Full review

Adria’s Matrix models are low-profiles with drop-down double beds above their lounges. With its 50-year Anniversary Pack added, the standard Matrix becomes a ‘Silver Collection’ and gains £7,000 worth of added extras. Exterior highlights – silver paint, gloss black grille, roof rack and ladder, alloys – all announce a look that’s undeniably stylish and smart.

Our live-in candidate might be far from standard kit-wise, but it contains a standard layout: twin single beds are above a garage in the rear, with en suite bathing facilities aft of the kitchen and lounge. But there is a step down from the lounge and a step up into the washroom/bedroom area.

Unsurprisingly, the driving department is by Fiat, with a great range of equipment, including reversing sensors and a rear camera. The chassis is the Camper version, which reduces overall height and means an external step is not needed, although the less able might wish one was fitted here. The door includes a flyscreen as part of the celebratory package.

The standard motor gives 130 horsepower, which is adequate for most situations, but those who desire more oomph can opt for the 148bhp option.

Dominated by its large, bright white table, the lounge feels spacious and reasonably airy, thanks to the large sunroof above the swivelled cab seats. Artificial illumination does well too, with a quartet of downlighters set into the bed’s base. Adria has also installed some rather swish touch-controlled reading lamps in the cab, one each side.

Five can sit comfortably in here, and there’s a side bench on the nearside that promises more, but it’s really just a rather narrow perch of a thing. The inward-facing offside chair converts into a rearward-facing belted seat – the fifth travel place in this five-berth ‘van. But there’s only a lap belt fitted and the sitter travels backwards, albeit with a view through a window in the habitation door.

Meal times should see space for the five to eat as the table is sensibly shaped, plenty big enough and adjustable.

Come bedtime, the table is lowered on its fixed pedestal to become part of the fifth berth – a reasonably OK transverse single. It’ll probably be occupied by a kid, but a full-sized adult might kip here, tucked up in a sleeping bag.

A ladder gives access to a drop down double bed that’s good, but not super-large. Thankfully, cab blinds are part of the package, so all is neat and easy to operate. Storage in here is pretty reasonable.

The wall just inside the habitation door is home to stylish pigeonholes. One is equipped with USB and auxiliary sockets, although it’s not big enough to take a full-sized tablet device.

But the reason to buy is the twin, fixed single beds set high, with the big locker below.

The beds are unequal lengths, but the shortest is still more than six feet. They are also wide enough to be comfortable, although the mattresses proved rather firm for my taste.

Lighting and ventilation is good, with ceiling lights, reading lamps and a Mini Heki roof vent. Aside from the twin under-bed wardrobes, storage consists of a low-level drawer and three overhead lockers. They loom rather low, so it’s not possible to sit up in bed to read or, indeed, watch TV, even if a set of sockets to serve a set are mounted on the wall at the foot of the offside bed.

In the kitchen the Thetford Duplex oven is thankfully low-mounted. Above, the three-in-line hob tries hard to make room for some working surface, but fails. This layout tends to produce compact kitchens, but this one’s more compact than many.

But storage is good, with decent drawers, a locker big enough for half a case of wine the oven, twin shelves overhead lockers, and a roomy drawer below the big fridge/freezer. Above the fridge lurks a TV locker, a tad too high and a wasted opportunity as, without the TV bracket that’s within, it would be big enough for bulky store-cupboard items.

The washroom facilities are pretty good, and, with the very big twin under-bed wardrobes adjacent, good for changing, too.

The shower should be spacious enough for many mortals and includes a seat, rigid doors and an easy-to-use tray. Nice details include a door catch that operates automatically using magnets, and a concertina screen that encloses the bedroom. But a ventilation slot set into the basin countertop is in just the right place to let water run into the cupboard below.

The garage has two doors and includes a welcome spare wheel (easier to access than when stored under the ’van) and some handy shelves. The fresh water tank is cosily located in here, too, and equipped with a drain that can reduce capacity to enhance payload, but leave enough for basic needs when travelling. A slot cut into the tank’s wooden surround means you can view its contents without recourse to the gauge.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the November 2015 issue of MMM.