Mobilvetta K-Silver i 56 motorhome

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 340kg

The debutante K-Yacht motorhomes arrived in the UK in 2017 as the first A-classes on Marquis forecourts for some years. They marked the return of the stylish Italian brand, Mobilvetta, to the UK market with a simple line-up of three models – predictable island bed and fixed twin bed layouts, along with a more unusual rear L-shaped lounge version.

Now, the Mobilvetta range has expanded. The K-Yachts get UK-handed floorplans for 2018, while they are joined by more affordable K-Silvers (also A-class, but continentally handed) and low-profiles, too, in the form of the Kea P.

There are just two layouts in the K-Silver range – both are 7.40m long and you can choose from an island bed (i 59) or two singles (i 56), so no surprises there. There’s no shock factor in the base vehicle, either. You’ll probably have guessed already it’s a Fiat Ducato and, here, it comes only with the 130bhp engine. If you need an automatic, the Comfort-Matic robotised transmission costs an extra £1,750. Less typically, though, you can also upgrade from the standard 3,500kg chassis (with 340kg payload) to a 4,400kg Maxi Ducato at no extra charge.

It’s a high-spec base vehicle whichever gross weight you choose, with alloy wheels, Bluetooth and radio-mounted radio/phone controls, air-conditioning, heated mirrors (top-hung, bus-style) and driver and passenger airbags. The standard Driver’s Pack also adds cruise control, Traction Plus, ESP and Hill Assist.

The good news continues as soon as you clap eyes on a K-Silver. Where some A-classes have all the style and shape of a brick, these Italians can glow with Italian pride at being rather pretty. It’s not just a handsome face, either – there’s 100% wood-free construction and a five-year water ingress warranty.

Inside, there’s grey Eco Leather upholstery for the L-shaped settee, swivel captain’s chairs and a single inward-facing seat. A central, gloss white tabletop is a permanent fixture on its central pole. All typical continental stuff, but with a clean, modern feel and upholstered kick panel on the lounge seats.

Above the cab, as you’d expect, is a drop-down double bed – claimed dimensions are 1.90m by 1.38m. The rear singles – high above the garage with a single step up – are the alternative sleeping space. Each twin bed is 0.82m wide, while lengths favour the offside – 1.99m plays 1.90m. Large drawers make for the ideal home for folded clothes beneath the offside bed, while top lockers sit on all three walls of the bedroom – just mind your head when you sit up in bed.

The galley continues the duo-tone light and dark theme of the cabinets in the rear and adopts the usual L-shape, as well as the increasingly popular three-gas-rings-in-line hob. There’s an oven/grill, too, for UK Mobilvettas, as well as a 150-litre three-way fridge and a practical chopping board cover for the sink.

The bathroom is split across the aisle – nearside shower, offside toilet compartment. All the accessories are included – even a loo brush. Water tank capacities are fairly generous, too – 120 litres fresh, 110 litres waste. There’s a Truma Combi heating system as well, but only the 4kW version rather than the 6kW unit seen in many upmarket ’vans.

Of course, if you want all the spec, you can still go for a K-Yacht, but the K-Silver is in a lower price band where rival brands are more likely to offer low-profiles, rather than the prestige of an A-class motorhome.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read loads more like it in What Motorhome magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.