CITROËN ENTERS THE CAMPERVAN MARKET

Citroën is the latest car manufacturer to enter the leisure market with its own campervan as a direct rival to OEM campers from Volkswagen (California) as well as Ford (Nugget) and Mercedes-Benz (Marco Polo). The Citroën Holidays, which was first shown at the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf last August, is based on the newly updated SpaceTourer (the people-carrier version of the Dispatch van). As with its rivals, Citroën will market the vehicle through its own franchised dealers.

Citroën has partnered with Slovenian campervan manufacturer, Bravia Mobil, to build the Holidays, which will be available to order from from April (first deliveries are expected in the summer).

The new campervan has a pop-top to provide standing headroom and accommodate a roof bed measuring 1.95m by 1.20m and, like the current T6.1 California, it manages to stay just below the important 2m height mark with the roof down.

Inside, it’s the traditional side kitchen layout with a sliding bench seat for two people, which converts into a double bed (1.90m by 1.15m). The kitchen features a two-burner hob and a top-loading compressor fridge, and both cab seats swivel.

There are two sliding side doors (hands-free electric sliding doors are an option) and a removable kitchen unit also enables cooking and dining outdoors, with a retractable table that can be set up behind the kitchen. Part of the kitchen can also be removed through the second sliding door, so you can cook outside.

The compact (4.98m long) campervan comes with 10-litre fresh and waste water tanks, an external shower, a portable toilet and Webasto diesel heating. A choice of five exterior colours will be available, while a 180hp diesel engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox is the only power unit option. UK prices have not yet been announced.