Compact coachbuilt
Chausson X550 Exclusive Line
THERE have been many attempts to combine the advantages of the two types of leisure vehicle – the compact and car-like campervan and the more homely, more spacious motorhome. Chausson’s X550 could be the best combination yet of the features of each genre.
It aims to have the comforts of a motorhome but the size of a van conversion. Its dimensions are close to those of most popular Fiat-based campervans, but inside it promises a unique design in its class.
At 5.99m, the X550 is exactly the same length as a long-wheelbase Fiat Ducato panel van. Its width, at 2.10m, is just a tad more than the van (2.05m) – not enough to be noticeable on the road – while height (2.75m) is midway between the usual figure for a high-top campervan and a low-profile motorhome. Despite Chausson’s concept of a small vehicle, though, the X550 boasts 1.98m internal headroom and a dropdown bed of 1.90m by 1.40m.
Significantly, the new French ’van claims a number of important innovations. Its roof, with one- piece cap, is made from PDCPD (polydicyclopentadiene), which is more usually seen in the construction of tractors, buses and trucks. This is believed to be the first use of this material in a motorhome, where advantages include high impact resistance and the ability to withstand tropical temperatures.
Chausson’s Smart Lounge, with side settees that convert into travel seats, has become a key selling point across most of its motorhome range, but the X550 is 25cm narrower overall and here is the first time such a layout has been incorporated into such a slimline vehicle.
The exterior design is also bold, with an automotive approach to both aesthetics and construction. There are no visible fixings for wheelarch mouldings, bumpers, etc, while details such as the rear light lenses and the black and white colour scheme for the bodywork show an emphasis on a sporty, dynamic appearance. Clearly, this new ’van is aimed at a younger – or young at heart – clientele.
Inside, it’s no surprise to find a Hideaway drop-down bed, because Chausson has long been a market leader in such features. Not only does the X550 include a lowerable bed in a much narrower vehicle but it uses cables (rather than belts) to support the bed, which is also on an aluminium frame.
The interior layout owes more to 7m-long motorhomes than to compact van conversions. Up front, the cab chairs swivel to face two side settees with a fixed table in between. There’s a flat floor throughout and, when the sofas are adapted to form a pair of forward-facing travel seats, they also feature Isofix for child seats.
The X550’s washroom goes right across the full width of the rear of the ’van and, forward of this (conveniently close by), is a large wardrobe on the offside. The galley is housed on the nearside, with a 134-litre fridge (generous for this size of vehicle) opposite.
Although there’s no garage, the X550 does incorporate a tall external locker on the offside for your outdoor chairs, etc, and this space can also be accessed from inside. Then, in addition to the drop-down bed, the seating can be converted into a second transverse double berth below.
As an Exclusive Line model, the X550 also comes with a high standard spec including airconditioning, cruise control, driver and passenger airbags, Traction Plus, leather steering wheel, colour-coded front bumper, fog lamps and Hill Holder. The habitation area, meanwhile, benefits from an opening panoramic overcab sunroof, a flyscreen for the door, 5.5kW dieselfired blown-air heating, a premium mattress for the drop-down bed, a TV bracket, cab blinds, and a wooden duckboard in the shower.
Developing such a completely new vehicle has taken more than two years and prototypes have been subjected to 100,000km of testing. Innovation has long been at the heart of the Chausson brand and never more so than with the new X550. Not sure whether you want a small motorhome or a van conversion? Don’t buy either until you’ve seen this!