THE centrally mounted instrument panel, housing a digital speedo and motorsport-style tachometer, trip/odometer and fuel gauge, is a standout feature of the Echo's interior. Toyota insists the design reduces refocussing time from the speedo et. al. to the road however the instinctive look to the panel beyond the steering wheel (which reveals nothing but plastic) is a hard habit to break. The small bar-display tachometer can also be difficult to read quickly in conjunction with the speedo. The fluorescent green and red instrument readings look to be positioned down in the bonnet, a result of the images projected onto a mirror to give the impression of depth. A temperature gauge was omitted in favour of a coolant light which illuminates in blue when the engine is cold and flashes red when coolant temperature approaches boiling point.