Slovenian manufacturer Adria celebrates 30 years of building motorhomes in 2012, and the company’s 2012-season line-up underlines its plans to be in the UK for the long term.
It has kept pricing keen despite moving across to the new Euro 5 engines for all of its Fiat Ducato-based models, and has bundled nearly £2000 of extra kit to all the models it builds for the UK market.
What’s changed
Adria has grown its van conversion line-up again with the addition of the Twin SF, featuring a lengthways French bed that is hinged and raises to maximise storage when not in use.
The Coral range sees the arrival of the new 670SU, which is a revised version of the 670SLL launched last season, featuring a UK-friendly rear lounge.
Adria has discontinued all but one of its overcab coachbuilts from its line-up – that is, the Sport 660DP – reflecting a wider trend across Europe toward low-profiles with drop-down beds.
The Matrix line-up of low-profile drop-down beds, which was expanded earlier this year with the addition of two new Renault Master-based Supreme models, sees a fourth layout added to its Fiat-based offering. The 650SF features a fixed French-style bed to the rear.
The A-class Sonic range is set to gain an extra layout (a French bed with full-width washroom across the rear), and we saw the A-class Super Sonic 2012-season prototype on show at Düsseldorf’s giant Caravan Salon recently. Polaris goes unchanged.
What you need to know
First, the Twin SF (£40,990), which grows the van conversion line-up to four models (alongside the standard Twin SP with transverse rear bed, the outrageous GT and the twin single bed SL). The SF picks up where the Autocruise Alto prototype left off (before the latter’s double bed became a fixed arrangement, blocking through-access via the rear opening doors).
Like Rapido’s V56, it has a side sofa in the front lounge area, which houses the gas locker. This faces a half-dinette which, with the cab seats swivelled, is a neat lounging area.
But it’s rearward where the most interesting design work lies: the bed measures 6’3” long and is 4’ at its widest, on an aluminium-framed slatted base. This hinges upward at the nearside wall, and clips into place for access through the rear doors and for maximising the load area. Beneath the double bed, a hinged locker door allows further access to the storage area underneath, and clips to the washroom bulkhead to improve through-access when the bed is raised.
The washroom alongside the bed features Adria’s new Ergo design, which comprises a fold-down wash basin.The Coral 670SU (£50,990) represents a significant improvement on the already impressive 670SLL launched last season. Up front, it has a spacious half-dinette lounge, with side sofa, making this a genuine two lounge ’van.
At the rear, though, the U-shaped lounge – designed specifically for the UK market – is much improved on last year’s effort, thanks to better cushions, more overhead lockers and shelved storage space. It doubles as two 6’4” single beds, or a huge double across the width of the ’van.
A substantial washroom, 180-litre fridge freezer and an L-shaped kitchen amidships completes the floorplan.
We reported on the new Renault Master-based Matrix Supreme in our August issue, which we reckon looks superb when specified in silver.
However, we’re probably even more impressed with the new Matrix 650SF (£54,990). It features a fixed, French-style bed to the rear, and a ceiling bed over the front lounge, which is now electrically operated as standard.
This should allow a balance between headroom for youngsters sleeping in this bed, and headroom for occupants of the lounge who want to stay up a bit later and enjoy a glass of wine (the previous, manually operated beds only had one lowered position, making this impossible). Given that there are five belted seats (the side sofa converts to a rear facing passenger seat), this becomes a genuine family layout.
There’s around 6’ of headroom under the bed in the front lounge area when the bed’s not in use. We were also impressed by the floorplan’s lavishly proportioned separate shower cubicle.
Must-see ’van: Coral 670SU
Last season’s rear-lounge 670SLL has been re-thought for the 2012-season, and we reckon it’s a big step forward. In that rear lounge, the higher backrest cushions make it feel much more comfy for feet-up lounging, and there are more overhead lockers and shelved storage.
