Full review

Isn’t it great when you see an old friend who you haven’t met in years? Well, some motorhomers might feel that way about the Ecovip 680, which reintroduces a layout that was a UK favourite amongst Laika customers in the mid-noughties.

The super-sized lounge is the USP and it feels even more spacious because this is an A-class. So, no measly half-dinette here, but a long offside side-facing settee and an L-shaped sofa opposite. With full leather trim here (real Italian hide, described by Laika as ‘VIP Club’ – a £2,555 option), swivelling Aguti captain’s chairs and headrests embossed with the brand’s winged dog logo, it all feels very swish.

There’s plenty of room for gastronomic dining, too, with a big table fitted with a drop leaf – extended, it measures 850mm by 980mm. After dinner, there’s a pop-up TV mounted behind the offside sofa, while stylish LED lights set into the underside of the cab’s drop-down bed complete the ambience.

If that XXL-sized table set your thoughts in the direction of extravagant cooking, then you’ll not be disappointed by the equally extensive L-shaped kitchen. Here, you’ll find an unusually deep sink and a stylish Dometic cooker with three gas rings and an oven/grill. More unusual for a continental ’van is the built-in Amica microwave.

There’s a 160-litre fridge/freezer, too, with a big cupboard above (perfect for large cereal packets). A super-sized drawer for your pans sits next to the microwave but there’s only one low-level drawer, the rest of the space is conventional cupboards. What you won’t be short of is worktop.

There’s no shortage of room to ensure your sartorial elegance, either. Sandwiched between the entrance and the galley is a huge wardrobe, while a second, smaller one is sited along the rear wall, above the microwave. In fact, the only possible downside of the design at the rear of this Laika is the vast amount of rather dark woodwork on show – some might find it a bit too much.

Also, featuring in the tail end of this layout – in the nearside corner – is the bathroom. This is a spacious area that features a wall of mirrors hiding lots of shelved storage for yet more clothes (no excuse for not having the right garment for every occasion, how Italian!). There’s masses of worktop alongside the washbasin, too. And, of course, there’s a large separate shower cubicle, complete with twin drains. An opening window and roof vent complete the not-so-little room.

All this has been made possible in a 6.99m motorhome because the main bed is the drop-down one in the cab (manufacturer’s dimensions 1.90m by 1.45m).

On the outside, the good news continues with a large garage (250kg maximum weight, 1.19m internal height). You can also have your Ecovip on a licence-friendly 3.5-tonne chassis, or anything up to 4.4 tonnes for whopping 1,270kg payload.

Just remember when speccing your Ecovip to include the £13,200 Dolce Vita Pack. It includes Alde heating, alloy wheels, an awning, automatic gearbox, and more.

If you enjoyed this review, you can loads more like it in What Motorhome magazine. You can get a digital version of the latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.