Full review

They’re all at it, those continental manufacturers. Producing vehicles like this: A-class motorhomes at sharp (relatively speaking) prices. Indeed, no motorhome maker outside Britain worthy of the name fails to have two, three or more A-class ranges in its portfolio.

And plenty of them have a presence over here. Take Germany’s Bürstner. With a well-established presence, it has 10 dealers throughout England, with a single agent for Scotland at the time of writing.

Some £65,000 is pretty much a starting point in terms of German A-class prices, and the usual scenario is a low ‘window price’ before you discover that you’re paying significant amounts of extra cash to bring it up to an acceptable specification. Well, the good news is it’s all here as standard on Bürstner’s new Sovereign models for 2015. All three Viseos get the Sovereign treatment, with the 720 G here the island bed offering.

Needless to say, as an import, the habitation and cab doors (the former, extra wide at 70cm), as well as the whole interior floorplan, remain firmly ‘left-handed’. It’s narrower than some, too, at 2.20m, but note also the flush-fit of the windows.

Other significant Sovereign features are the coach-style mirrors, GRP roof, reversing camera and awning. There’s also the Service Hatch – opening to reveal mains hook-up point, fresh water tank access (for filling and cleaning), as well as drainage valves. All of this, combined with 15in alloy wheels, contributes to the look/appeal of this upgraded Viseo.

There’s a three-ring hob, with a separate sink immediately alongside. The latter has a loose acrylic cover-cum-chopping board, which certainly helps overcome a paucity of worktop. There’s also a flip-up extension.

The washroom is clever, really clever. It’s also a lesson in not believing your first impressions. Open the door and it all looks conventional enough. There’s a swivel-bowl toilet, good-sized fixed handbasin with swan neck tap, plus soap dispenser, matching toothbrush mug, deep shower tray underfoot, complete with two plug holes… but for showering a whole wall swings around, giving you a full, plastic-lined cubicle, with a pleated curtain extending across the doorway.

Elsewhere, in the cab, there’s a rather impressive Zenec stereo/sat-nav/reversing camera system, while the automatic air-conditioning upgrade, padded steering wheel and leather gearlever, silver dashboard trim and chrome instrument bevels are courtesy of Sovereign specification.

There’s definitely a sense of WYSIWYG here. What you see really is exactly what you get for your £64,995. And that’s what makes it all so tempting. It’s not short of suitors, but it’s the Sovereign stamp that gets the Viseo our full approval.

This is an abridged version of the full review that appeared in the March issue of Which Motorhome.