Full review

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Pilote Atlas A696G

If you think you know this French maker’s slightly conservative style, think again. The Atlas is all-new this season and it’s a brave new world. For a start, it’s based on the Transit – Pilote’s first Ford in many, many years – and it’s a slim-bodied vehicle (2.20m wide). 

With its Magnetic Grey cab, black alloys and Trail grille (there’s no missing the Ford branding here), there’s something of the SUV to the styling of this motorhome – Pilote calls it an ‘adventure look’. 

It may not be a 4x4 but the Transit cab comes with four-season tyres and you’ll not be short of performance, thanks to the 170hp motor as standard. 

The spec

Ford’s six-speed automatic gearbox is also fitted as standard, along with automatic lights and wipers, tyre pressure monitoring, a reversing camera, ESP, hill holder, lane assist, heated windscreen and automatic parking brake. 

There’s a Pioneer 9in touchscreen, too, complete with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and speakers in the living area as well as the cab. 

This might be a more compact Pilote but it actually sits above the Fiat-based Pacific low-profiles in the range hierarchy.

The exterior

The habitation area uses Pilote’s Isotek construction with flush-fitting windows, a hail-resistant roof, dual-seal hatches, polyester underbody protection and aluminium side skirts. 

An awning is fitted as standard, along with  two 100W solar panels and there’s an opening Skydome sunroof built into the rather angular overcab moulding that’s part of this model’s distinctive style. The red and grey geometric graphics are unusual, too.

The interior

Inside, this is the longer of two Atlas models, with a front lounge featuring twin face-to-face sofas and a rear transverse fixed bed over a garage (with 1.20m headroom and internal access). 

A hot and cold shower fitting and a 230V socket are provided in the rear hold and that’s not the only external storage as a slide-out skirt drawer is provided for smaller sundry items. 

The heated and insulated 90-litre waste tank is underslung, while the fresh H­0 (130 litres of it) is inboard for all-season touring. 

Space heating is provided by a Truma Combi 4 as standard but this can be upgraded to the 6kW version with electric element.

The lounge

Just as much as the Atlas has its own contemporary appearance on the outside, so the interior has an appealingly up-to-date look. It’s spacious and comfortable, too, with a plain grey fabric and Roman blinds. 

The fold-in-half table increases the feeling of space and the longer, nearside sofa measures 1.44m.

As a four-berth motorhome, the 696G has an electric drop-down bed (1.89m by 1.40m) over the lounge. This comes down nice ‘n’ low – just 94cm off the floor – but blocks the entrance door when down. 

The settee backrests need to be removed and the table manually lowered before deploying the bed.

Of course, four travel seats are needed, too, and these are created from the nearside settee, which reconfigures into one forward-facing seat and one rear-facing pew.

The kitchen

The galley is aft of the lounge on the same side and here, again, there’s a refreshingly different vibe, thanks to the Sherwood Green locker doors and black handles and fittings. 

There’s only a two-burner hob as standard but a 36-litre oven/grill is optional and there’s a tall, 139-litre, automatic energy selection fridge opposite.

The washroom

Also on the offside, up a step, is the toilet room with the premium Dometic loo and a corner basin, plus well-thought-out storage. 

The shower is opposite and has twin drains, a duckboard, roof vent, drying rail and 1.88m headroom. 

The bedroom

The layout is completed by the rear bed (1.99m by 1.33m), with a single step to aid access. Reading lights, USBs, a window in the rear wall and a ‘comfort’ mattress are provided but perhaps the most important feature is the ability to sit up in bed.

Where to buy

Dicksons of Perth in Scotland and Camper NI in Northern Ireland. In Wales there’s Clwyd Caravans (Wrexham), Tenby Tourers (Pembrokeshire).

In England, the dealers include – north to south – Durham Caravans (Durham), Signature Motorhomes & Leisure (Preston), SMC Motorhomes (Newark), River Motorhomes (Sutton Coldfield), Hills Automotive (Kidderminster), Pullingers Leisure Vehicles (Halstead), Davan Caravans (Weston-super-Mare), AMC Motorcaravans (Hailsham), Alan Kerr (Paignton) and Tamar Caravan Centre (Plymouth). 

Worldwide, the company has 176 dealers stretching as far afield as New Zealand and South Korea.