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The humble station wagon by Toyota has been “Defenderised” thanks to Japanese tuner ESB Style
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–> by Thanos Pappas
2 hours ago
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by Thanos Pappas
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The Tokyo Auto Salon is the perfect place for unusual conversions and this is exactly what Japanese tuner ESB Style has in store for this year. We are talking about the pictured Toyota Probox which has been modified to look like a Land Rover Defender together with a suspension lift for an adventurous stance.
The new bumper closely mirrors the one on the Defender, transforming the exterior of the station wagon. The Toyota emblem is replaced by “TFENDER” lettering on a bonnet extension, while the halogen headlights are modified to look like Land Rover’s LEDs with the help of special covers.
The new face is combined with a body-colored C-pillar reminiscent of the Defender, a suspension lift kit that increases ground clearance by 30 mm (1.2 inches) or 40 mm (1.6 inches), and a set of white-painted CLS TC01 alloy wheels shod in grippy off-road tires. ESB Style also mentions a custom rear bumper and taillight covers although we have yet to see photos of the rear end.
Read: Japanese Tuner ESB Will Either Lift Or Slam Your Widebody Suzuki Jimny
The single picture of the modified vehicle posted as a preview on ESB Style’s social media channels looks like a rendering. However, an actual photo from the development prototype published on Instagram a few weeks ago proves that the Tfender exists in real life. We will keep an eye out for more photos of the model at the Tokyo Auto Salon which opens its doors on January 13.
The “CLS Fox” bodykit as they call it, is compatible with all variants of the Toyota ProBox 160 series, including the original that was introduced in 2002 and the facelift that followed in 2014. The same applies to the Mazda Familia which is a rebadged version. Mind you, the ProBox is available in both passenger and light commercial vehicle forms in the Japanese market as an affordable station wagon / van fitted with petrol and diesel powertrains.
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Interestingly, the Tfender is not a one-off build, as the “CLS Fox” bodykit will be offered for sale. ESB Style already announced pricing, asking ¥90,000 for the front bumper and bonnet add-on, ¥60,000 for the rear bumper, ¥50,000 for the headlight and taillight covers, another ¥50,000 for the seat covers, ¥21,000 for the armrest, and ¥55,000 for the suspension lift kit. Add everything up and the Tfender conversion will cost you ¥326,000 ($2,435) plus the price of the donor Toyota ProBox van.
Besides the Toyota ProBox, ESB Style is also preparing a similar Defenderised version of the Honda N-Van kei car combined with a lift kit. This one will be available from February 2023.
