese Toyota bB and Toyota ist, which became the Scion xB and xA here in the states.

Introductory pricing for the coupe was $9,995, and for the sedan was $10,395.
[col:6d22f92ec1]2000 Toyota ECHO

2000 Toyota ECHO

2005 Toyota ECHO

2005 Toyota ECHO

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