First came the low-profile, now Kreos comes as an A-class, too
Laika Kreos H 5109
KREOS is the flagship range from Italian premium brand, Laika (part of the Erwin Hymer Group). It was launched a year ago to considerable acclaim and was highly commended in the Best Luxury Motorhome category of the 2023 Motorhome Awards. But shouldn’t such a prestigious ’van really be an A-class? Well, that was always part of the plan and the L 5009 is now joined by a fully integrated sister model, the H 5109 with the same layout.
If the ‘L’ was a looker, then the ‘H’ takes things to a new level, but then few motorhomes come with such a rich infusion of automotive design. For the A-class, Laika has once again turned to GFG Style, the company of Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro with a back catalogue of creating cars wearing Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati logos.
With its simple black and white colour scheme, minimalist LED headlamps, grille peppered with tiny slots, and flush glazing, you won’t mistake the new Kreos for anything else. Nor will you forget that it’s Italian, thanks to the tricolour on the mirrors!
The décor inside is, perhaps, an even greater change from the bland designs sometimes seen elsewhere. The dark blue walls contrast with a mixture of white, grey and wood accents and there are also curves and rounded corners everywhere. There is currently just this one layout (as with the low-profile), but hopefully the range will expand in time – a face-to-face lounge or island bed, maybe?
For now, the lounge has a long sofa next to the door and an L-shaped seating group opposite. If you don’t like the round table shown here (we love it!), then different tables can be specified from the factory.
You can also customise the seat bases and backrests in different fabrics and colours to suit your style, although the cream faux leather here (called Firenze) looks very appealing. There’s also a 32in TV, which can be viewed from the electric drop-down bed in the A-class cab (1.90m by 1.40m) when it is deployed, as well as from the lounge seating in the day.
In the 1.2m-long kitchen you can choose between three different formats, including one with an optional Bosch dishwasher (with an economical 8-litre water cycle) and the Grand Chef option with a low-level oven. Worktops are in Getacore (like Corian), while the 153-litre fridge is opposite, next to the habitation door.
The washroom sits behind the kitchen with a door to close off the rear and another
