IF you’re looking for a great quality motorhome that is compact in size and has a good lounge then the Auto-Sleeper Symbol is a worthy contender.

Another of the ‘van’s plus points is that it sports a wholly level floor, thanks to its raised living area floor and a raised section to its factory high-top.

Inside, the ‘van’s lounge area benefits from having a largely level floor throughout but this is partially offset by the fact that the driver’s seat will only swivel through 90 degrees, thanks to the close proximity of the settee.

The Symbol’s cooking area is a fine effort, with worktop space boosted usefully by the substantial pull-out surface just forward of the rear doors and the employment of Chinchilla glass sink/drainer covers, and a kit list that extends to a unitary spark-ignition cooker with a dual-fuel hob, an easy clean linen effect sink and drainer and a 70-litre Dometic fridge.

There’s a decent amount of locker and cupboard space, plus a set of fitted crockery.

Having no second fold up worktop flap on the settee-side of the kitchen is a bit of a missed opportunity.

For dining, the Symbol’s passenger seat can be used as a dining chair meaning that, at a push, four can sit down to dinner.

Storage is good with a ribbed-floor void under the forward part of the settee, slide-out wire mesh show tray under the forward-facing rear seat and shallow, but surprisingly large, slide out tray under the rearmost floor (accessible only with the rear doors open) particularly impressive.

The Symbol’s washroom can be boosted usefully by the employment of the fold-out privacy panel that lives on the inside of the washroom door. Clip the snap-bolt into place across the kitchen, close the read door curtains, and you’ve got a good-sized dressing area with the loo, washbasin and shower all to hand.

Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a UK-made rival to this layout from a mainstream manufacturer for some time now, although the new Swift Mondial (which is based on the bigger, but less practical in everyday use LWB van) would be the most obvious competitor now.

The main improvement the new model had over the older model was simply its greater interior space, although the superior drive of the latest Peugeot Boxer base vehicle shouldn’t be discounted either. Refinements such as tinted glass side windows (unusually, they’re single-glazed) simply added to the appeal.

Factfile:

Price from: £35,850 on the road
Base vehicle: Peugeot Boxer MWB panel van
Engine: 2.2-litre HDi
Payload: 420kg
Berths: 2
Travel seats: 3

The Auto-Sleeper Symbol was featured in a Group Test in the December 2007 issue of Which Motorcaravan magazine. To order a reprint contact Tina Beaumont on 01778 391187.