WildAx Europa
This popular rear lounge models moves onto the Citroën Relay or its sister van, the Fiat Ducato
This popular rear lounge campervan is reinvented on a new base vehicle
WHO IS WILDAX?
THE Europa name is a long established one in the WildAx range, dating back a whole decade but, up until now, the model had one unique feature – its Renault Master base vehicle. However, the big French van is increasingly disappearing from the motorhome scene and the majority of WildAx’s line-up is based on the more commonplace Sevel vans, either the Citroën Relay or the Fiat Ducato. It made sense, therefore, to bring the Europa into line and a new version has just been announced.
Initial examples of the new model are built on the Citroën van, which uses the same 2.2litre, 140bhp, Euro 6d diesel engine and sixspeed manual gearbox as the Peugeot Boxer. Here, it comes with a passenger airbag, cruise control, cab air-conditioning, DAB radio with Bluetooth, touchscreen and sat- nav, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera (very belt and braces!), a leather steering wheel, colour-coded front bumper and alloy wheels. If you’d prefer to drive an automatic, the Fiat version with the nine-speed torque convertor transmission is a £ 4,000 option. External graphics are quite discreet and the windows are the neater, more secure, flush-fitting style.
The base vehicle of the new Europa may have changed but the concept – a spacious two-berth with wrap-around seating at the back – is exactly the same. This is a very British kind of van conversion and one that, rightly, remains popular with couples. Here, it also benefits from being based on the longest version of the Sevel panel van, at 6.36m overall.
At £54,995, there are both less and more expensive alternatives to the Europa but the standard spec certainly seems comprehensive. For a start, WildAx says the new ’van, like its sister models, is fully winterised and has been tested down to minus 20 degrees. Heating is by a Truma Combi 4 E fuelled by gas (from a 30-litre underslung tank) or mains electricity and the iNet system means you can adjust the temperature from your phone. The water tanks
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bottle drawer below. Above the cooler is a builtin microwave, while alongside is a pair of slim, shelved lockers (one above t’other).
Of course, the reason to buy a ’van like this is the generous rear seating area. While some rivals use separate side settees in order to maintain the walk through to the back doors, the Europa opts instead for a full U-shape, giving it a more convivial feel. There are opening windows on three sides here, as well as a small rooflight above, while reading lights in the back corners, wall pockets for magazines, and scatter cushions complete the lounge. With settees measuring 1.93m long, there’s plenty of room to stretch out or invite friends in, even though the wardrobe overhangs the offside sofa.
For dining, there are twin island leg tables (use one or both according to your needs) and these stow away in the wardrobe.
Then, at night, you can use the settees as single beds, or two simple boards slide out to fill the aisle, topped by the settees’ backrest cushions, to form a 1.93m by 1.83m (manufacturer’s figures) lengthways double bed. Pleated blinds cover the habitation windows, while cab blinds are also standard. Bedding storage should be more than adequate beneath the seats (the boiler is under the offside, the leisure battery under the nearside), and there’s room for your hose and mains cable (but not larger items like outdoor chairs) under the centre part of the ‘U’, accessed via the rear barn doors.
The washroom can’t offer a separate shower but the use of a waterproof tambour door means there’s no need for a shower curtain, so that’s the next best thing. A fixed corner basin, bench cassette toilet and an opening window feature in the ‘little room.’
Up front, the cab space isn’t wasted on site as both chairs swivel and there’s a useful low-level cabinet ( with power sockets) behind the driver’s seat. The kitchen worktop extension is also within reach as a coffee table for the passenger seat.