Pilote Évidence G781FGJ A-class motorhome

If you thought that big, luxury A-class motorhomes only come from Germany, now may be the time to think again…

Pilote’s Évidence range has clearly been a hit since it first arrived on the scene for the 2021 season with the simple concept of proving one spec, one price for the company’s best-selling layouts. It now accounts for the majority of UK sales, although customisable Expression models continue for customers who want a wider choice of floorplans or more flexibility on equipment and décor.

So, it was no surprise when the French company added campervans to the Évidence line-up, while, for 2026, the range expands again – upwards this time to include the company’s largest A-classes. Now, with this pair of G781 models, Pilote also breaks through the £100k price barrier to go head-to-head with some prestigious names.

The layouts here are not new but having these range-topping Al-Ko chassis models available in Évidence spec is. You can choose from FC (island bed) or FGJ (single beds, as tested), but otherwise these 2026-season models have a fixed specification – and a very comprehensive one at that. The mostly German competition would have you ticking a lot of options to get anywhere close…

Al-Ko chassis and double floor

Except for some new graphics, this Évidence G781FGJ looks familiar, with little to mark it out from any other Pilote A-class of recent years. It has a curvy cab that’s less aggressively styled than more recent newcomers and is, perhaps, looking a little dated. The design of the rear is not as fancy as some rivals, either, but having the bumper in several sections should reduce repair costs.

What’s important, though, is under the skin and that’s a 4,500kg Al-Ko chassis. And, with Pilote, when you upgrade from standard Fiat to Al-Ko underpinnings you also get a deeper double floor with external access to the 20cm-high void.

The Isotek structure of the body is otherwise similar and boasts flush habitation windows, a hail-resistant roof, aluminium side skirts, a polyester layer under the floor, and walls with fibroplast rot-proof strips and aluminium inserts to ensure the stability of the bodywork and furniture. A five-year water ingress warranty is provided, while water tanks (130 litres fresh, 95 litres waste) are mounted in the double floor for true winterisation.

Where these newcomers really score, however, is their much-reduced reliance on gas – although there’s still room to carry two 13kg cylinders. Fridges are now the compressor type and heating uses diesel rather than LPG. Then, to ensure you have sufficient 12V power, there are two of the latest monocrystalline 100W solar panels on the roof and a 300Ah lithium battery in an external compartment of the double floor. The standard spec even runs to a 2kW inverter.

Turning to the heating, another advantage over lesser Pilotes is that all G781s have Alde’s ‘wet’ central heating system, running off 230V (up to 3kW) as well as diesel. Not only that, but a heat exchanger and engine pre-heating are included. In combination with the double floor, the evidence (sorry!) is that this motorhome is ideal for winter touring…

The biggest Pilote

This isn’t just the best-equipped motorhome we’ve ever seen from Pilote, it’s also the largest to carry the Évidence name. At 7.89m long, it’s around 40cm longer than typical motorhomes of this ilk, while the Heavy base vehicle ensures that the payload is impressive, at 1,136kg.

The garage can carry up to 250kg of that total thanks to the extended chassis beneath, while the dimensions are of an XL nature. Both loading doors measure 95cm by 110cm and, like all the hatches, they have compression locks and double seals to keep the elements at bay.

Inside, there’s headroom of 1.22m and width of up to 1.38m. It’s a heated zone with adjustable lashing eyes mounted on floor rails, a 230V socket and an external shower. The only downside is that the only lighting is on the offside.

Spacious layout

Of course, the extra length of the G781 also translates into extra living space, with a light and airy feeling as soon as you’re on board.

The front lounge adopts the popular face-to-face sofas – longer on the nearside where an extra backrest against the end of the galley is especially appealing for feet-up chilling. The white faux leather of the captain’s chairs and seat squabs is mated to a pale grey cloth for the backrests – it’s called Galet and is the only trim available. The furniture is named Annecy (the alternative Pyla is only offered with Expression spec) and mixes light wood tones with white walls and grey kitchen doors. The slatted panels (kitchen, bedroom and entrance) are very on-trend but this isn’t an interior that’s overblown with bling.

There’s plenty of illumination here, with downlights (four in the base of the cab’s drop-down bed, two more around the rooflight) and ambient lighting above and below the top lockers. With the huge windscreen and (push-up) Heki, there’s no shortage of daylight, while the side windows have net curtains for when you want privacy. The offside lounge window is a slider, so it can be open when you’re motoring.

That could be important when you convert the sofas into forward-facing travel seats, a job that requires no extra cushions, just the addition of a slot-in head restraint for the nearside. The seat bases lack any metal reinforcement but they offer adequate legroom and visibility.

The boiler lives under the nearside settee but there’s some useful under-seat storage, too, with a hatch into the offside locker just inside the entrance, creating an area that’s ideal for footwear.

The table slides fore and aft, twists and folds – unfolded it measures 78cm by 90cm (plenty for four diners), but I couldn’t decide whether or not it seemed a tad too high. The telly won’t be, because its bracket slides up and down (the screen itself is one thing that you’ll have to pay extra for).

Kitchen

Are two gas rings enough? An increasing number of motorhomes seem to be fitting fewer burners on the hob, while some British models still have four (though you might struggle to fit four saucepans in the space). Here, the smart Thetford cooker has unequal-sized rings and below the counter there’s a Duplex combined oven and grill, also from Thetford. Opposite, the same brand provides the large (158-litre) compressor fridge, with that capacity including a 30.5-litre freezer drawer.

The kitchen looks contemporary, with its black tap and matching loose sink cover, plus hooks and spice racks on the wall. There’s not a lot of low-level storage, although a big cutlery drawer is fitted and a larger drawer below includes a bin. Fortunately, the top cupboard here is huge, while another locker is found above the fridge.

Worktop is also pretty good, thanks to the aforementioned sink cover and the hob being set well back in the counter. The single three-pin socket can be used even when you’re not hooked up as it’s linked to the inverter.

Rear ablutions and bedroom

The G781’s double floor ensures a flat walk through from the cab to the lounge and kitchen, where headroom is a generous 2m. You’ll also find trapdoors here (hidden when the carpet is in situ) giving access to the inverter and a little more storage.

As you step up into the ablutions and bedroom areas to the rear of the layout, headroom decreases to 1.88m.

The format here follows the usual pattern for larger motorhomes – toilet area on the offside, separate shower opposite and the bedroom beyond. The loo door swings round to close off the whole of the back of the motorhome, while a sliding door separates the bedroom from the washroom.

Even used in isolation, the toilet area offers adequate legroom and shoulder space to use the swivel cassette (another Thetford fitting) comfortably. There’s a ‘salad bowl’ basin in white plastic with a high-quality metal tap, while a grey base cupboard and wall shelf for soap, etc, match the design of the kitchen. There’s a towel rail on the door, plus a couple of robe hooks and a ‘hidden’ toilet roll holder in the cupboard. You’ll also find a mains socket here, but the best feature is the wall locker with straps to keep everything in place.

On the nearside, the shower cubicle is a decent size with a roof vent giving extra headroom for taller occupants. There’s a slight step in the shower tray but the half-size duckboard virtually levels things up. Behind the shower’s riser, the gloss black tower includes recesses for your shower gel, etc, but the lips here aren’t deep enough to let you leave potions in place when the motorhome is in motion.

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the G781’s extra length, though, is the bedroom where the beds’ Bultex mattresses are also extra-long – 2.02m on the offside and 2.12m on the nearside. At the head end there are swivel reading lights and rear speakers, while 230V, USB-A and C sockets and a recess for your book/tablet/phone all point to good design. Ambient lighting and downlights again feature, as well as a roof vent but the one thing that’s missing is the ability to tip the beds into a chaise longue-style arrangement – of course, I banged my head on the overhead lockers, which seemed to loom quite low over my pillow…

Under the foot of each bed is a wardrobe that can be accessed from the front or above. Raise the ‘roof’ of each wardrobe and you find that this part of the bed base is solid, rather than the sprung staves further along. With unusually long hanging rails of 63cm and 73cm, you can pack in a lot of clothes for a long tour but the drop from each rail (80cm) is only suitable for shirts, trousers, etc.

Included in the spec is a slide-out extension to the section between the twin beds, complete with an additional slot-in cushion and a ladder (as the steps are now covered). It’s another feature that’s often an optional extra and allows you to use the bedroom as a 2.18m by 1.62m transverse double. Despite the windows and lockers on either side, it’s just possible to sit up in bed with this arrangement.

Of course, in usual A-class style, there’s also the drop-down bed over the cab. Simply tip the captain’s chairs’ backrests forward and manually lower the bed. Add the ladder and you have a 1.85m by 1.35m double. Ambient lighting is provided but no roof vent, so it might get stuffy on summer nights in the Med.

On the road with 180hp

Driving, I wasn’t particularly aware of the G781’s size. With the 180hp motor and eight-speed automatic transmission (again, standard), there are no worries on the performance front and the long wheelbase and Al-Ko chassis ensure that stability (both cornering and when passing HGVs) is excellent. The Aguti chairs are also worthy of praise and should remain comfy on long trans-European tours, while a 9in Pioneer multimedia unit (including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) is another standard item.

However, it’s not all good news. The manual parking brake – squeezed between the seat and the gas locker – is, literally, a pain to release (an electronic brake is not available with the Al-Ko chassis) and the bus-style mirrors lack wide-angled sections, so you’re always slightly nervous of blind spots. The windscreen wipers, too, could be better as they’re handed for driving from the left seat, not the right.

This test G781 also had a very loud squeak, which sounded like plastic rubbing on plastic. I couldn’t identify the source but it was very annoying, especially as, otherwise, conversion noise here was slightly better than the norm.

The fact that Pilote’s biggest, most expensive motorhome looks so much like lesser models may hamper its sales a little but that shouldn’t be a serious consideration when there’s so much kit included in the price. It may not have the bling of more expensive alternatives but the comfort, space and off-grid capability would be hard to beat at £105k.