Toyota shows that car brands can still make cheap cars. And sell them almost as cheaply. The new Probox costs just 74,000 kroner.
Here in Denmark, it's been a long time since you could buy a new car for 74,000 kroner or so. And you won't be able to do that in the future either.
At least not in the near future. The closest we get to a really cheap car is the Dacia Sandero on yellow plates. Read more about it here .
In Japan, however, things are completely different. Here, Toyota sells the new Probox for just one and a half million yen. And although that sounds like a lot, converted into our currency, it's just 74,000 kroner.
Design-wise, the Probox is nothing to write home about. In fact, it just looks like a mix of the world's most boring station wagon and van rolled into one.
However, the Probox is not so new that the price surprises the Japanese. The car has been on sale since 2002. And it was actually only in 2014 that it received a facelift.
Toyota charges 74,000 kroner for a brand new car
The very long life cycle, however, means that Toyota can keep the price really low. That and of course, the Probox looks like something from the 90s. The same applies to the cabin.
There's a lot of grey, hard plastic here. No big screens, no touch panels – just buttons. And even that stuff is small.
This is what Autobild writes.
Conversely, Toyota charges 'only' 98,000 kroner for the top model. This gives the owner air conditioning, remote central locking and heated seats. Electric windows and a radio are also included in the price.
The same goes for LED headlights and navigation. The car is not completely devoid of safety features, however. In fact, both lane keeping assist and automatic emergency braking are standard even in the base model.
In terms of engines, however, there is not much to look forward to. In fact, there are only two. Both run on gasoline and are either 1,300 or 1,500 cubic meters with up to 109 horsepower. Four-wheel drive is also part of the package, although as an option for the top model.
