Auto-Trail Excel 620S 2025

For long-term Auto-Trail fans, the compact Excel range might still be something of a novelty, as it only arrived a couple of seasons ago. The Auto-Trail Excel 620S will seem even newer, because it debuted at last October’s NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show.

Our judging panel at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2025 thought the entire Excel range impressed too, naming it a highly commended contender in the low-profile motorhomes category.

To take a closer look at the 620S, I headed to Todds Motorhomes in Lancashire.

Cabin and lounge

Like all of the Excels, the ’van sits on a Transit with a standard Ford cab, with corner drinks holders. A 12-inch screen with sat nav is included, but the reversing camera is a cost option, as are air-con and blinds in the cab.

The cab seats swivel to a front lounge with two parallel settees. There are no fold-up travel seats, even as an option.

There is a bit of a step down into the lounge, but if you want a motorhome for couples which has good hosting potential, this could be a contender. With the cab seats turned, you could accommodate eight people here, possibly seated around the folding table that is stored in the sideboard to the left of the habitation door.

The lounge is flooded with daylight thanks to the sunroof, large windows and a Heki. Two spotlights with USBs, striplights underneath the lockers and ambient light behind them keep things bright in the evening.

Sockets for the TV are situated under the locker on the driver’s side at the back, from where, a TV could be seen by most people in the lounge.

End-kitchen motorhome layouts seem to be less popular these days. I find this puzzling, because they almost always give you a more usable kitchen, even if, with the door at the rear, they make fitting an awning a little trickier.

The kitchen in the Auto-Trail Excel 620S

The kitchen here is no exception. It only has a three-burner gas hob and a combined oven and grill, but there is a fair amount of workspace next to the square sink, with a socket right where you need it.

On the other side of the door, the sideboard makes an ideal food assembly area, especially as there are retainers on the wall for condiments.

As standard, you get a microwave next to the overhead locker, and on the other side of the washroom door, an almost full height 142-litre fridge – pretty good for two on tour.

On your way to the fridge, you might need to look out for the unusually large washroom door handle: I caught my hand on it twice.

The washroom in the Auto-Trail Excel 620S

You step up into the washroom, but it is well lit via an opaque window. There’s a partially built-in handbasin in front of an illuminated mirror.

You step back down to access the shower compartment, which only has one drainage hole, but does have a sizeable rack for shampoos.

There is no roof vent here, but there is an Omnivent just outside the door.

Beds in the Auto-Trail Excel 620S

The sleeping setup will always be an important trait of the best 2 berth motorhomes. In the Auto-Trail Excel 620S, the shorter settee in the lounge is only 1.47m long – a bit small for a single bed. Auto-Trail supplies pads to put on each swivelled cab seat to extend both this single bed and the 1.78m-long one opposite, by a foot or so. However, you might prefer to join the platforms under each settee to make a transverse double.

You get spotlights in the right place for reading, and the difference in the length of the settees means there is a place where one of you can perch to make a cuppa in the morning. But at 1.9m long, this bed is still not that big for this size of motorhome. When I viewed this model, I also saw a Roller Team ’van, on the same base vehicle, with a bed that was more than 2m long.

Storage in the Auto-Trail Excel 620S

For storage, there is external access to both of the large underseat areas.

Along with the better kitchen, this layout also allows for loads of overhead lockers. There are four down one side of the lounge, and two on the other, and corner shelves in the cab. There is a hanging wardrobe by the fridge.

Kitchen storage includes a large shelved overhead locker, a double cupboard and cutlery drawer, shelves in the sideboard, and a small cupboard under the wardrobe. There are two pan lockers – one underneath the fridge, and another below the oven, although this one is a bit cluttered by wiring.

Alternatives to consider

The Pilote P720U Expression was our pick of the motorhomes for couples at our 2025 Awards – the Fiat Ducato-based 4-berth provides a very impressive washroom, a huge lounge and good storage options. Alternatively, you could consider the Elnagh Baron 560, a model which is based on the Peugeot Boxer and offers a great washroom and lounge area.

Technical specification of the Auto-Trail Excel 620S

• Price: £65,409
• Sleeps: 2
• Belts: 2
• Base vehicle: Ford Transit
• Engine: 2.3-litre, 130bhp turbodiesel
• Length/width/height: 6.20/2.66/2.88m (20’3”/8’7”/9’4”)
• MTPLM: 3500kg
• MiRO: 2755kg
• Payload: 745kg
• Water (fresh/waste): 100/80 litres
• Leisure battery: 70Ah lithium
• Gas: 2 x 6kg

After buying your new vehicle, it will be time to start thinking about the accessories that can make a real difference to your touring experience. To help you choose the right ones, don’t miss Motorhome Matt talking you through the motorhome upgrades that are actually worth investing in.

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