AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Citroen can now sell you a camper. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the Holidays.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 30

Citroen enters the camper market with this model, the Holidays. Based on the SpaceTourer MPV, it claims to bring People Carrier qualities to the motorhome market - with value pricing.

Backgroundword count: 161

A family-sized camper van isn't really something you'd want to buy used. But at the kind of prices being asked for this kind of vehicle from the two main segment protagonists, Volkswagen and Ford, quite a few potential motorhome customers are being driven to the second-hand market. If that's you, then don't start looking at used motorhome models quite yet - until you've considered this contender anyway, the Citroen Holidays. The asking figure for this French market entrant is a useful slug less than a California or a Transit Custom Nugget, the two obvious Volkswagen and Ford rivals in this segment. Yet it includes all the main things you'd need in that camper you've always dreamed about. Created for Citroen by leading van conversion company Bravia Mobil, it's based on well proven underpinnings - those of the old Citroen SpaceTourer MPV diesel, itself founded on the solid foundations of a Citroen Dispatch mid-sized van. Want to find out more? Read on.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 261

Although Citroen makes a lot of this Holidays model being based on its SpaceTourer MPV, camper customers will probably be relieved to know that it doesn't share the full-EV drivetrain that is all you can get in a SpaceTourer these days. Instead, there's the 2.0-litre BlueHDi 180hp diesel that that People Carrier used to have, complete with 8-speed EAT8 automatic transmission. Citroen would like you to believe that the design of this camper is MPV-derived and quite car-like, as with the current Volkswagen California (which is based on that Wolfsburg brand's Multivan People Carrier). Actually though, it's more accurate to call it a converted van (like the rival Ford Transit Custom Nugget) because the SpaceTourer MPV is really only a Citroen Dispatch mid-sized van with windows and extra seats. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like the Dispatch, the Holidays will ride quite well around town thanks to its supple suspension and relatively stiff EMP2 platform. And careful wishbone filtering dampens the impacts of our country's terrible tarmac, plus variable-stiffness springs and shock absorbers deliver surprising levels of comfort, whether the vehicle is loaded or unloaded. It's also quite refined. And there are nice touches like the driving time warning system, which flashes up a dashboard warning after two hours of uninterrupted driving at speeds of 40mph and above. Pulling power is willing through the gears thanks to 400Nm of torque. And you'll easily be able to keep up with the flow of traffic, thanks to a 0-62mph time of 10.6s on the way to a top speed of 106mph.

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