Nissan is taking a break from releasing overnight camper van concepts in all sizes and styles to present a concept more rightfully classified a day camper. What it lacks in sheltered sleeping and cooking amenities, it makes up for with a wavy ergonomic trailer lounge and slide-out coffee bar/entertainment system. When life gives you lemons, don't be afraid to take a break and drink some lemonade below your umbrella, letting all the stress drip off like a light, invigorating rain.
We feel like a broken record repeating the spiel about just how many camper vans and leisure vehicle concepts Nissan has debuted in the past five years or so, so we'll just point you back to our last article that referenced the full fleet. That was just this summer, and Nissan has since released yet another camper van. The automaker shows no signs of slowing down now that 2024 has surrendered the calendar to 2025.
The all-new X-Trail Unwind Concept follows in the steps of other non-overnight Nissan leisure vehicle concepts, particularly the 2021 Office Pod. But while the Office Pod encouraged worker bees to lower stress levels by remote-working in nature, the Unwind concept invites them to melt that stress away all together by leaving work behind and relaxing to the fullest.
Nissan starts off a little differently than in the past, stepping outside the van and building around the X-Trail, the global version of the current-gen North American Rogue. Given the concept kit's lack of full camper amenities like an indoor bed or kitchen equipment, it doesn't require the volume of a boxy van and does quite well in and behind the trunk of the small crossover.
That doesn't mean the Unwind lacks a proper lying surface entirely, however, as Nissan hitches up a unique towable sundeck for fully horizontal al fresco relaxation. The wavy deck even appears to feature ergonomic loungers cut directly into the surface for a more comfortable lie-down out in the sun.
The X-Trail itself contributes to that roadside lounge atmosphere with a slide-out espresso bar that comes complete with a single-handle espresso machine, smart bean grinder, siphon coffee maker (a Bodum from the looks of it) and mug shelf. It's a mid-trip coffee break like no other ... or at least it could be if there's a way of securing all that equipment – particularly the big glass bubble pot – against bouncing, sliding and shattering the second the driver touches the accelerator pedal.
The slide-out housing is clearly inspired by the aforementioned Office Pod, albeit sized down significantly for the purpose of fitting an espresso machine and not an entire mobile workstation. It's also restructured from a G shape to an S shape, given a more slatted body to match the trailer deck, and finished with ambient lighting.
For those who prefer to skip getting wired on steamy caffeine while relaxing in the sun, Nissan shows the alternative X-Trail Remastered Concept, which could be hitched up to the Unwind trailer or used as part of a dual-crossover coffee/music lounge. The Remastered features a reverse-S slide-out that houses a sound system with record player and what looks to be Nissan's Leaf battery-based power station running the equipment.
A turntable sound system seems like another thing you definitely wouldn't want to have clunking around in your trunk, but it should bring a nice soundtrack to Nissan's Tokyo Auto Salon booth.
In the past, this would have been the point at which we reminded readers that the vehicles in question are just show cars for an aftermarket accessories expo and won't be making production. But after Nissan actually evolved one of its wildest Auto Salon concepts into a production van package, we'll hold our tongue.
The 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon kicked off on Thursday and runs through the weekend.
Source: Nissan