‘Ex’ factors

Nick Harding takes the latest Auto-Trail Excel on an extended trip to see if it lives up to its name

It’s always a positive sign when a manufacturer adds more models to a recently introduced range; take it as an indication that things are going well. That’s certainly the case for the Excel line-up announced by Auto-Trail for the 2024 season – all low-profile, slim-bodied coachbuilts based on Ford’s Transit chassis-cab.

Here’s the latest addition to the range, the two-berth 620S. Price-wise it all starts off very encouragingly. You can have an Excel 620S on the road for as little as £64,102. However, the example we were invited to test came with sufficient factory-fitted options to bump it up to £71,610. That’s thanks to the automatic gearbox (£1,860), the Drivers Pack (£1,975) and Lux Pack (£1,578), along with black alloy wheels (£995), cab blinds (£680) and a 21.5in flatscreen smart TV from Avtex (£420).

For the record, the Drivers Pack includes: electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, automatic headlamps, front fog lamps, body-colour side mouldings, heated front windscreen with rain-sensing wipers and low washer tank warning, Ford’s Trend instrument panel including locking glove box, colour-coded front bumpers, cab air-conditioning, etc. And the Lux Pack includes: 9.5in LCD touchscreen infotainment system (including DAB radio, sat-nav and a colour rear-view camera), external barbecue point, television aerial, solar panel, Omnivent, upgraded habitation door and loose-fit carpets throughout. That counts as a very competitive price these days.

I took the 620S on a 500-plus-mile round trip to Scotland at the end of July, staying at four Club sites in the process (see October issue), which allowed us to really see how it performed.

Build quality – 80%

Well-appointed cab

The exterior looks impressive for starters – and there’s a choice of four cab colour alternatives to the Chrome Blue shown here. Nice touches are the window in the habitation door and fixing points for a bike rack on the external back wall, while the cab has an opening sunroof.

The main bodywork is GRP and, at 2.24m, it’s that crucial bit narrower than some motorhomes. Auto-Trail offers a notable five-year habitation warranty as well as bodywork integrity cover for the same period.

Inside, you’ll recognise the layout from Auto-Trails past (especially the Tracker EKS). Features such as flat-fronted lockers with concealed catches contribute to the smooth lines and relatively unfussy nature of the interior.

Driving – 80%

The Excel drove particularly well on our holiday, and we nudged over 31mpg. I was more than happy with the performance of the standard 130bhp engine mated to the (optional) automatic gearbox. On this evidence, it would be hard to justify spending an extra £1,200 to have the 165bhp engine upgrade.

There’s a quality feel to the Ford cab, too. Latest versions get an electric handbrake, which is easily operated via a switch low down, far right on the dashboard. It also means there’s no handbrake to get in the way when you’re swivelling the seats.

Daytime – 81%

Long sofas can be used as single beds

One of the big bonuses of a two-person floorplan like this is the large area of lounge space on offer. The cab seats are easy enough to swivel to join up with the two inward-facing settees, and there’s just a small step down from the cab to the rest of the living quarters. A free-standing table stows in its own travel locker just inside the habitation door. The cab seats don’t quite come up to settee level – a small niggle – but the overall space for sprawling is impressive. Windows are a good size, with the Excel 620S also benefitting from a large opening rooflight over the lounge as well as the aforementioned cab sunroof. Heating and hot water are courtesy of Whale systems.

Night-time – 77%

Double-bed set-up

Those settees are long enough to be turned into two single beds. Auto-Trail provides infills for the swivelled cab seats, taking the nearside up to 2.27m (7ft 5in) in length, compared to the offside’s 1.96m (6ft 5in). Both are the same 0.61m (2ft) wide. We opted to make up a double, which is also easy enough, even if you want to switch the cushions to their ‘non-upholstery’ side – maximum dimensions are 1.91m (6ft 3in) x 1.81m (5ft 11in).

Overall, Auto-Trail seems to have pitched it just right with a good blend of comfort and support (the same goes for seating mode) although it wouldn’t be hard to add your own topper(s) if you want softer beds.

Single reading lights either side of the lounge (with USB outlets) means the double bed lacks a lamp for one sleeper. Concertina blinds, with flyscreens, provide the blackout for windows and rooflights.

Kitchen – 68%

Neat kitchen

It’s all very neatly done in the kitchen, where the Thetford Triplex cooker (three gas burners, combined oven and grill) sits alongside an inset stainless steel sink and cover. The microwave oven is housed directly over the hob (not everyone’s favourite location) while a drawer under the sink includes its own slide-out cutlery tray – although this did have a propensity to fly open when travelling over bumps in the road.

Completing the kitchen kit is a large-capacity fridge with freezer compartment and automatic energy selection (there is a waste bin in the habitation door). There’s only one mains socket, but it’s in the right place: over the small area of permanent worktop.

Washroom – 71%

Surprising amount of space in the washroom

Again, there’s more space than you might expect in a 6.2m-long motorhome, with sufficient room in the washroom for a separate shower cubicle with plastic wall linings. You also get a swivel-bowl toilet and a fixed basin, plus an all-important opening window.

It’s good on storage, with upper- and lower-level lockers as well as a deep-lipped area immediately behind the toilet. Plus there’s a good expanse of mirror adjacent to the handbasin.

Details – 67%

Reading lamp in lounge

There are lots of neat things going on in this Excel, such as the way the ambient lighting illuminates the contents of the cutlery drawer when it’s open. The wardrobe also has automatic lighting – particularly handy as it’s adjacent to the bed (be warned, though – it’s not the biggest).

The branded umbrella on the habitation door came into its own on a few occasions during our week-long trip. There is no mains socket in the lounge area, but this might be something your supplying dealer can help with, if Auto-Trail doesn’t address it first.