Here's an interesting build we bet no one on this great green planet had on their 2025 automotive prediction sheet: a Land Cruiser-inspired tiny MPV turned camper that doesn't quite camp. It's the all-new CLS-Fox "Landcroomy" from Japanese tuning shop ESB, and while it's woefully ill-equipped for an all-out backcountry camping trip or overlanding expedition, it definitely exudes "road trip" vibes like few other 12-foot vehicles on road or trail.
With a length of 370 cm (146 in) and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, the Daihatsu-built Japanese-market Toyota Roomy isn't quite a kei van, a category that applies to vehicles measuring no longer than 340 cm (134 in) with engines up to 660cc, among other restrictions. That said, the Roomy is still a properly tiny MPV with a 4.6-m (15-ft) turning radius. It makes for one of those delightfully unlikely camper vans with which Japan and Korea have long fascinated the Western world.
Interestingly enough, the Roomy is actually something of an MPV-camper van straight off the Toyota lot, a five-seater with two front seats that fold completely flat and a rear bench that reclines by up to 70 degrees. So if you don't mind sleeping a little upright, you have yourself an effective sleeper van without any further modification.
We'd like to say ESB has further improved upon the Roomy's inherent in-vehicle camping capabilities, but instead it's done something a little strange. It's turned the entire rear cabin, from front seat backs to tailgate, into one big, squishy bed cushion that measures only 155 cm (61 in) long. So if you happen to be 5 feet (152 cm) tall or less, you can just barely enjoy a full lie-down; otherwise, you'll have to cram in diagonally or with your knees bent. Or simply not lie down at all.
At 125 cm (49 in) side to side, the mattress has enough width for two but certainly not enough length for two adults. ESB doesn't explain if it fancies the CLS-Fox Roomy a day-tripper or a solo adventure camper, but the single photo of a girl sitting up on the mattress suggests the former – a little day lounge on wheels for getting out of the city into nature and kicking back on a cushy 8-cm-thick (3-in) mattress with the tailgate open.
ESB doesn't specifically mention camping, but it does describe the CLS-Fox as a tiny MPV meant to "run." Toward that end, the tuner tops the small van with an Inno rooftop cargo box and adds in a 3-cm (1.2-in) suspension lift and Toyo Open Country 165/65R15 rugged-terrain tires to help it clear obstacles and earn its tenuous comparison to the venerable Land Cruiser. ESB centers those tires around steel wheels, matched to the white body color on the debut model.
ESB caps off the CLS-Fox design with a new front bumper to underpin the Roomy's bold factory grille and a rear bumper to match. There's no mention of any powertrain tuning, so the stock turbo-three will be left to its own devices in developing up to 97 hp and 103 lb-ft (140 Nm) of torque.
The Roomy itself starts at ¥1,916,110 (approx. US$12,375) after taxes and fees, as listed by Toyota, and is offered as a 4WD starting at ¥2,096,410 (US$13,525). ESB's CLS-Fox components can be purchased individually, which comes out to ¥295,000 (US$2,000) for the suspension lift, four steel wheels, front and rear bumper, and interior mattress, excluding the Inno roof box. The components also fit the related Daihatsu Thor and Subaru Justy.
