An instant best seller, because it’s a little more compact…
THIS is Carthago’s new layout for 2024, available on a Fiat or Mercedes chassis and also a Superior model, adding full LED headlamps and new Innovista furniture with the Nuovo ‘world of style’. It has already become one of the company’s most popular models!
If you want a proper en suite, with opposing shower and toilet facilities, you’re usually looking at motorhomes of around 7.5m, but, even with the longer Merc cab, overall length is kept down to 7.18m here. A 3,500kg gross weight is, therefore, possible – if only just.
It’s easy to increase the weight and need a 4.5-tonne chassis, though. Extras can add £30k or more to the cost. For example, the £9,150 Basic-Plus Package adds everything from height-adjustable cab seats and radio preparation to a larger diesel tank and leather multifunction steering wheel. Surely, that should be standard?
The 170hp engine upgrade and 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox adds another £5,620, while alloy wheels are £1,330, the larger MBUX touchscreen with DAB+ and sat-nav is an extra £3,220, and the Driving Assistance Package, at £1,680, includes modern safety gizmos such as Active Alertness Assistant, a tyre pressure monitoring system, adaptive cruise control and Active Braking Assistant. With all the toys, this Carthago never disappoints on the road – it’s effortless, stable and surefooted, with an overall width several centimetres less than key rivals. Being a Carthago, another aspect that boosts driver confidence is the sloping dashboard, which allows you to see the road closer to the front of the ’van.
This is a smaller Carthago but not without the company’s DNA, so there’s a heated double floor with a usable height of up to 55.5cm and a full-width load space that’s 22cm high. The fresh and waste water tanks are in the double floor and they come with 150 and 140-litre capacities. The garage is big, too, with a width of 1.30m and headroom of 1.18m, plus a 350kg load capacity.
Inside, the Nuovo interior is recognisably Carthago but with a fresh feel. The ivory gloss handleless top cupboards look clean and modern (handles reappear in the bedroom), while the vertical black lines in the Brilliant Ash walls behind the side seat and adjacent to the fridge are a stylish addition.
The lounge is, again, typically Carthago with a large, sturdy table that slides and rotates via a foot-operated button and seats that are shaped to give your back ergonomic
