The Suzuki Jimny has long been a vehicle that’s focused on going off the beaten path and exploring, though its compact dimensions have limited its ability as a vehicle to camp in.
Japanese company White House Camper is here to change this, unveiling a working prototype of a five-door Jimny XL with an electric pop-top camper roof conversion at this weekend’s Tokyo Camping Car Show.
The company claims that sleeping in your car is not only a simpler way to camp, but also a “popular” way to escape natural disasters.
Pop-up roofs expand the amount of interior space inside the car, and have historically been a popular modification on touring vehicles such as the previous-generation Land Rover Defender, as well as the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series wagon and troop carrier.
They typically require the standard roof to be cut out and modified to fit the pop-top camper roof add-on. Some only allow for more space inside the cabin, whereas others have a platform that can used for sleeping on.
With White House Camper’s Jimny XL’s pop-top camper roof conversion the company claims it provides sleeping space for two adults.
It also opens and closes electronically rather than manually, which is claimed to make it easier for anyone to operate.
Before the prototype’s unveiling, the company has shown off some layout renderings that detail the exterior dimensions with the pop-top roof camper fitted.
When fully opened, the Jimny XL’s height is 2815mm – more than one metre taller than the standard car without the roof conversion.
At this stage, White House Camper hasn’t decided whether it intends to offer its Jimny XL pop-top roof conversion in Japan, given the car isn’t sold there currently.
It’s also unclear whether the roof conversion will be offered outside of Japan in markets such as Australia, where the standard three-door Jimny and its longer, newly arrived five-door Jimny XL counterpart have been very popular.
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