Adria Matrix Supreme 687 SLT

The Matrix Supreme is a well-made motorhome that’s easy and comfortable to drive. For a couple, or family of three, I think it would be great, but for the four of us a bit more space in the kitchen and the double bed would be priorities.

The drive east from Peterborough was a pleasant one, with the big Adria proving itself to be a comfortable drive and an accomplished cruiser. Based on a 150bhp Renault, the Matrix Supreme makes a refreshing change from the ubiquitous Fiat/Peugeot. Not that these aren’t proven, capable base vehicles, of course, but a bit of variety is always welcome.

With a little over 600 miles on the clock, our long-termer is a long way from being fully run-in. Despite this, the engine is flexible and compliant, with bags of torque and relaxed gearing. This results in a mere 1,500rpm at 50mph in sixth and 2,200rpm at 70mph. Combine this with a multitude of adjustments on both cab seats (including squab length for thigh support and inflatable lumbar support), armrests and cruise control, and you’ve got the perfect credentials for eating up the miles with ease.

A detour en route into the Georgian town of Holt, however, quickly reminded me of the Adria’s 7.7m length. On the open road the generous dimensions soon ‘disappear’, but within the confines of tight roads and car parks they are less easy to forget.

Supplies secured, we headed to our destination of Kelling Heath; the tree-lined A148 offering canopied stretches with dappled light spotting the verdant tunnels: a poetic start to a weekend with the family.

On site, our big slab of Slovenian style cut a handsome figure. Aesthetics are of course subjective, but the Master cab works well with the styling of the Adria body, while the graphics help the transition between the two nicely. Inside, the light-coloured cabinetry and upholstery help give an airy, contemporary feel. It seems well put together, too. Certainly there was a refreshing lack of crashing and banging from the living quarters when on the move.

Staying with the interior, the 687 SLT offers a family-friendly array of lockers and storage. There’s a good-sized wardrobe in the bathroom and there are six lockers in the rear above the beds, two above the hob in the kitchen, plus a cupboard both above and below the fridge/freezer, four lockers in the front lounge and four in the cab. The latter sit below one of the Supreme’s large skylights, and this was to prove something of an issue: more on that, later.

So, interior storage is plentiful and just the job for a family of four. Exterior storage, however, is less generous. The exterior locker on the offside offers decent depth, but lacks enough height and general volume to store larger items: such as kids’ bikes. The nearside locker is substantially smaller, and was filled almost to capacity with the addition of our two new snazzy Outwell chairs. Worse than this, however, is the hidden presence of an extremely sharp metal radiator-come-heatsink. It sits flush with the top of the locker and the first we knew about it was when it sliced into my wife’s thumb as she struggled to fit the camping chairs in.

The lack of larger external lockers is, of course, a consequence of our long-termer’s layout. Had we opted for the SL version, with its raised rear beds, there would be significantly more storage. But the 687 SLT still has ample storage for most couples.

Before we leave the subject of storage behind, though, let’s return to the aforementioned overcab lockers. It was whilst rummaging around for the instructions for the fridge that I stumbled across something of a damp patch in one of the lockers.

Well, more like small pools of water. In fairness, the Adria had been subjected to two torrential downpours in just 48 hours – a rare volume of rain and one that would highlight the smallest of flaws. But regardless of the mitigating circumstances, the bottom line was this brand new £70k motorhome was leaking… (We have subsequently discovered that the rooflight’s catches just needed adjustment and dealer, Geoff Cox, has remedied the situation.)

That evening we ate al fresco, courtesy of a couple of disposable barbecues. Our only need for the Matrix Supreme’s kitchen was to extract cutlery and crockery from its many soft-close drawers; and perfectly chilled alcohol from its 150-litre fridge.

Well fed and ‘watered’, we headed inside and settled down to enjoy the Adria’s agreeable ambience. Thanks to a plethora of LED lights and lighting options, it’s easy to create an atmosphere to suit your mood. Needless to say, the boys were most impressed by the funky ‘disco’ blue option.

They were also impressed by the electric drop-down double that was to be their bed for the night. As it came down, however, we were all struck by how much slower it lowered than, say, the Chausson Welcome 69 that we had on long-term test last year.

My wife and I were relegated to the rear singles (who says romance is dead?), which I’m glad to report were more than long enough to house my six-foot-ish frame.

Such is the way of a British spring, the next day chucked it down with rain. Luckily, Kelling Heath has an incredible amount of facilities on-site and extremely friendly, helpful staff: a boon when it comes to keeping spirits up during a deluge. We opted for the huge indoor pool, complete with Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.

Back at the Adria we took advantage of the fantastic Alde heating with real radiators. This, combined with the Adria’s fully winterised insulation and construction, meant we warmed up in no time. The wet heating isn’t cheap, but if its benefits are so clear on a miserable spring day in Norfolk, imagine how grateful you’d be in the depths of winter.

Dried out and hungry we set about preparing dinner. Having eaten outside the previous evening, the Matrix Supreme’s lack of work surface hadn’t shown itself to be a problem, but today it was clear to see. Although the sink has an infill lid to help increase preparation space, we still found it all a bit snug. One workaround might be the inclusion of a foldaway surface attached to the right-hand kitchen ‘wall’ that the lounge travel seats back onto.

In the name of democracy (and thorough testing, of course) we did a bed swap that night. The Adria’s drop-down double had more than enough room for both of us, and a comfortable mattress. The issue I had – perhaps peculiar to me – was my proximity to the roof. Not only did this create a slightly claustrophobic feel, but lead to hitting my arm on the ceiling as I turned over in the night.

In summary, the Matrix Supreme is a well-made motorhome that’s easy and comfortable to drive. For a couple, or family of three, I think it would be great, but for the four of us a bit more space in the kitchen and the double bed would be priorities.

The Adria Matrix Supreme 687 SLT has all the makings of a great family motorhome, with the Renault cab giving it a welcome USP