The Toyota Platz is a supermini automobile that was manufactured in Japan by Toyota from 1999 through to 2005, when replaced by the Toyota Belta. Designated by Toyota as the XP10 series, the Platz was sold in export markets as either the Toyota Echo or Toyota Yaris. The "Echo" and "Yaris" names were also given to the export version of the related Japanese market Toyota Vitz hatchback, from which the Platz derives. In Japan, it was only available at the Toyopet Store dealerships.
"Platz" is German for "space" (as defined by "the interior room is spacious"). Only inline-four engines were fitted to the Platz, which was sold in Japan as a four-door sedan only. A coupe was also available in North America where the car was badged "Echo".
The Yiddish word "plotz" is pronounced similarly, but means "burst" or "explode", providing amusement for some.
History
The Platz was introduced in 1999 as a sedan sold internationally, with a coupe version exclusive to North America following for the 2000 model year. The Platz is heavily related to the Vitz hatchbackâ€"with which it shares front doors, a common interior and mechanical componentry. The running gear is also shared to a lesser degree with the ist and Toyota bB, sold in the United States as the Scion xA and xB respectively, and the Japan-only WiLL Vi. The same platform is the base for the Japanese-only Probox and Succeed wagons.
In the United States, the Echo sold almost 50,000 units in its first year, with just half that many in 2003. The Echo was an element of Toyota Project Genesis, a failed effort to bring younger buyers to the marque in the United States. The Echo sold in high volumes in Canada, where Toyota also offered the three- and five-door hatchback versions of the Toyota Vitz badged as the Echo beginning with the 2004 model year to replace the Toyota Echo coupe (which was dropped after 2003). The coupe remained on sale in the United States until the 2005 model year along with the sedan, while the hatchback variants were never sold there. It was the predecessor to the current North American Toyota Yaris, sharing many identical features, such as the odd (and somewhat controversial) center placement of the speedometer and gauges, as opposed to in front of the steering wheel. Power options on the Echo are a rare find; most models are equipped with manual windows and locks, air conditioning, and a six-speaker audio system with a CD and/or a cassette player.
In China, the Toyota Platz was marketed as the Xiali 2000 from December 2000 to March 2004 then as the Xiali Vela from March 2004 to 2012. It came with a 1.5 liter engine and five-speed manual gearbox.
In some parts of Southeast Asia (not including Hong Kong and Japan), a modified version of the Platz with different body panels is sold under the name Toyota Vios.
The 2010 edition of Monash University's Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR), found that the XP10 provides a "poor" (two out of five stars) level of occupant safety protection in the event of an accident.
Sales
- United States
- 1999 â€" 10,490
- 2000 â€" 48,876
- 2001 â€" 42,464
- 2002 â€" 27,985
- 2003 â€" 26,167
- 2004 â€" 3,899
- 2005 â€" 1,544
- 2006 â€" 27
- 2007 â€" 7
References
