This Is The World's Cheapest SUV

What you are looking at is an all-new SUV from an also all-new manufacturer called Mobius. It's the world's cheapest SUV, and in a very real sense, it's the new Jeep. Mobius was formed on the idea that an absolutely basic, yet rugged vehicle that's highly utilitarian and dirt cheap would be both extremely important and fill an economic need in Africa.

By American standards, you wouldn't expect an $11,000 SUV to be good at anything, but Mobius features all wheel drive to cope with the largely undeveloped road system in rural Africa.

The frame is so basic it's awesome: it's just a bunch of steel tubing that's been bent at strategic places and welded together, like an old-school rock climber. It's insanely tough, like the original Jeeps, Land Cruisers, or Land Rover Defenders whose beauty 50 years ago was in their rugged simplicity.

Inside it's about what you would expect. Canvas seats, a steering wheel.... and that's about it. Beautiful in its simplicity, isn't it?

In back, two bench seats can carry an additional six people when you're not hauling miscellaneous goods.

Even though it only has 86 hp, the 1.6 liter Toyota four cylinder engine was chosen specifically because it's extremely familiar to just about every mechanic in Africa, so you can get it fixed wherever you are.

Just think of it like an old farm truck that lets people move about the country and enables economic growth.

Aaron Miller is the Rides editor for Supercompressor, and he actually wants one of these for himself for weekend excursions to the middle of nowhere.