2000 Toyota Echo

Toyota Courts NetGen Youth with Echo Subcompact

DETROIT - Toyota finally faced the fact that by catering primarily to Baby Boomer needs as both the company and the generation matured, young consumers thought this nameplate, as well as the products it produced, was synonymous with dull and stodgy. Last year, a team of young Toyota employees was assembled to develop innovative products and marketing strategies that could serve as Grecian Formula for Toyota's image and cater to post-Boomer generations.

The first product resulting from the brainstorming sessions of this youthful group is the 2000 Toyota Echo, introduced to reporters on Monday at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Echo slots into the Tercel's vacant space at the bottom of the product lineup, and will be priced so it substantially undercuts the Corolla. This is great news for younger buyers, who are often strapped for cash. This is bad news for other automakers, particularly Daewoo, Hyundai and Kia.

Echo is designed specifically for younger consumers (the NetGen, or Internet Generation), with top-of-the-line audio systems, numerous storage cubbies, and plenty of room inside for friends. Powered by a new 1.5-liter, 108-horsepower, dual overhead cam, four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing technology, the Echo will get 45 mpg on the highway and meet low-emission vehicle standards. Curb weight is less than 2,000 pounds, so Echo can provide enough acceleration to keep up with Civics and Neons.

A coupe and a sedan will be available when Echo arrives at dealerships this fall. With its tall, cartoon-like body and high seating positions, the Echo is as large inside as the more expensive Corolla, and provides 13.6 cubic feet of cargo space. The instrument cluster is located high on the center of the dash, aimed toward the driver. This gimmick might lend Echo some personality, but we don't think distracting young, inexperienced drivers from the task at hand is a good thing, though Toyota claims such a location makes retrieving information faster and causes less eye strain (so put them in the Avalon, instead).

Front air bags, seat belt pre-tensioners and seat belt force limiters are standard. Antilock brakes and daytime running lights will be optional. In preliminary crash testing, the Echo exhibited A-pillar distortion and toe board intrusion levels on par with the larger Camry sedan.

While we found the Echo to be a remarkable study in effective cost cutting and an exceptional new-car value to the buyer looking for reliable new wheels, we're put off by the its top-heavy styling, relatively excessive rear overhang and SUV-like fender and rocker-panel skirting. But that's OK with Toyota, because nobody on our staff was born after 1980.