Elddis Autoquest 194 motorhome

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Peugeot Boxer Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 586kg

It’s a case of one in, one out for the top-selling Autoquest range this year. Out goes the 195 layout with its twin parallel settee lounges front and rear. And in comes the new 194 with its fixed single beds over a rear garage.

The garage here is a good size, with 1.09m maximum interior headroom – enough for bicycles. There’s a plastic floor, two loading doors and four (fixed) tie-down points, though the load height is not as convenient as some as there’s no dropped floor level aft.

Inside, the twin beds sit 1.25m above the main floor with two high steps providing access. At 1.80m (nearside) and 1.82m (offside) bed lengths are relatively modest (and certainly less than we’d expect in a Teutonic ’van) but there’s no impediment to sitting up comfortably in bed – an all-too-rare feature. Reading lights are provided and there’s a TV bracket at the foot of the offside bed, while the central infill between the beds can be extended from 0.91m to 1.26m with a slot-in panel and cushion.

Where the Autoquest really differs from its imported opposition is up front. Some continental makers (Adria, Chausson, Pilote, Rapido) are offering side settee lounges like this now, but the Elddis goes its own way when it comes to travel seats. Rather than adapting the settees to face forward, cushions are removed, bases folded away and a pair of folding Aguti passenger seats is revealed.

In lounge mode there are armrests and scatter cushions to enhance sprawling comfort, while drop-front doors provide easy access to under-seat storage. Four reading lights are a plus, but the lack of an overcab sunroof means there’s not as much daylight here as in some rivals. It’s worth noting, too, that the settees (which can convert into a transverse double bed) are an unequal pair – 1.27m long on the offside, 1.03m opposite.

If you’re comparing the Autoquest 194 with the likes of a Chausson 767 GA Flash, the British ’van predictably wins on kitchen space and cooker spec – with a separate grill and oven – but loses out significantly in terms of fridge size. Here, it’s just an 85-litre under-counter Dometic 8-Series and only a basic model with push-button ignition for the gas mode. The galley also features a central stack of four small drawers and a worktop extension flap by the doorway.

As you enter the motorhome, a tall mirror faces you on the bathroom wall but there are no coat hooks here. In the washroom itself, the design is attractive – complete with countertop-mounted basin – but you’ll need to pull a curtain around for showering and there’s just one drain in the shower tray. Most continental models would put a greater emphasis on freedom from using campsite showers, but here extra space has been allocated to the kitchen instead.

Alongside the bathroom, the wardrobe features high and low-level hanging rails, as well as a stowage location for the free-standing table. Under the foot of each single bed, tall lockers could act as further wardrobes but lacked hanging rails in the prototype.

As ever, Elddis pricing is very keen on this newcomer – at sub-£45k – but you’ll need to find an extra £1,218 for the Lux Pack (cab air-con, passenger airbag, cruise control). Also, look out for enhanced spec dealer special versions of this Autoquest coming to a retailer near you very soon.

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A very British take on the fixed-single-beds-over-garage floorplan. The spacious lounge, fold-away travel seats and well-equipped kitchen are big pluses but the beds are not especially long.