TEST ELDDIS ENCORE 250
ROUND of
APPLAUSE
Is the latest Encore coachbuilt a crowd-pleaser? Nick Harding reports
E
lddis’ upmarket, coachbuilt Encore range has been a popular sight on forecourts since 2015. Here we take a look at the latest addition, the 250, a four-berth with an extending island bed. Is this model from the County Durham-based outfit due a huge round of applause? Read on to find out…
BUILD QUALITY
While Elddis has traditionally used Peugeot’s Boxer as its chassis of choice, all Encores are actually based on the Fiat Ducato. Latest models are powered by the 140bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. Going with Fiat in this case allows Elddis to offer automatic transmission as well as a more powerful 160bhp engine as options. That is the set-up we have here, along with enough extras to give it all a premium feel – 10in screen for the infotainment system, alloy wheels, reversing camera and Hypnos mattress. All this increases the retail price from £80,000 to over £90,000 and the MRO to 3,154kg, which results in a payload of less than 350kg – that’s not a lot if there are four people on board. The coachbuilding is excellent – the 250 is fully bonded, with one-piece aluminium sides, a GRP overcab section and a protective skin to the underside, also in GRP. Windows are semi-flush fitting and the Hartal one-piece habitation door boasts a fixed window. Other external fittings include a Thule awning, www.camc.com
mounting points for a bike rack, as well as gas, TV and mains electricity outlets on the nearside.
DRIVING
As you’d expect, the 160bhp engine gives that bit more ‘zip’ compared to the standard 140bhp offering, and, if you can stretch to it financially, the slick, nine-speed automatic transmission makes the drive even more relaxing. The long rear overhang and the gas locker in the rear nearside corner could potentially affect handling, but I wasn’t able to put the miles in on this occasion to give related feedback. Each settee base lifts up to reveal a fold-out three-point belted Aguti travel seat for use while on the move. They do take up a lot of storage space, however, and they’re quite narrow, making them better suited to children.
DAYTIME
Step inside the Encore 250 and you’ll discover a spacious, open-plan layout. The inward-facing settees are different lengths but combine with the easilyswivelled cab seats to provide plenty of lounge space. On the bulkhead behind the driver are a pair of mains sockets, a 12V socket, a connection for the TV aerial and space for a flatscreen TV bracket. A free-standing table, which has its own dedicated storage locker at the end of the kitchen, is plenty large enough for four place settings, while decent-sized side windows, a wind-up sunroof over the cab and a Midi Heki roof-light directly over the lounge ensure this is a
RATINGS
79%
BUILD QUALITY
79% DRIVING 76% DAYTIME 74% NIGHT-TIME 75% KITCHEN 64% WASHROOM 66% DETAILS 73% OVERALL August 2023 87
