Malibu I 441 KB-LE Lightweight Motorhome

A-class motorhomes are usually big and heavy – but not this one!

Is this the perfect type of motorhome? An A-class without the excessive size, one that you can not only drive on a standard Class B car driving licence but also manoeuvre and park where larger models might have you reaching for the Valium.

The usual A-class advantages are still here – the full-width, fully insulated cab, the panoramic views out, the premium construction and even a heated double floor. But the Malibu I 441 KB-LE is only 21cm longer than an extra-long Fiat panel van and it’s also 11cm slimmer than a typical A-class.

And with less bulk comes less weight, so spec’d as here with a sensible range of options, it still has half a tonne of payload on a 3,500kg chassis. Even with those extras, it’s priced at £116k – hardly chicken feed but around half the price of some other A-classes that have come my way recently…

It’s perhaps no surprise then that the Malibu was highly commended in the Single Bed Motorhome category of the 2026 Out & About Live Awards, in association with Creation. Now we have this new model for a few days’ live-in test to see if it really succeeds with its quart-in-a-pint-pot mission.

Part of the Carthago motorhome family

Whilst the Malibu name is emblazoned across the grille in chrome, it’s not hard to spot that this motorhome comes from the same stable as Carthago.

It’s neatly styled, with its angled wheelarches (reminiscent of Lamborghini!), blacked out A-pillars, framed windows and matt black detailing on the ‘dynamic design’ rear panel.

Body construction is wood-free, with RTM hard foam insulation, a GRP roof and floor and all backed by a 10-year water ingress warranty. Most noticeably, the walls and roof join in a curve, resulting in a much less boxy shape.

Just as with motorhomes from its more expensive parent marque, even this baby Malibu has a fully heated double floor, providing a flat living area floor from the cab right back to the bedroom, as well as a truly winterised location for the 125-litre fresh and 90-litre waste water tanks.

There are hatches in the lounge and kitchen floor (hidden with the optional carpets in situ), giving access to 13cm-deep voids for storage (and also home to the boiler and grey waste emptying valves in a clean, accessible, frost-free position).

Meanwhile, a much larger space is reached from outside. A door on the nearside opens to reveal basement storage that’s up to 48cm high, reducing to a minimum of 11cm towards the offside. This space stretches across the full width of the motorhome but, with no hatch on the offside, you’ll need to be careful that small items don’t roll or slide out of reach…

Rear garage

It’s a pity that Malibu hasn’t fitted the double floor storage with the same non-slip surface as seen in the I 441’s garage, but the latter is as capacious as you’d expect in a much bigger motorhome – 1.19m headroom, with a width of 1.16m and a 250kg weight limit.

There are rails fitted with movable lashing eyes, a mains socket, heater outlet and a single LED strip light on the offside. No spare wheel is provided here, while an outside shower is offered as an option.

In common with most European A-classes, there’s a cab door on the nearside and a habitation entrance (described as an ‘XL premium two 2.0 door’!) on the offside. Both are linked to the central locking as a £400 option.

The upmarket door is one of a number of features listed in the ChassisComfort Package, which is pre-ticked on the Malibu configurator, so we’ve included it in the base price (along with the gas/mains heating and on-the-road charges). That means that the standard spec also includes a SOG vent for the loo, the second garage door, LED ambient lighting, rear speakers and a 90Ah lithium battery.

The 16in alloy wheels are part of the £3,070 Chassis Plus Package, which also adds a leather steering wheel, digital instruments, electric parking brake, automatic air-conditioning and an inductive smartphone charger.

Fiat Ducato, automatic as standard

The I 441 KB-LE is available on the Fiat Ducato with Fiat’s own low-frame chassis or a Mercedes Sprinter with Al-Ko chassis (increasing overall length by 125mm).

This is the Ducato version, which is only available with the 140hp motor and eight-speed automatic transmission (the Merc is a 170hp automatic). That’s probably adequate for most owners, unless you envisage taking advantage of the two-tonne towing capacity.

Sitting comfortably in the multi-adjustable, high-backed Aguti captain’s chairs, you quickly relax at the wheel, with no daunting dimensions to phase you. The ‘best view’ bus-style mirrors give good visibility aft, while the 10in Fiat multimedia screen (an upgrade) includes the reversing display.

Crucially, though, it’s the view forwards that is exceptional, thanks to the steeply sloping dashboard, which makes positioning the vehicle so much easier than with most rival A-classes. That’s long been a Carthago/Malibu strength but new this year is the removal of the pillar in the offside cab window – another great benefit for driver vision. And there’s now a step retraction switch on the driver’s side, too, so you no longer have to get out of your seat when the warning buzzer goes off.

Of course, the automatic gearbox is smooth and the electric handbrake releases as you drive away. There are some rattles from the habitation area, but fewer than in some rivals.

Cupboards instead of drop-down bed

Unlike most modern A-classes, ‘our’ Malibu came without a drop-down bed in the cab. That’s a £570 option but it transforms the I 441 KB-LE, making its reasonably compact lounge feel remarkably spacious, thanks to the extra headroom over the cab chairs. 

There’s extra storage here, too, and a weight saving of 16kg. Going for this ‘bed delete’ option is a no-brainer, as the model works really well as a two-berth but might feel cramped with more on board.

The lounge comprises the captain’s chairs, an L-shaped sofa and an oddly shaped mini jump seat adjacent to the door that probably works better in a left-hand drive model (the cab seat’s rotation then being unhindered by the steering wheel). Here, it can just about act as a leg rest.

The nearside sofa is comfortably proportioned but it’s the front seats that you’ll use to watch telly. The 24in Alphatronics smart TV (part of the £1,925 Media Pack that also includes the reversing camera) slides out from behind the settee when it’s time for EastEnders.

The table adjusts in all directions via a foot pedal but it doesn’t fold and does feel unnecessarily bulky for two diners, at 90cm by 62cm. It is Teutonically sturdy, though.

The table’s bulk is my only criticism of a lounge that makes good use of the space and feels especially light and bright in the daytime, with the huge glass area around the cab, a deep window in the door and a wind-up rooflight above. Downlights and ambient strips give a choice of mood come the evening.

New Nomos décor 

Malibu’s new 2026-season décor here is called Nomos and mates light walnut with matt white doors (Chiara is the alternative more ‘woody’ finish). The grey cloth upholstery shown is named London, while leather and part-leather options are offered at extra cost. There’s a completely different vibe here to that inside a Carthago – it’s much less glitzy, with lighter colours, for a younger feel.

A neat detail is the plethora of coat hooks – on and by the door, as well as on the washroom wall.

Above the entrance, hidden under a flap to stop unwanted light at night, is the optional (£460) Truma iNet X Pro control panel, which serves not only the lights and water pump but heating and boiler functions, too. It can also be linked to an app.

Compact kitchen

If there’s one aspect that’s compromised a little by the 441’s compact size, it’s the kitchen. It has everything you really need – a three-burner hob, optional oven, two mains sockets and plenty of storage (including four XL-sized drawers and a double waste bin) – but worktop space is rather limited once you’ve removed the sink cover.

At least that lid can be turned over and repositioned as a useful shelf, while the fact that the gas oven/grill (priced at £915) is mounted low and not over the fridge is another benefit. The cooler, meanwhile, is a tall ‘n’ slim unit with 139-litre capacity and the ability to choose for itself from 12V, 230V and gas power.

Vario swivelling bath

Opposite, the washroom places all the ablutions facilities in one space but it does so in a thoughtful manner. For a start, its door opens round to completely separate the back of the motorhome, creating a large en suite that works well as a spacious changing and dressing area.

Just note that once the door is locked in this position, the fridge is effectively in the bedroom and the oven and the kitchen’s top locker cannot be opened. Don’t try to cook dinner while your partner takes a shower…

Actually having a shower is not an issue, though, as the ‘vario swivelling bath’ sees the basin swing over the loo and a screen pull round – no sticky curtain here!

There’s some wheelarch intrusion into foot space in the shower tray, so it may not suit those with size 12s, but it’s a reasonable-sized space that drains well, thanks to three outlets in the floor.

Back in toilet mode, there’s plenty of room to use the loo and basin and it’s surprising how a simple wooden cover to the cassette toilet lid lifts the appearance. A backlit mirror, tall cupboard and two toothbrush mugs are provided, but there’s nowhere to hang a towel except on the shower’s riser bar.

Twin beds where you can sit up comfortably

It’s no surprise in a German motorhome to find single beds at the rear, above the garage. Here they are of unequal sizes, with the longer bed (1.97m versus 1.85m) on the nearside.

There’s a 1.14m-long infill cushion between the two 81cm-broad mattresses, so at shoulder level you have the full 2.05m width of the motorhome to spread out in.

As usual, you can also extend this centre section with a pull-out panel and an extra cushion, but here that doesn’t mean using an awkward ladder as the bedroom steps slide, too – very neat. Now the centre of the bed is 1.55m long, so, if you ignore the small cut-out at the foot, you have a bed that’s bigger than a domestic super king size. The wardrobes under the foot of each bed can still be accessed, but now only from above.

Cupboards all around the bedroom cater for folded clothes, while those under-bed wardrobes have a generous hanging height of 98cm because they drop down into the double floor. The offside one can be configured as hanging space or used with a removable shelf, while a nice surprise was to discover that my fresh shirt had been gently warmed by the (Truma Combi 6 E) blown-air heating.

There’s no moan here about those overhead lockers, either. Both single beds have head sections that rise on a ratchet support for bedtime reading.

Swivel reading lights are fitted, too, along with USBs and a three-pin socket (the Socket Package, costing £425, ensures that you have sufficient places to plug in your gadgets). TV aerial and power points for a bedroom telly are another upgrade on this example, priced at £295.

While some will always think bigger is better, this Malibu adopts the small is beautiful approach and does so with aplomb. It has everything a couple needs in a luxury A-class, but one that’s much more manoeuvrable and can be driven on a car licence. With few direct rivals, the I 441 KB-LE is sure to be the small A-class that’s a BIG success.