Niesmann + Bischoff Arto 78 A-class motorhome

This is no simple redesign – the 2025 Arto from Niesmann + Bischoff is all-new from the ground up.

The Niesmann + Bischoff Arto 78 A-class motorhome

This is no simple redesign – the 2025 Arto from Niesmann + Bischoff is all-new from the ground up. That starts with Mercedes underpinnings, probably the most important aspect as previous Arto models have been based on Fiat’s Ducato. 

There are two models, with this shorter one (the 78) being affectionately referred to by Niesmann staff as the ‘big iSmove’ (the larger Arto 88 is essentially a ‘baby Flair’). That shows how closely the three ranges are now linked, with a very similar look. 

The model we’re reviewing here is to a fairly standard spec, with fewer options to maximise the payload available (over a tonne).

The interior

You step on board through a wide solid door; just inside there are controls for the vehicle locking, awning light and garage doors. It’s a dark panel until you wave your hand in front of it for the switches to light up. 

You initially step into an open area with face-to-face seating. But travel seats are available thanks to Niesmann’s patented turntable seating system. 

This works by sliding the seat opposite the door towards the cab, then you push a lever and it pivots around to become a forward-facing bench. A section of the backrest slides out and there’s an infill cushion to make a wider backrest; then the head restraints pop into place.

The cab seats swivel and they’re on the same level floor as the lounge (no steps here), but they can also be lowered for a more comfortable drive. 

There’s also a beautifully concealed bed above the cab – it looks like part of the ceiling, then it just drops down. 

The lights are very modern, similar to up/downlighter fittings, but there’s lots of ambient light, too, and spotlights in the roof. There’s also a TV above the travel seats. It’s set in its own little recess, so it doesn’t intrude too much and it’s at the right viewing height.

The kitchen

The kitchen is one long unit with composite worktops and a built-in moulded sink with small draining area behind it. At the very end of the galley, there’s a tall shelved unit that rises up to divide the kitchen area from the bedroom. 

When lowered back down it makes the interior feel more spacious as there’s more through-vision.

Other features include a wooden chopping board cover for the sink, which can be moved onto a slide-out support to create extra worktop space. Note, too, the bending swan-neck tap.

Under the sink, there are three drawers (with central locking); a really big one and two shallow ones. Then, there’s another drawer below the hob (which has one induction ring and two gas burners), plus another drawer below the oven and a pull-out larder unit.

The washroom

The washroom has a swivel cassette toilet with a couple of shelves behind it. 

There’s a small cupboard, a towel rail and the basin, which is a modern moulded affair mounted on a wooden worktop. 

The black tap sits in a little recess in the washroom wall and there’s a reason for this – you push a lever and slide the whole basin unit, complete with wall, towards the toilet to create a really big shower area. 

Now, that recessed tap becomes your showerhead and you can use the lipped shelf above for your showering essentials. There are twin drains below the duckboard.

The bedroom

At the rear, the steps up to the bed are a good size, with storage in each. One of them has a neat little laundry basket. 

You sleep in two singles (on Froli-type springs), but they meet in the middle in the style of a king-sized double. There are recesses to one side of each bed for storage and the headboard is padded. 

Cupboards are fitted above, so sitting up in bed is a bit more restricted, but there’s space for a TV and the whole bedroom can be closed off with a solid sliding door.

Where to buy

There are two dealers in the UK, Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld in Stafford and, new for this year, Highbridge Motorhomes in Somerset.

All the superb build-quality and design elements of Niesmann + Bischoff now in the completely redesigned Arto