Pilote P626D Évidence

Only 6.20m long with a drop-down bed and a garage

It’s easy to see why the latest front lounge/dropdown bed low-profiles have become so popular – for couples, they can potentially offer the best of all worlds, and even the allow for occasional 2+2 forays with the grandchildren. This new Pilote, arguably, has an even stronger hand, though, as it adds compact length to the other aces of a garage, instant bed at seat height and a spacious lounge.

There’s a further argument for this French ’van in its UK spec, as Évidence trim makes it look even better value. The Media Pack with DAB radio and reversing camera is standard, as well as the Energy Pack with solar panel and the Luxury Pack and Comfort Pack, the last adding a posher door with central locking. Then there’s faux leather upholstery, an oven, overcab sunroof, gas/electric heating, alloy wheels and even Fiat’s highly desirable nine-speed automatic gearbox. That last item alone would add over £3,000 to some rivals but this super motorhome comes in at well under £60k.

For that you get a ’van that feels much bigger than it is. Its lounge belies the size of the P626D, with the longer nearside sofa measuring 1.74m long. The table folds in half so that it’s never in the way, and you can even convert one of the settees into a pair of travel seats. But the star feature surely appears at night when you turn a key to bring the bed down super-low – this generous mattress measures 2.00m by 1.58m.

Finally, the kitchen has copious storage and a 139-litre fridge, while a swing-wall makes good use of the washroom’s space for showering.