The Echo gets some points in the "damn, Toyota is cheap" category for putting the gauges in the circular hole in the center, so that the gauges could be moved for RHD/LHD without a different dash piece. Suzuki did somewhat the same thing with the Aerio, but without it being as cheap and damaging to the design. The dash is very small due to it being digital. There is a matching piece on the other side that you could take out and put a mirror image of the dash into. There is also a cutout for the "passenger" airbag in front of the driver, which is a blank panel of course. So very few panels would have to be changed to change the side the wheel is on, yet it's a very functional interior. The owner of the one I was in had never even noticed it until I pointed it out.

Cheers Suzuki.

Interesting... they've since replaced it with a non-symmetrical interior, and sales are still pathetic.

Yeah, the Aerio now has a conventional dashboard. I think it's a spunky little car. It's got plenty of horsepower, comes in nice colors, and it's available with AWD (auto trans only with AWD, sadly.) That "ice blue" they've got this year is bangin'.

My #1 son in law is a car hauler and drives 55 new cars some days. The aerio is one the most surprisingly quick cars he has experienced. Must over-rated; Nissan 350. Oh well.

I like the Aerio, too... massive depreciation makes it pretty darn affordable:

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...88&adid=4628119

Plus, digital gauges are waaaaaaaaaaay cool.

How odd... we never had that grille/bumper treatment down here in the States.

We had one for about a week in Arizona a year and a half ago. It was a welcome change from the Hyundai Accent we left the airport with. It had decent power for a car its size, handled decently (if a little on the top-heavy side), and swallowed up four large suitcases in the trunk without a problem. I tell ya, I was pretty impressed with it then (shhhhh), and that was before they fixed the front and interior, and gave it some more giddy-up under the hood.

the new interior is very nice and the car rides and handles well. the tall car cabin is comfy for big folks like moi and aside from being a bit narrow is really comfy. goes like stink too. its a much more fun car than the sister Forenza....

Decent power courtesy of a much bigger engine, and prices to match mean sales are limited. With a cheaper base model with a smaller engine as offered in other markets it might sell better against the Aveo and Accent etc.

its much more substantial then the Aveo.