Full review

Review of the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht 85 motorhome

First impressions count, they say, and the Mobilvetta K-Yacht 85 definitely looks impressive. It is competitively priced, too, at under £80,000, considering the high standard specification (and remarkably short options list).

You can see that Mobilvetta’s  Italian designers spent some time making the K-Yacht look sleek and stylish. From the way the front the body curves in below the wheelarches, this motorhome look less boxy and more dynamic. Its darker grille contrasts with the white body and its wide V-shape makes it look almost like a smile. The curved edges of the roof where they meet the side walls also add to the upmarket appearance.

On the practicality front, the large bonnet hinges up to reveal the usual (for an A-class) rather letterbox-like access to the engine compartment but at least the windscreen washer filler has been extended, so you won’t need a funnel for that job.

Inside, the dashboard drops away steeply towards the windscreen to give you much better forward vision than you get in many A-classes, so the front corners are easier to judge.

For some taller drivers, the only downside is the position of the window strut in front of the offside exterior mirror. As taller drivers may have their seat pushed all the way back, they will need to lean forward to see all of the mirror.

On the driver’s side we also noted that the right-hand wiper stops about 23cm from the A-post and this unwiped area can create a blind spot in poor weather conditions.

Right-hand drive in the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht 85

Not only does the K-Yacht come here in right-hand drive, but Mobilvetta set up this model for the UK with the habitation door on the left and the cab door on the right. That’s very unusual in the A-class sector where there are no UK-built competitors.

Behind the cab door is a wide external locker, which is ideal for storing muddy boots or outdoor gear.

The gas locker is further back and capable of holding two 6kg cylinders. Then, right at the rear, the 85 model’s garage is a good size – 2.17m deep by 1.02m wide by 1.15m high. That’s big enough to contain a light scooter or a couple of e-bikes. You can get into it from either side, via full-sized doors, to make loading easier.

The garage has a selection of small netted cargo holders on the back wall and a lamp on a stretchy cord to light it up at night.

There’s no track or rail with anchor points on it in the garage for securing bikes or kit so wise packing will be essential to stop items moving around when driving. 

What is more impressive here is the payload, at well over a tonne. That’s because our test vehicle had the optional upgrade to the Heavy chassis version of the Fiat Ducato, rated at 4,400kg. The standard model has a 3,650kg maximum gross weight (for a 450kg payload) and will still require a C1 category licence. If that’s an issue for you then a 3,500kg downplating can be specified, but only with three seatbelts and a 300kg payload.

On the nearside (passenger side), moving forward from the garage, is the toilet cassette locker and a smaller servicing locker.

On the other side of the habitation door is the leisure battery locker, with space for two batteries (one 110Ah is fitted as standard).

There are also external barbecue, shower and three-pin power points.

Driving the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht motorhome

The K-Yacht 85 is built on Fiat’s Camper chassis and has the 160bhp Euro 6d engine and a six-speed manual gearbox as standard (the new nine-speed automatic ’box is optional). As expected, the ride is firm, but the Mobilvetta felt stable on winding Lincolnshire roads towards the A1.

The engine has good torque (380Nm at 1,400 to 2,750rpm), so the K-Yacht felt responsive when pulling away from junctions and uphill. On the A1, it cruised well and hardly moved when passing lorries. Cruise control comes as standard on the model, as does the automatic air-conditioning, Traction Plus, ESC, hill descent control, leather steering wheel and a pair of airbags.

When you need to reverse, the rear camera view pops up automatically on the integrated Xzent DAB radio, giving you confidence when manoeuvring this 7.44m motorhome. The Xzent head unit also includes Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It’s easy to use and sits within bronze-effect dashboard trim, which breaks up the expanse of hard black plastic. Either side of the cab are speakers and reading lights.

The only slight disappointment to driving this Mobilvetta was the noticeable rattles from the living area, which just don’t match the look and feel of quality when pitched up.

Seating in the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht motorhome

Next to the passenger seat are two bottle holders, handy for when you’re on the move. Nearby, there’s more storage lower down for documents and/or gadgets.

The leather-covered captain’s chairs with armrests are comfortable and add to the plush feel of the K-Yacht – except that this trim is actually animal-friendly, described as ‘Comfort Grey eco synthetic leather’.

When swivelled into the lounge, the cab seats face an adjustable table large enough to serve five people. The lounge seats are eco leather, too, with two travel seats built into the L-shaped settee. Below here is the 120-litre fresh water tank.

There’s more storage in the floor, too. One small ‘basement’ locker is in the lounge, another in the kitchen. They are big enough to store dry goods or bottles.

The drop down double bed in the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht motorhome

Above the cab is the drop-down double bed. It’s manual, so you just pull it down into place once you’ve unclipped the safety clip.

To get up to it there’s a small ladder available, or you could just step up on the seat next to the habitation door. The mattress is 1.90m long and 1.36m wide, so it’s big enough for most people. Above the bed is a skylight – great for hot weather so you can get some fresh air circulating.

In the wall on the driver’s side of the bed are two LED reading light panels. Rather than have a single light, these panels are a grid of LEDs and you touch them to turn them on or off (although we had to touch them a few times to get them to work).

For privacy, curtains pull across to hide the bed.

The rear bedroom of the K-Yacht 85 is the main sleeping quarters and it’s splendid. Firstly, the beds are unusually long. The offside bed is 1.96m and the nearside one is 2.06m – anyone who is over six feet tall will appreciate their length.

For reading or sitting upright, the beds have a tilt mechanism to prop them up. The mattresses are comfortable and there are reading lights above both beds, each with double USB charging points and a three-pin socket.

On the passenger side, under the bed, is a large wardrobe for hanging clothes. Under the other bed there is shelf space for storing shoes, clothing or gear. Above the beds are six storage cupboards, so you have plenty of space to keep yourself organised.

In between the beds, there’s a space that you can use either to make it into a double bed (with the mattress extension) or use as a big, shared bedside table for books, drinks or your gadgets. In the roof is another skylight.

The only disappointment with the bedroom is an unsightly white TV cable box, which sits next to one of the two speakers in the room. It would have been better if it could have gone in the cupboard next to it. For such a stylish motorhome, this detail looks a little out of place.

The classy kitchen in the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht motorhome

The galley is, perhaps, the classiest section of this motorhome. Its white resin kitchen surface is domestic in style. Sitting within the light grey wooden wall panels around it, the white surface gleams and has a curved edge with a lip to prevent spills dripping onto the carpet.

The shiny, chrome-effect sink and high-quality metal mixer tap are more upmarket features. Plus, there is a glossy black ceramic hob with two embedded gas burners and a single 230V induction ring (much more efficient than old-style mains hotplates). In the far corner is a round lid, below which sits a waste bucket.

Below the sink a curved door opens to reveal a slide-out dual-level drawer with a ‘hidden’ storage area at the back. This is handy as you don’t have to get down onto your hands to reach your culinary kit at the back of a cupboard. It’s a neat design.

Underneath the hob are drawers, the top one fitted out for cutlery. Between that and the hob is a slide-out section that holds the round sink cover – so it’s safely stowed for travel but gives you more surface space for preparing food when required. Finally, you have two roomy cupboards over the kitchen with an extractor fan above the hob.

On the opposite side is a 150-litre fridge/freezer with an oven above, which may be a stretch for shorter chefs. But the neat feature is to the right of the cooler where Mobilvetta has included a tall, slim slide-out pantry cupboard. It’s like a large metal spice rack, but for your food (we suspect it may have been one of the rattling culprits when driving).

All in all, this kitchen looks chic and is an aspect of the K-Yacht that makes the motorhome grow on you as you get to know it. Blue LED light strips and the faux leather covering in the ceiling add details to the kitchen that raise it from ordinary.

The washroom in the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K-Yacht motorhome

To keep cooking smells out of the bedroom, and to have some privacy, there’s a sliding door between the kitchen and the washroom. It also gives you privacy for the bedroom and the washroom.

This works well for a couple but, if you have guests or grandchildren staying with you using the drop-down bed and they want to use the toilet at night, they will have to enter the main bedroom, so consider this if you plan to have more than two on board.

On the left as you go through to the washroom area is the shower, with the toilet to the right. The toilet area has a tambour-type sliding door, behind which is a chrome corner basin with surface-to-ceiling mirrors behind it and storage underneath. Nice touches include the ceramic toothbrush mug, toilet brush holder and soap pump – small but noticeable details that add to the swish feel here.

In the ceiling are bright LED downlights and a skylight. There’s a roof vent in the stylish shower cubicle, too, which comes with a glossy black strip from which the showerhead extends, while LEDs behind this panel look almost Art Deco in style.

The shower cubicle has a wooden duckboard to cover half the floor, with a wheelarch taking up the other half, which can make it awkward to stand in the shower, especially if you have big feet. In addition, the curved and tinted shower door looks great, but it does encroach into the shower space a little.