All the same features but now in a slightly reduced length
INmost motorhome ranges, a length of 8.87m would signify the biggest and best, but not with Niesmann + Bischoff. Introduced for 2023, the new Flair arrived as a 9.27m liner. But, if that’s just a tad too big, this new-for-2024 880 version shaves 40cm off the length.
Of course, it retains the characteristic Niesmann look which, incredibly, has now been around for over a decade. Externally, the makeover is modest but the latest Flair has all its habitation windows in real glass, rather than plastic. Don’t expect any two examples to look the same, though – there 128 options just for the outside. That starts with a choice of white or silver (a £10,640 option) with additional decoration in Rhodium Silver, Lava Orange or Carbon Optik, coloured strips on the spoiler and matt black or chrome for the grille.
All Flairs are built on a rear-wheel drive Iveco chassis but the desirable 3-litre 207hp engine and eight-speed ZF torque converter automatic transmission will add £8,848 to your bill. You can also upgrade from 7,200kg maximum gross weight to 7,490kg, still staying within the limits of a C1 driving licence. Air suspension, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic lights and wipers, and cab seats with heating and their own built-in suspension are all further extras that you’ll want to consider.
But it’s the modern interior, which Niesmann describes as ‘Clou inside’ (harking back to the brand’s earliest flagships) that will have you reaching for the order form. The clear line of sight, the contemporary design and the feeling of space give the Flair a clear advantage over the competition, even if this is a smaller model. And, if you’re deciding between a 920 and an 880, the lounge’s sideboard is missing here and the nearside settee is 20cm shorter, with a similar saving in the length of the galley. You still have the same huge garage at the rear (some of the other external storage is slightly reduced) and the vehicle’s stats are still just as impressive – 370 litres of fresh water, 250 litres of grey water, up to 190 litres of diesel and up to 600Ah of lithium batteries.
The layout stays the same, too, with parallel sofas up front and single beds (which join in the middle) at the rear – now accessed by a wider step. Natural acoustic felt covers the walls, while a clever mechanism first seen in the iSmove allows the nearside settee to turn to face forward and provide two belt
