Hymer B598 PremiumLine

Price from £77,210 Price at tested £84,320 Island bed layout British spec Sub-7m

Hymer is a brand that even non-motorhomers have sometimes heard of. And nothing epitomises the German manufacturer's A-class motorhomes than its confusingly named B-Class range

And the latest B-Class is a good-looking beast and there’s plenty of choice available, with a good range of models from just under six, to nearly nine metres long.

But we're looking at the B598, a motorhome that manages to include an island bed layout in a sub-seven-metre overall length. But there’s more here, as the PremiumLine suffix adds both luxury and practicality with a list of 15 extras that adds things such as an uprated front axle and climate control on the base vehicle, bigger water tanks and wider entrance door on the conversion.

There’s bling too, including special furniture, stylish silver upholstery and Corian-type surfaces in the ‘gourmet’ kitchen. The whole presents an interior that looks quite simply magnificent. Importantly, it presents as ‘warm’ too, so you should still feel cosy on that dreary December weekend in the Derbyshire Dales.

Basis for this motorhome is Fiat’s facelifted Ducato, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell as – obviously – there’s none of the external cab restyling to see.

Here, the Fiat sports the 3-litre motor (£3,000 extra) and Comfort-Matic auto gearbox (£1,670) – not a cheap package, but one of the best for effortless progress.

A quick tour around the outside discovers smart Champagne metallic paint, a cab door and big picture windows on both sides, serving the bedroom. Rear storage is a big locker rather than a garage, but it has plenty of room for bulky kit.

Anyone buying this motorhome will do so because of the bedroom and its island bed. The all-important bed is excellent – the base slides rearward and the head rises on gas struts so that you can sit up. This also creates space at the foot to more easily move around. And it needs to as it’s a bit of a squeeze between the shower and bed – the toilet room side is fine as long as its door is open.

This is a synopsis of the full First Sight report that appeared in the November 2014 issue of Which Motorhome magazine.

If you want to read more about this new Hymer or test reports of other 2015 motorhomes, you can get a digital copy of Which Motorhome here and have it on your tablet, smartphone or PC within seconds.

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

Hymer is a brand that even non-motorhomers have heard of. And this German manufacturer’s latest A-class motorhome is great.