Niesmann + Bischoff Arto 78 motorhome

Based on a Mercedes Sprinter for the first time, the new Arto 78 was our Luxury Motorhome of the Year in 2025

As I collected this motorhome, memories came flooding back of the Arto I ran on a six-month test back in 2002. Sharing just the name, this newcomer – winner of last year’s Best Luxury Motorhome award – is far removed from its forebear, at four times the cost (as tested), with an equal jump in sophistication.

The Arto is no longer N+B’s entry model (that place has been taken by the iSmove) and this fifth-generation is the first to have Mercedes, rather than Fiat, mechanicals. It’s also underpinned by the latest Al-Ko Vario Space chassis, for a deeper (by 100mm) double floor but still has this premium marque’s distinctive A-class face, first seen over a decade ago but still looking contemporary.

Since Niesmann introduced that exterior look, the company has been on a roll and the new Arto represents the latest reinvigoration of the range. Each model now sits on a different chassis, with Arto offering three sizes – 7.82m, 8.45m and 9.07m, the larger two with a tag-axle.

That is just the beginning, though. The company claims there are 128 variants of the exterior design and 25,920 permutations for the interior. That goes beyond the two wood colours for the furniture (light oak or dark walnut), seven choices for the seat squabs and 12 for backrests, plus four different bedroom headboards, to a long list of options – there were 39 extra-cost items on our test vehicle!

As with other premium German motorhomes, that means the base price (£162,900) is just a starting point. Our test vehicle topped out at £232,069, which is almost as high as you can go for a 78 model. If you are in the market for this level of motorhome, the online configurator enables you to see exactly what your spec would cost.

Don’t forget to consider the payload, too, as all the additions to the test model reduced this from 993kg to a modest 436kg on the standard 4,500kg chassis (up-plating to 4,800kg is possible).

Optional grey exterior

The Arto 78 isn’t huge but it is wider than the norm (2.40m) and over 3m high. ‘Ours’ was also resplendent in Eifel Grey, at £10,399 extra. It showed the winter grime less than white and the cost is explained by the work involved, including GRP parts being stored for four weeks before being painted (to prevent outgassing) and the skirts being sanded and repainted by hand at an external contractor. Exterior carbon graphics (£2,377) and red Niesmann lily logos (£83) complete the look.

The Arto isn’t just a pretty face, though. It reflects Niesmann’s 40 years in the A-class market, with the two-sided aluminium construction side walls featuring Styrofoam RTM insulation and a 42mm floor for maximum torsional stiffness and thermal and acoustic insulation. That’s above the 37cm double floor which contains the 300-litre fresh water and 200-litre grey waste tanks.

You know you’ve moved into the liner class when you examine the bus-style, insulated flaps that form the skirts right along each side. On the nearside, these give access to the services, including the Alde ‘wet’ central heating, the water system and the optional 50-litre gas tank (£1,647).

Not that you’ll really need access to the grey water dump valve as this can be opened remotely from a switch by the driver’s seat (£312). As the test vehicle also had full air suspension (£10,832), you could even tip the motorhome sideways to ensure the tank is completely empty!

On the same side, you’ll also find the (now redundant) gas locker and a cassette toilet hatch, although the standard loo can also be replaced with a 170-litre black tank that requires no chemicals.

More skirts lift on their gas struts on either side of the offside habitation door (the only entrance to the vehicle). These provide access to basement storage, here made so much more practical by the fitment of a selection of slide-out trays (£1,506).

A clever additional touch is the sensor on the door that restricts its opening if the skirt is raised, to avoid a clash. All the flaps (and the garage) also lock automatically when you start the engine and are unlocked via a touch panel just inside the entrance.

The garage is served by huge, top-hinged doors on both sides and measures 1.12m wide with 1.25m headroom and a maximum weight of 300kg (although bear in mind overall payload and axle limits). There’s no spare wheel (just a Fix + Go kit), but there are lashing rails top and bottom, a full-length LED light and a mains socket. The outside shower is another option (£343).

As standard, the Arto has one 150Ah lithium battery. Here, the Lithium Energy Pack (£8,595) adds a second one as well as 220W of solar and an inverter, the controls for which are in a cupboard above the telly, along with a remote isolator switch for the gas tank and the display for the Alde heating, which comes with separate bedroom and living room zones (although I could never seem to get the former cooler than the latter).

Higher spec for UK models

While the extras do add up, it has to be noted that the UK spec for the Arto is higher than elsewhere in Europe, including the Liner Pack and Driving Comfort Pack as standard.

Before I could enjoy the driving and head off for my stay at Love2Stay near Shrewsbury, though, the first job was to lower the motorhome off its Al-Ko HY4 hydraulic jacks (£7,710), which automatically level the vehicle and ensure wobble-free living on site. Then, a voice gives audible warnings if you’re still hooked up or haven’t retracted the step.

After all this impressive tech, it was reassuring to find the familiar controls of a Mercedes Sprinter, fitted as standard with the 170hp motor and nine-speed automatic transmission.

With barely any previous mileage, performance was still more than adequate for a vehicle that’s four tonnes, even empty. I was slightly disappointed by the intrusion of engine noise as this is such a premium model, but the view out is panoramic, with the vast glazing making the cab seem airy.

The air suspension seemed to enhance stability more than ride quality, which was firm but not crashy. Additional benefits of the system, though, are the ability to raise or lower the vehicle. It even allows you to weigh the motorhome or choose sport mode!

Niesmann has done a thorough job of integrating the Sprinter fascia into its new, expanded home, with a very automotive look, but the huge dashboard and thick A-pillars don’t make this the easiest of vehicles to judge in tight surroundings. Of course, the twin lens bus mirrors and reversing display in the 10.25in MBUX screen take care of what’s behind, while the wipers do a good job in winter weather.

Other features include a full gamut of driver assistance systems (lane keeping, attention, side wind, etc), automatic lights and headlight dipping, LED headlamps and fog lamps, and adaptive cruise control. The alloy wheels, reinforced front axle with 30mm wheel spacers, electric parking brake and stop/start are standard, as are the superb SKA captain’s chairs, although the seat heating and electric lumbar support are extra (£765).

The standout feature of the drive, however, is the lack of creaks and rattles, which really back up the quality of the N+B build.

Liner-class motorhome

Once parked up, the cab chairs swivel and rise to suit the higher floor of the living area (flat throughout) – the step up from the front is illuminated in a choice of colours (red, yellow, green, purple at the press of a switch).

With its acoustic felt walls and microfibre headlining (anthracite or light grey and even including the rooflight surrounds), plus contrasting seat and backrest cushions in a mix of fabric and leather, the interior of the Arto feels more designer apartment than motorhome. Even the way the patented drop-down cab bed (another option, cupboards are standard) is so well concealed in the ceiling is worthy of comment.

There are bigger motorhome lounges than this but few come close for comfort and the premium feel is only enhanced at night, when the variety of dimmable lighting ensures just the right mood.

Like everything, the 32in TV is part of the design and it comes with four high-end speakers and a subwoofer as part of the Multimedia Pack (£2,151). Even more notable is the clever way the nearside bench rotates and extends to become a forward-facing travel seat that, for once, is genuinely wide enough for two. Yes, it’s another option (£2,030) but passengers won’t want to travel in any other motorhome once they’ve sat here.

Many clever details

The kitchen, again, offers a multitude of options, including a drawer-style compressor fridge and a microwave. We didn’t have those but we did have the Häfele dishwasher (£2,033) and gas oven/grill (£755). The former is beautifully integrated and uses 11 litres of water on an eco cycle.

Standard features include the mineral worktops with integral sink and drainer, the worktop extension with chopping board, the gas/induction hob and the soft-closing drawers that electrically lock when you drive, while the adjustable wooden fittings to stop crockery sliding around cost £989. Completely hidden from view on the opposite side of the motorhome is the 177-litre two-door fridge/freezer with automatic energy selection, beneath which are two waste/recycling bins.

Again, there’s a surprise and delight feature as, what looks like a simple shelf for the Krups coffee machine (£130) becomes an electrically rising shelving unit that not only reveals hidden storage as it whirs towards the ceiling but also becomes part of the screen for the bedroom (with a sliding door, too, the rear quarters become completely private). Why not just have the shelves fixed? Because when lowered they create a more spacious through view.

Sliding washroom wall

The washroom presents more upmarket ambience with its movement-sensitive lighting (along with the automatic illumination of the bedroom steps), concrete-effect walls, boutique basin and ceramic bowl toilet with SOG system – all standard.

But the remarkable aspect here is the transformation from toilet room to shower cubicle as the forward wall glides (not hinges) across to cover the loo and create a super space for a morning shower (complete with shelf for shower gel, etc). When you’ve finished, replace the duckboard to cover the floor and the extractor in the roof vent (£347) does a brilliant job of drying the walls – your toilet room returns.

After so many unique and special features in this exceptional motorhome, the bedroom might seem quite ordinary. Two wide steps provide easy access and the conjoined twin beds are huge – over 2m long on the nearside and sharing the near-2m interior width of the motorhome.

The supersized cold foam mattresses sit on plastic springs to ensure your comfort and they are surrounded by ducted heating from the Alde system, while bedside recesses for your phone and specs also feature USBs. The quilted headboard adds style, along with restful ambient lighting, and there are twin wardrobes under the foot of each bed, with top or front access to both. Lift the lid on either wardrobe and the hanging rail rises, too.

Top lockers surround the bedroom but herein lies a predicament – you can’t sit up. With fitted reading lights and a second TV (22in for £772) at the foot of the nearside bed, that’s a real shame and my only real disappointment in this exceptional motorhome.

I’ve tested bigger motorhomes and I’ve even tested more expensive motorhomes but I can’t think of another that has impressed me so much in so many areas. N+B’s expertise and experience in this liner sector is obvious, while surprise and delight features are found throughout, but I’d have mine – I wish! – with fewer options to ensure a greater payload (and a price around £190k).