Carthago Chic C-line I 6.2 XL QB A-class motorhome

‘XL’ is the key part of this motorhome’s title

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Carthago Chic C-line I 6.2 XL QB

Carthago certainly offers plenty of choice. In its C-line range alone there are 10 models each on Fiat and Mercedes chassis. From 7.39m up to 8.78m, they all require a C1 driving licence – and a careful perusal of the  options list, which can quickly add £40k-plus to the cost.

That might start with the Silverline exterior but standard is the typical brand DNA, such as the way the roof and side walls join in a smooth curve. The toothy chromed grille is another marque identifier – and a feature of this latest New Generation model.

Driver comfort is assured by the high-backed Aguti captain’s chairs and visibility is a forte of all Carthago A-classes, thanks to the steeply sloping dashboard design. Only the aftermarket screen for the reversing camera (by the driver’s right knee), rather than Merc’s sharp MBUX touchscreen, disappoints.

The exterior

The most important external aspects are the double floor and huge garage. The depth of the former varies from 700mm at the sides to around 200mm in the middle of the motorhome, while the double floor is also home to the 170-litre fresh and 140-litre waste water tanks. Even the waste drain is inside, revealed by lifting the trapdoor just inside the entrance. 

The rear garage, meanwhile, boasts internal headroom of 1.11m and a width of 1.20m, as well as a maximum load capacity of 350kg. 

The interior

The interior design here is called Linea Progressiva – it’s one of four possibilities, mated to optional Ivory leather. The single most significant option fitted, though, must be the Sky Dream Comfort driver’s cabin with two panoramic skylights. This deletes the usual A-class drop-down bed and replaces it with cupboards around all three sides of the front lounge. Combined with the twin wind-up Heki sunroofs, it makes for a fabulously spacious feel as headroom of 1.92m continues right up to the dashboard. 

The lounge

The lounge offers a generous amount of space with no less than 22 downlights, as well as mood lighting above the top lockers. There are no steps in the floor until you get to the rear bedroom and the 40in TV screen rises electrically from behind the offside sofa (it’s another option, of course).

The kitchen

The kitchen is more of a U-shape than the usual ‘L’, while its Corian worktop includes a drip-catching lip. A Nespresso machine can be added, as well as (more crucially) a Thetford Duplex oven and grill, now mounted conveniently just below the three-burner hob. 

Alongside the oven is a bottle rack, while a quartet of large, soft-closing drawers ensure that you have plenty of stowage space. A near-full-height slide-out pantry unit alongside the fridge (153-litre capacity) is another big plus, and Carthago-branded glasses are stored in their own cabinet.

The washroom

The washroom doesn’t have just XL space but XXXL dimensions. It has a sliding door to separate it from the forward living area and twin sliding doors (with full-length mirrors) to close it off from the bedroom. Importantly, the toilet door is just that, so the loo area always remains private (even when someone else is in the shower). You step up into this space, though, so headroom is only 1.83m.

The rest of this en suite is palatial. The separate shower has a clothes drying rail, twin drains and shelves for shampoo, etc, and even the step in the shower tray doesn’t mar the experience. 

Then, step out of the shower and it’s the huge central space for dressing and undressing – complete with floor-to-ceiling wardrobe – that really impresses.

The bedroom

At the stern, the bed looks high up, but access is easy enough. And what a bed it is – almost 2m in length, this seven-zone cold foam mattress sits on a Carawinx sprung base and, in the morning, you can tilt the bed head  (individually, each side) for sitting up luxuriously under the duvet.

Where to buy

Carthago may be a premium brand but it is well represented by a network of English dealers.

In the northwest it’s E S Hartley (Cumbria) that has the franchise, while Premium Motorhomes (Doncaster) covers Yorkshire and Camper UK (Lincoln) and Go European (Staffordshire) are the Midlands retailers. 

In the south, from west to east, are Chelston Motorhomes (Somerset), Southdowns Motorhome Centre  (Hampshire) and Choose Leisure(Kent).

In Wales, 3 A’s Leisure is the Carthago dealer. In Scotland, BC Motorhomes in Ayr is the outlet.

Across the Continent you’ll find Carthago dealers from the very top of Norway down to Portugal and even in Sicily, so you should be able to solve any issues arising on your grand tour.