Toyota introduced the Starlet 90 series in 1996 in two versions, with three and five-door version hatchbacks, the latter being aimed at young customers.
With an increased demand for small-class vehicles good for urban areas, carmakers started to offer customers a wider choice of engines and body versions. The French and Italian brands were very well represented in this segment, while Ford, Opel, and Volkswagen were strong competitors. Unlike the European brands, Toyota focused on only one engine option and no diesel. That decision proved to be a recipe for disaster.

At the front, the simple, curved headlights sported corner-mounted turns signals. Its shaved corners and edges were a mix between the ’80s style and the ’90s bio-design trend. The Japanese carmaker tried an exciting design idea, with a sloped-down beltline over the front doors. Its curved vertical tailgate cut a slice from the rear bumper to make the loading edge lower.

Inside, the straightforward design with hard plastic on the dash and door panels. On the center stack, the carmaker installed the ventilation control unit and a stereo cassette player. Its low-mounted seats led to less legroom for rear passengers but better headroom for the front ones. Depending on the options, the three-door Starlet offered power-windows as an option.

Under the hood, Toyota installed only one powertrain option, a 1.3-liter engine paired to a five-speed manual gearbox.