Adria Coral Axess S 670 SLT

Price from: £45,990 Berths/travel seats: 3/4 Base vehicle: FIAT Ducato 35L Camper Chassis-Cab Length: 7.38m

THERE are four models in the latest UK Adria Coral line-up (we don’t get all the layouts offered in Europe): the 600 SL and the 670 SL which both feature rear single beds over a garage area (in body lengths of 7.06m and – matching the rest of the range – 7.38m), the 690 SC which boasts a rear island bed, plus the 670 SLT pictured, with twin single beds in front of a full-width rear washroom. We don’t get the French bed or offset island bed versions.

For many continental buyers (especially in Germany), a large rear garage is seen as practically essential, hence the 600 SL and 670 SL models, but British buyers seem to be less bothered about this and are perhaps more interested in on-site comfort.

So the 670 SLT is probably going to have the edge on its sister models in the UK market. Its twin beds are set at a relatively low level – better than having to clamber into high-level over-garage beds – plus the full-width end washroom behind the bedroom area is a bonus for those who prefer to be independent of campsite shower blocks.

To put the Axess 670 SLT test vehicle through its paces, I collected it from Adria UK’s Suffolk distribution centre and headed off to Wales.

LOW-PROFILE OVERCAB

On the open road the 670 SLT copes well with motorway conditions, with the standard 130bhp turbo-diesel engine providing a fair pace (the only alternative offered is an expensive upgrade to the 4,300kg chassis and 177bhp 3-litre motor).

The most annoying thing was the extra-wide door mirrors on the Fiat Ducato base vehicle, a problem common to most coachbuilts. Down the narrow Welsh lanes I had the nearside mirror folded-in most of the time, which defeats the object of having it in the first place!

Another niggle centred around the Adria’s low-profile roof. I mainly enjoyed hot, sunny weather in Wales, but when it did rain hard one day, the overcab chucked waterfalls down the windscreen, with the wipers struggling to keep the screen clear.

This is only a minor niggle, though, compared with the external locker doors on each side of the Adria. They are very hard to shut and lock properly – having initially thought that I’d shut them all, I drove off to find that a couple flung themselves open at the first corner.

A LIGHT TOUCH

When it comes to pitching up on a campsite each evening, the Adria is easy to set up – just plug in the hook-up cable and swivel the cab seats around to create a spacious lounge. There are two different dinette seating options, with a half-dinette (with seatbelts) being standard, plus the option to have a small extension to make an L-shaped area along the nearside wall.
In both cases you also get a small offside seat.

At night, one of the Adria’s party tricks is the touch-operated LED lights. The touch-sensitive, illuminated control panel for the 12V electrical system and water tank measurements is also a great design feature and one that seems to work very well. It’s situated just inside the entrance door, next to a couple of small shelves which are useful for keys or a campsite torch (posher Coral models get a Media Wall here with flatscreen TV and more).

There’s also an electronic control panel for the Truma Combi boiler – as standard you get the gas-only Combi 4, but the All Inclusive Pack fitted here (and likely to be fitted to all UK-bound Corals) upgrades this to a gas and mains electric unit – great if you want to conserve gas when hooked-up on a campsite.

ADRIA KITCHEN

When it comes to preparing a meal, the Adria boasts a great kitchen area, with the main unit forming an L-shape (Adria calls it a V-shape!) behind the half-dinette. There’s a three-burner gas hob, plus a fair-sized stainless-steel sink set into the worktop here. The hob’s burners are arranged in a row to free up useful additional worktop space in front.

You’ll also find five drawers, both deep and shallow, and including a cutlery drawer, plus extra storage in a roof locker above the kitchen.

For keeping your food cool, a large, three-way tower fridge with separate freezer unit is fitted opposite the main kitchen.

ADRIA MOTORHOME BEDROOM

Now we come to the area that’s the main selling point for the 670 SLT, namely the rear bedroom, with its twin single beds. These are set in front of the full-width rear washroom, with the ability to screen the whole area off from the front of the layout to create a private en suite bedroom.

Both single beds are very long and also quite wide, at two metres by 780mm. Even at 6ft 2in tall I was able to sleep very comfortably in the Coral. As an added bonus, the slatted bases under the mattresses have a section that lifts up to create a raised head to the bed, so you can relax as if sitting on a chaise longue, perhaps reading a book before dropping off.

Adria has also built in two small shelves next to each bed – ideal for a mug of cocoa! To turn off the splotlamps above the beds you just touch them gently with your finger.

It’s a great bedroom area and one of the best I’ve seen in this type of single bed layout.

An extra bed can be made-up from the front dinette. This is a transverse bed, with the small offside seat featuring a pull-out section that is used as the lower half of the bed. It would make a lengthy bed for a single adult, or possibly a double bed for a couple of small children.

MOTORHOME WASDHROOM

With a domestic-style solid door in the wall between the two single beds, the washroom is easy to access and, thanks to clever curved walls, feels quite roomy once you are inside. This curvature also means that there’s quite good legroom when using the electric-flush cassette toilet. There’s also a fairly large basin for washing your hands, with a mirror set into the door of the wardrobe (big but not full height), which is positioned behind the toilet.

There’s also a good-sized separate shower cubicle, with bi-fold plastic doors and plenty of space to move around. It’s equipped with a roof vent and a useful drying rail.

MOTORHOME STORAGE

Finally, it’s worth mentioning the clever storage options in this Adria. The designers have included a low-level, shallow, plastic-lined storage locker that runs the full width of the vehicle under the toilet/shower compartment. It’s accessed by opening the rearmost locker door on the offside, which is also the servicing hatch for toilet cassette.

This is an edited extract from the January 2014 issue of Which Motorhome magazine. You can download a digital version of the issue here.

• For great digital Which Motorhome subscription deals, click here.
   
• For great digital MMM subscription deals, click here.

The Coral Axess 670 SLT boasts a comfortable twin bed layout with a super washroom and a well-equipped kitchen, plus some nice innovations, such as the touch-sensitive LED lamps.