Concorde Charisma II 890M - Practical Motorhome

Verdict

When you are aboard the Charisma it feels more like a rolling hotel, or cruise ship, than a motorhome – it really  is that plush. Concorde’s immense attention to build detail is evident in every well thought-out nook and cranny, and you are simply left applauding this giant motorhome.

Pros

Immense; superbly equipped; massive double bed; large kitchen; ‘homely’ washroom facilities

Cons

Immense; price; running costs

The Charisma II was launched in Germany for the 2006 season by German manufacturer Concorde, which sets the standard Europe-wide when it comes to building 6.5 tonne-and-over premium A-class motorhomes.

It earned a big thumbs-up from our reader tester Ruth Bass, at the NEC show in 2006, and romped home as the winner in the  ‘A-class over £60,000’ category in the Caravan Club’s Design & Drive Awards 2008.

The company hasn’t rested on its laurels, launching the Credo, a more budget-minded A-class (if you can call the thick end of £80,000 ‘budget’) and most recently the Charisma 890G, which garages a Smart car and still stays beneath the crucial 7.5-tonne MTPLM. This latter model took pride of place on UK importer Southdowns’ stand at the October NEC show.

We tested the 890M model you see here, shortly after its success at the Design & Drive Awards and, for us, it remains one of the best models of 2008/09.

Living

The Charisma has a single-level floor from the dashboard right through the living quarters. The ceiling is covered in carpet, with a drop-in carpet for the vinyl floor throughout. Our test ’van had the ‘lounge version’ option, with a nearside couch that is multi-functional and can convert into a forward-facing seat with belt for a single passenger. Again, it shouts quality, with cream leather and warm woodwork veneers that give the 890M a stately feel.

The twin sofas and swivel cab seats make for an enormous and comfortable lounge space, with a TV cabinet well sited near the entrance door, beneath a glass-fronted drinks cabinet lit by LEDs (the latter is a very Germanic idea which you will either love or hate). The fixed table is mounted on a height-adjustable leg and the top slides for convenience.

Elsewhere, an Alde wet central heating system does the job of keeping the entire ’van cosy.

Kitchen

The one-piece Corisan worktop and sink drainer is extremely stylish, and in a motorhome  9m long this L-shaped area doesn’t have to scrimp too much on cooking space either.

There’s a stainless steel  three-burner hob, a microwave oven, coffee machine, and a waste bin on runners with separate areas for different types of waste (perfect for your recycling efforts).

Opposite is an enormous fridge/freezer stack, and overhead is a roof fan. We didn’t actually see the sous chef, but we’d assume that the kitchen in a motorhome with this much style comes ready-equipped with one!

Washroom

Yet another marvel, the washroom can be partitioned from the living area by a sliding door to effectively create a massive en suite bedroom.  And, it can be partitioned off from the bedroom, too, to create a private changing area.

 The huge basin, porcelain-bowl marine-style toilet, and shower cubicle are all separate, so as not to slow down the family’s morning ablutions.

Beds

The premium sleeping area is the superb island bedroom. But the lounge area makes up into a massive double bed, with the table in its lowered position acting as a bed base, and hard-backed cushions to fill in.

Our test model also had  a pull-down bed over the cab seats (surprisingly a cost option). An electrically operated, insulated roller blind for the windscreen does the privacy job of an evening.

Storage

Where do you begin? The uprated chassis affords 1450kg of payload, which is more  than enough for a full-timing family. There’s extensive wardrobe space for hanging clothes on either side of the bed and a huge, rear garage with doors either side that is heated, lit and fully insulated. This garage has a chequerplate floor, fixing points and a 200kg weight allowance. The double floor also houses a full-width locker, perfect for ski equipment and the like.