When did Toyota stop making echos?
Toyota retired the Echo name from its North American lineup after the 2005 model year, with the Yaris replacing it in 2006; across other markets, the Echo branding faded during the mid-2000s as Toyota consolidated around the Yaris name globally.
Background on the Echo name and its markets
The Toyota Echo was a compact hatchback produced and marketed in various regions under different branding. In North America, it ran from the 2000 model year through 2005, serving as an entry-level, fuel-efficient option. In many other markets, the Echo badge was less prominent or replaced earlier by the Yaris/Vitz branding, as Toyota pursued a unified global naming strategy in the compact segment.
Discontinuation timeline by market
Below is a quick, market-by-market outline of when the Echo ended production or branding in major regions. Each point highlights the key year that fans and historians typically cite for the end of the Echo in that area.
- North America (United States and Canada): The Echo's last model year was 2005; it was phased out as Toyota introduced the Toyota Yaris for the 2006 model year.
- Europe and Australia: The Echo badge was rarely used in these markets; the Yaris (or its local variant) effectively replaced the Echo concept around the same period, with branding converging on Yaris in the early to mid-2000s.
- Japan and other parts of Asia: The Echo name was not a dominant market presence; the domestic Vitz/Yaris family continued under locally preferred names, and the global switch to the Yaris branding occurred during the 2000s.
Conclusion: The Echo name ceased to be used in most major markets by the mid-2000s, with 2005–2006 serving as the pivotal window for its discontinuation and replacement by the Yaris in many regions.
Why Toyota shifted to the Yaris naming
Automotive branding at Toyota aimed to streamline model lines across global markets. By adopting the Yaris name more broadly, Toyota leveraged a single, recognizable identity for a compact hatchback across regions, simplifying marketing, dealer training, and supply chain alignment. The switch began in the late 1990s and became largely complete by the mid-2000s, with the Yaris-based models continuing to evolve in the subsequent decade.
Summary
The Echo—a small, fuel-efficient hatchback—effectively ended in major markets by 2005, with the Yaris replacing it for the 2006 model year in North America. In other regions, the Echo badge faded in the same era as Toyota unified its compact-line branding under the Yaris name. The Echo’s chapter thus closes in the mid-2000s, superseded by the globally deployed Yaris lineup.
