City Rauming

Raum is a roomy (raumy?) and more upmarket alternative to the Fielder and Probox. Its also pricier, but has better quality for the price.

The Toyota Raum was introduced sometime in 1997 as a mini-MPV with the looks and dynamics of a small hatchback but the space and convenience of a minivan. It was replaced with an all new Raum in 2003, produced till 2011, meaning they will continue to be sold in Bangladesh for several more years. This particular car is a 2008 facelifted version, in a very light shade of beige-blue and is for sale at Car House Limited.
The Raum looks quite similar to a Toyota Spacio and has “microbus doors” instead of conventional ones, and seats five. The mechanical bits are identical to a Corolla: 1500cc 1NZ-FE engine, a four speed automatic gearbox, drums at the back with disc brakes in front. Maintenance should be cheaper than peanuts thanks to common internals, and despite the lack of a fuel efficient CVT, the four speed automatic gearbox seems better suited to Dhaka for CNG conversion.

If I were to describe the car with one word, I'd pick “convenience” without having to think twice. The exterior is very neat and rather good looking and the design is very clever.  For example, there are no pillars or support structures between the doors (only) on the left. Instead, they are attached to the roof and floor structures to enable a large opening with easy access to all the seats inside. The doors are undoubtedly the coolest feature it has to offer. They can be operated by the push of a button from the driver's seat and is definitely the first thing you'll want to show off to your family and friends. The trunk opens like a door, more like an SUV than a hatch, with plenty of space inside that can be doubled by folding the rear seats forward.

The beige and black dashboard is completely hard plastic and looks more like a part of an appliance than an automobile, the steering wheel is rather absurd and toyish. The buttons are clearly sorted and large without much to play around with, the gauges are center mounted for visibility further aided by large windows all around. This particular car is fitted with an aftermarket touch screen DVD player with Bluetooth connectivity and is connected to a reverse camera for easy parking. Seating space seems to be more than anything you'll find in a car of its size, passengers can even switch between the front and rear seats through the flat space between the front two without having to get out of the car. If practicality is what you're looking for, the Raum has all sorts of it.
This car is as just as easy to drive as it is to ride in. You get a complete sense of measurement all around from the very beginning and it drives just like a Corolla, slightly heavier. This is a car made for comfort and is best suited with the high profile, airy tires on small wheels. The brakes seemed rather spongy but it's easy to get used to.

If you're in the market for a car for your family to use all day every day, do school runs and errands daily without having to settle for mainstream budget cars, the Raum is the perfect car for you. It offers good looks, the practicality of a mini SUV and a Toyota badge with minimal running costs. What more could you ask for at 17.5 lacs these days?