Dethleffs Globetrotter XLi Premium

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Al-ko Tag Axle Gross vehicle weight: 5,400kg Payload: 990kg

Where do Formula 1 racing drivers relax? If they are Nico Hülkenberg or Sergio Pérez, the answer is in a Dethleffs Globetrotter XLi. Two such vehicles were provided for the Sahara Force India team this year.

Ours came with a 3-litre, 177bhp motor (standard is the 2.3-litre with 130bhp). It has a tag-axle Al-Ko chassis, so taking it around the windy lanes of the Essex/Suffolk border was a stable experience. And quiet too. During the drive I heard the wind and the occasional grunt from the suspension, but from the interior not one tinkle.

The air-suspension captain’s seats are kitted out in caramel leather (costing over £3,000 extra). This hide trim continues onto the comfy seats in the lounge, which could easily seat eight, although the table will only take five. Lounge lights can be adjusted in groups – just remember which switch does what.

At night, the drop-down cab bed is comfy, although the fabric on the window blind kept getting caught in the apparatus. Those who sleep here also get the luxury of individual reading lights. The windscreen blind rolls down electrically, but you have to close the side ones manually.

The kitchen has a three-burner hob and a sink whose cover is too flimsy to double as a chopping board. There’s decent workspace and three drawers for pans and cutlery, a cupboard to the right with waste bins, and two apothecary shelves. All of these are centrally locked – either by a switch in the kitchen or when you turn the engine on.

You wouldn’t get a rain shower in a motorhome, but the separate shower here comes close. There is no towel rail, but there are hooks on the door, which you can move across to create a unified bathroom with the toilet room.

It’s one step up into this area, and another into the bedroom. The island bed is ample and comfy, but neither of the wardrobes are full sized.

There are three drawers beneath the bed. Having it high up means that you have a large garage underneath. This one isn’t big enough to house a racing car, but it does give you access to many of the life support systems. There are also two storage compartments in the double floor for long items.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the November 2015 issue of What Motorhome.

Despite the price, this ’van is in a surprisingly crowded market, and it isn’t the cheapest. But its build quality should see it through.