This is an fascinating construct we guess nobody on this nice inexperienced planet had on their 2025 automotive prediction sheet: a Land Cruiser-inspired tiny MPV turned camper that does not fairly camp. It is the all-new CLS-Fox “Landcroomy” from Japanese tuning store ESB, and whereas it is woefully ill-equipped for an all-out backcountry tenting journey or overlanding expedition, it undoubtedly exudes “highway journey” vibes like few different 12-foot automobiles on highway or path.
With a size of 370 cm (146 in) and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, the Daihatsu-built Japanese-market Toyota Roomy is not fairly a kei van, a class that applies to automobiles measuring not than 340 cm (134 in) with engines as much as 660cc, amongst different restrictions. That stated, the Roomy remains to be a correctly tiny MPV with a 4.6-m (15-ft) turning radius. It makes for a type of delightfully unlikely camper vans with which Japan and Korea have lengthy fascinated the Western world.
Curiously sufficient, the Roomy is definitely one thing of an MPV-camper van straight off the Toyota lot, a five-seater with two entrance seats that fold utterly flat and a rear bench that reclines by as much as 70 levels. So when you do not thoughts sleeping a little bit upright, you may have your self an efficient sleeper van with none additional modification.
Toyota
We might prefer to say ESB has additional improved upon the Roomy’s inherent in-vehicle tenting capabilities, however as a substitute it is carried out one thing a little bit unusual. It is turned the whole rear cabin, from entrance seat backs to tailgate, into one huge, squishy mattress cushion that measures solely 155 cm (61 in) lengthy. So when you occur to be 5 toes (152 cm) tall or much less, you possibly can simply barely get pleasure from a full lie-down; in any other case, you will need to cram in diagonally or together with your knees bent. Or just not lie down in any respect.
At 125 cm (49 in) facet to facet, the mattress has sufficient width for 2 however definitely not sufficient size for 2 adults. ESB does not clarify if it fancies the CLS-Fox Roomy a day-tripper or a solo journey camper, however the single photograph of a lady sitting up on the mattress suggests the previous – a little bit day lounge on wheels for getting out of the town into nature and kicking again on a comfortable 8-cm-thick (3-in) mattress with the tailgate open.
ESB
ESB does not particularly point out tenting, but it surely does describe the CLS-Fox as a tiny MPV meant to “run.” Towards that finish, the tuner tops the small van with an Inno rooftop cargo field and provides in a 3-cm (1.2-in) suspension elevate and Toyo Open Nation 165/65R15 rugged-terrain tires to assist it clear obstacles and earn its tenuous comparability to the venerable Land Cruiser. ESB facilities these tires round metal wheels, matched to the white physique coloration on the debut mannequin.
ESB caps off the CLS-Fox design with a brand new entrance bumper to underpin the Roomy’s daring manufacturing unit grille and a rear bumper to match. There isn’t any point out of any powertrain tuning, so the inventory turbo-three shall be left to its personal units in creating as much as 97 hp and 103 lb-ft (140 Nm) of torque.
ESB
The Roomy itself begins at ¥1,916,110 (approx. US$12,375) after taxes and costs, as listed by Toyota, and is obtainable as a 4WD beginning at ¥2,096,410 (US$13,525). ESB’s CLS-Fox elements may be bought individually, which comes out to ¥295,000 (US$2,000) for the suspension elevate, 4 metal wheels, entrance and rear bumper, and inside mattress, excluding the Inno roof field. The elements additionally match the associated Daihatsu Thor and Subaru Justy.
