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Pilote G650GJ Essentiel
Sections:

Key Features

Model Year 2016
Class A-Class
Base Vehicle Fiat Ducato
Price From (£) 52,578
Engine Size 2.3TD
Maximum Weight (kg) 3,500
Berths 4
Main Layout Fixed Single Bed
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At a glance

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Chassis-Cowl

Full review

Lengthways fixed beds make motorhomes longer, as they must have bathrooms at the foot of the beds.

These ’vans are mostly in the seven-metre-plus class but recently there’s been a drive to make them shorter, and one of the latest and shortest is the Pilote Galaxy G650GJ. It makes even better use of its interior space with a drop-down double bed in the cab.

The test vehicle was presented in entry-level Essentiel (sic) trim. The upholstery is all beige (cloth, faux-leather or genuine leather), but eight coloured cushion and curtain choices are on offer.

Furniture is now in walnut with white highlight panels and chromed fittings, and Pilote build quality, after an iffy patch, now looks better and better.

Fiat’s Ducato hauls the whole – providing cruise control, passenger airbag and cab air-con in standard trim. Here, we get the 130-horsepower unit, while payload is a creditable 590kg on the 3,500kg chassis. There’s a double floor, too, so all the pipes and plumbing are kept heated.

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Good design and natural illumination makes the interior feel spacious. The layout is standard stuff for a continental coachbuilt: cab seats swivel to face compact L-shaped seating with the kitchen opposite, fridge and bathroom amidships, bedroom in the rear. Space-making compromises start up front where there’s no room for a side seat, but a flip-up pew on the forward end of the kitchen unit could be welcome with a crowd on board.

The kitchen is bijou with just a two-burner hob, plus a small oven/grill as part of the GB Pack. But there’s a big locker above and some excellent drawers below. And there are no compromises with the 138-litre Dometic AES fridge.

There’s space-saving aplenty in the bathroom as a full separate shower is missing. But a swing-wall moves aside to create a large cubicle that has its own mixer valve and head. A wind-up rooflight offers good ventilation.

The bedroom includes good-sized twin units cantilevered above the foot of each bed. Other stowage is better than good with under-bed spaces, plenty of overhead lockers, a handy stack of shelves between the beds and still no looming lockers above your heads.

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

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Our verdict

There are compromises here to fit the overall length, particularly in the kitchen. But there's lots to like too.

Advantages

Compact size for an A-class
Comfy beds you can sit up in
Open and light interior

Disadvantages

Only a two-burner hob

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