The Japanese still offer a completely basic car for less than €10.000, but you may have to grit your teeth a bit when it comes to equipment for the base model.
Toyota has managed to become the world's largest automaker for the fifth year in a row, but this result cannot be achieved only by selling relatively expensive hybrid crossovers and city cars. To achieve this result, it is necessary to target an even wider range of buyers, including those whose pockets are not deep enough for a hybrid. For this reason, Toyota also has some extremely cheap models in its lineup for certain markets, such as the Toyota Corolla Axio and Corolla Fielder Wagon. Although Toyota will soon exclude these two models from its offer, there is another model that remains.
This model is called the Probox and no, it is not a “kei car”, but a real car in the compact segment. Although it bears the Toyota badge, it is manufactured by the Japanese Daihatsu. For those who do not like Toyota, the same car is also available as a Mazda, called the Familia Van. In Japan, the base model of the Probox costs 1.529.000 yen, which at the exchange rate at the time of writing is €9.753,49. Despite the fact that the Probox looks more like a car from the 21s than from the XNUMXst century, the buyer gets quite a lot of car for the money.
For this money, the Probox is powered by Toyota's naturally aspirated 1,3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which develops 94 hp and 122 Nm of torque. It sounds familiar to some, and you're right, because this engine was available in our country in models such as the Auris and Yaris just under twenty years ago. For those who want a slightly more potent Probox, Toyota also offers a 1,5-liter engine, which in some versions is even available as a hybrid with four-wheel drive, so it's quite similar to the current Yaris Cross, which is also sold in our country.
The famous Slovenian proverb "little money, little music" only partially applies to the Probox, as it is quite decently equipped in the most expensive version. The most expensive version costs 2.057.500 yen or €13.180, which brings equipment such as electric windows, a heated driver's seat, automatic high beam control, automatic air conditioning and even a lane keeping system. Far from luxury, but more than enough for the price. Unfortunately, the entry-level Probox model cannot boast of any of the listed features, not even automatic air conditioning.
Where the Probox excels in all equipment packages is its usability. The Probox can be transformed into a real van by folding down the rear bench, except that it does not have sliding doors. Those with very high space needs will be delighted with the 181 cm long, completely flat loading space. Quite an impressive figure considering the Probox's 424 cm length. Thanks to the boxy shape, Toyota's engineers have saved buyers some back pain, as the regular square trunk opening makes loading cargo significantly easier. I believe that many people have another famous saying going through their heads while reading this: "If it's too good to be true, then it probably is," and this is true for the Probox, but again only partially. Such a price is only possible because of the Japanese yen/euro exchange rate, as the Japanese yen has lost approximately 23,7% of its value against our euro in the last five years. Despite the exchange rate, there are many new cars available at very affordable prices, but only in some markets. A classic example of such a market is China, from where news constantly comes about various cars for "ridiculous" money by today's European standards.
