For those who prefer to look out for No. 1 when they travel, Honda has a car to fit the bill. The company has unveiled a kei car camper concept that makes use of extremely clever packaging to create a single-bed sleeper car for the solo road-tripper.
The concept is based on the Honda N-Van, a Japan-market compact work van that is known for a cabin that can, aside from the driver’s seat, fold entirely flat. While it’s great for loading boxes and gear, in this case the unbroken horizontal floor makes the perfect surface for a mattress. When you get tired of driving, you can simply pull over and flop out of the driver’s seat onto your bed.
The N-Van is also known for its unique pillar-less architecture on the passenger side. The rear sliding door latches onto the hinged front door so that when both are open the aperture is greater than half the length of the cabin itself. Combined with a very low load height, it’s an ideal cargo hauler for Japan’s crowded and narrow urban streets. And in case you were wondering, the driver’s side still has a traditional B-pillar.
The camper concept is also fitted with a ceiling basket drawer that slides up against the headliner for storage, a peg-board area by the rear hatch for hanging items, and a folding awning that shades the large opening on the pillar-less side.
However, the N-Van also gives you the option of additional seating should you need it. A passenger jump seat can rise from the jigsaw puzzle-like floor, as can a second row of rear seats.
Because the N-Van falls under kei car rules, horsepower is limited to 63, which Honda makes from a turbo three-cylinder mated to either a six-speed manual or CVT. Kei cars are also limited in exterior dimensions to a prescribed footprint — under 134 inches long, 58 inches wide, 79 inches tall — which has forced Japanese automakers to come up with increasingly clever packaging solutions like this N-Van.
Honda plans to unveil the N-Van camper concept on Oct. 2 at the Feeld Good Festival (that’s not a typo, but rather a pun on “Field”), a camping and RV show in Hokkaido.