BEST COMPACT MOTORHOME
ASof the time of writing (9 October), our video of the Chausson X550 has had 776,527 views (you can watch it at motorhome.ma/review220) – that’s the level of interest in this rather special campervan/motorhome crossover. However, the winner of our Best Compact Motorhome Award 2024 is not the X550, because that debuted in 2021 (and sold so much like pâtisserie chaud that Chausson temporarily dropped it from the brochures to catch up with building sold orders!). No, this year’s very worthy winner is the X650, the X550’s new and slightly bigger brother.
The X650 takes everything that made the X550 so appealing and adds the one thing it lacked – storage for bikes or other bulky gear. And it does so in just an extra 37cm of overall length. The campervan-style width of only 2.10m stays the same.
The unmistakeable black and white exterior styling is carried over, too, with black alloy wheels, an overcab sunroof and a chunky rear end that almost gives the impression of an offroader. The cab, of course, is from Fiat’s ubiquitous Ducato, with the 140bhp engine.
Crucially, there’s a new feature on the outside that makes a huge difference inside – a lounge window is now fitted on the offside, where in pre-2024 X550s there was a blank wall with a pinboard. Now, you can enjoy more views and more daylight while still benefiting from long settees on either side and swivel cab seats, plus a dining table that folds in half. But you can also convert the sofas into forward-facing travel seats, if required – and, if you do, it’s worth noting that Isofix comes as standard.
The front of the motorhome also becomes the bedroom at night, with a drop-down bed (electric, of course) that measures 1.86m by 1.42m and can be lowered down to just
