Coachbuilt without fixed bed (over £60k)

Auto-Sleeper Broadway EL

THE layout is as old as the hills, but it still retains its appeal – and its fans. When it’s too cold to sit outside, what could be better than long comfortable sofas and windows on three sides to enjoy the view?

The rear lounge is also as British as the Barbour jacket, so it’s hardly surprising to find it in the brochure of a motorhome manufacturer as characteristic of these isles as Auto-Sleepers, with its base in the quintessential English countryside of the Cotswolds. The only shock here is that the Broadway EL is brand-new, with an end lounge layout returning to the range by customer demand.

It’s welcome back to a classic layout, then, but the new Broadway EL doesn’t mean that the old plans and drawings have been dusted off. This latest model is quite compact in length, at 6.63m, while also boasting a wider body than other Broadway models (the same width as the larger Corinium).

Its habitation door also moves to a midposition. Although others have done similar in the past, it’s a first for the Broadway, and it makes a massive difference. Now, you come in and turn left for the washroom or kitchen, turn right for the lounge. In most rear lounge layouts you come into the narrowest part of the ’van and have to shuffle past the cook to get to the sofas. Hardly ideal.

Of course, there’s still a good deal of furniture up front, with the ablutions on the offside, facing the galley, but it’s here that the extra width (an additional 90mm) is obvious.

Of course, being an Auto-Sleeper, you’ll expect a Peugeot base vehicle and, here, a longwheelbase Boxer chassis has been used where you might have anticipated the accountants to insist on a MWB for what isn’t a very long ’van. That was the right decision, resulting in reassuring on-road stability.

The Peugeot cab also gets all the goodies, including sat-nav, air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather steering wheel and a colour reversing camera. Under the bonnet is the top spec 165bhp engine. And, again bettering some of its rivals, the furniture behind the driver’s seat is not so close as

to restrict the travel of the seat for tall pilots.

The exterior has no surprises, but all the features you’d expect of a premium brand. Alloy wheels, framed windows, a roll-out awning, an underslung gas tank, a habitation door with central locking and electric step, plus external barbecue, 230V and TV points all feature.

Of course, with a traditional floorplan like this, there’s no garage but there is a small hatch on the nearside that provides access to the under-seat space.

But, while the exterior carries off the price tag easily enough, it’s the lounge that’s the reason to buy. As you enter the motorhome it’s impossible not to see the attraction of this space.

There’s a wide range of upholstery choices, as well as the option of a small chest of drawers under the rear window instead of the wraparound settees. Whichever way you spec your EL, though, the lounge is spot on. Not only are the reflex foam side sofas each more than 6ft long, but the windows all around are huge (reminiscent of the monocoque-bodied AutoSleepers of the 90s). There’s also a large push-up Heki rooflight above and a plethora of reading lights on adjustable rails.

The rear window has a soft-touch surround and the corner headrests suggest lazy days, feet up with a good book. There’s a useful cabinet between settee and door, too, that is an ideal spot to rest your cuppa, while also featuring a pop-up power point with two USBs to recharge your devices. Both a small island-leg coffee table and a much larger free-standing table are provided.

At night, the lounge becomes your bedroom and, if you want single beds, it’s the work of moments to remove the backrest and armrest cushions and add your duvets or sleeping bags. The sofas are identical in length and width, so there will be no arguments on who gets which one. Beneath the nearside sofa is easy access to plenty of storage for your bedding.

If you prefer a double bed, then it’s best to go for the U-shape seating option – and invest in a very large duvet. The backrests along the rear

wall can be left in place if you’re sleeping across the width of the ’van (over 2.2m!), but sleeping lengthways will make getting in and out easier.

Of course, in a premium-priced British motorhome you expect a good kitchen, and you’ll not be disappointed by the Broadway. The galley here wants for nothing. For a start, the Thetford cooker includes a mains hotplate, three gas rings and a separate grill and oven, as well as an extractor hood. And, if that doesn’t give you enough options when you have a touch of the Jamie Olivers, then there’s a Dometic microwave diagonally above.

It’s not as if worktop space is lacking, either. There’s a decent acreage of prep space next to the sink and a flap to give you more surface area next to the hob. Then, there’s quite a generous array of cupboards, including three drawers and, up high, a plate rack and four crystal wine glasses clipped into place. A pull-up ‘power tower’ gives you three 230V sockets, too. Even the fridge is generous, unlike in some UK-built ’vans – it has a 142-litre capacity and automatic energy selection.

The cook can also rotate the passenger seat while waiting for the microwave to ping. Or this pew can be used in combination with a laptop table that folds down from the washroom wall. With reading lights and a sunroof above, the cab area is well thought out.

In the washroom, a swing-wall creates a shower section when required and, while it looks a bit plasticky, it functions well enough and is a proven design from other Auto-Sleeper ’vans. There’s generous room to use the basin and swivel cassette loo, and the shower area is adequately sized, too.

Consider the Premium Pack to be standard spec and you won’t need to trouble your dealer with a list of accessories to fit. The fittings are already there for a bike rack on the back, so that just leaves the television and, perhaps, a satellite dish (a Maxview TV aerial is provided). Even a Motorhome WiFi system comes as standard, as well as a Category 6 vehicle tracker.

If you’re looking for a luxury two-berth rear lounge motorhome, you need to look no further.