Built in Sweden with a no-holds-barred spec, we hoped to ABBA good time in Coachman’s new £200k flagship…
Peter Vaughan
Coachman Caravans entered the motorhome market with the Mercedes-based Travel Master 545 and 565 low-profiles, the former instantly scooping the Luxury Motorhome of the Year title for 2023. Of course, it didn’t make the leap from towed ’vans unaided – being owned by Kabe, it took a Swedish-built motorhome and anglicised it to meet the unique demands of the UK market.
A smaller, lighter Sportivo model is available, along with (Polish-built) Affinity campervans, but, following a show debut last October, it’s the A-class Imperial that’s leading the way, with the first examples arriving in dealerships just before you read this.
It takes the same route as the first Travel Masters, tweaking an existing model and, arguably, stays closer to continental spec as the doors remain on the European sides (like most other imported A-classes). But this flagship is a big step up – it’s 58% more expensive and 43cm longer, with a tonne more gross weight and two extra wheels, as well as a double floor. At £209k (including awning), it needs to be something special to compete with the likes of established premium players, Carthago and Hymer.
It’s a handsome beast with a distinctive face featuring slit-like LED headlights and MAK alloy wheels. The underpinnings are more typical, with Mercedes-Benz providing the power (via the front wheels) and Al-Ko mating that with its tag-axle chassis.
With the German opposition, however, I usually spend half a day trying to fathom what spec is standard, what is in which pack and how much it all adds up to. Here, the list price might look a bit bold, but everything is standard (even the 5.5m electric awning in reality, because none are scheduled to be built without it).
And the standard specification isn’t just designed to include all the stuff you really need; it’s calculated to trounce the German opposition. Roof-mounted Dometic air-conditioning, a security alarm, double-glazed cab side windows, a premium sound system with subwoofer, full leather upholstery and 150W solar panel are just some of the items that you might have expected to pay extra for.
But perhaps the most impressive bit of kit is the Al-Ko levelling system – press a couple of buttons and four legs drop down from under the ’van, ensuring that you’re completely level and with no rocking on the suspension as you move around inside.
