Price range: £15,490 – £16,929
LIKE ITS ALTEA stablemate, the Adria Adora line-up adds one model for 2013. Elsewhere in this mid-market range, there are changes inside and out to build on the small tweaks that were made for the 2012 season. Then, Adora benefited from a new cabinetwork colour but for this year, 2013, the changes are more substantial.
First among these are the new model designations, which Adria has applied to all its caravan ranges. This time, European rivers are given a run-out, so this is how the line-up takes shape: Seine (612DL); Drava (612DP); Rhine (612DT); Danube (642UP), and Thames (643UT). Adria is clearly banking on the names aiding model recognition, and it seems a sensible step to make.
The 2013 Adora line-up offers four four-berth floorplans and one six-berth floorplan, all featuring fixed beds. Two models have fashionable twin fixed-singles (Seine and Danube), there’s one island bed layout (Drava) and two nearside fixed bed layouts (Rhine and Thames).
New model
One of the models is brand new for 2013, the UK-friendly nearside fixed-bed, end-washroom Thames, which also has a sociable wraparound front lounge. At 2.5m wide, it’s the widest volume-produced mid-market caravan on the market.
One of its siblings is a tweak of a 2012 van: the Seine is the same as last year’s 542DL but with an extended lounge.
Exteriors and interiors are improved across the range. The GRP sidewalls get new graphics to show off the new model names, and uprated Al-Ko Delta axles are fitted as standard. Inside, there’s a new colour scheme. This sees the dark wood tones of the cabinetwork contrast with the granite finish of the kitchen work surfaces and tabletops, all set off against Adria’s trademark white walls.
The soft furnishings have a predominantly cream and grey colour scheme, with a brown relief that mimics the colour along the top edges and knee rolls; this in turn matches the shade of the wood. The curtains are finished in cream. Comfortable and classy, it’s a look and feel that underscores Adria’s Continental lineage.
Range improvements
The Adora range gets new mains light switches and soft-closing drawers for 2013, similar to the Altea improvements. Truma 3004 dual-fuel space heaters are fitted to all new Adora models; this latest model has better fuel efficiency and allows more finite control of temperature, and Truma Ultraheat electric heaters are standard-fit, too. In the kitchens, 97-litre fridges are included as standard, except for the Danube, which has a 150-litre unit, and all models are pre-wired for microwave ovens.
Optional equipment includes alloy wheels, drop-in carpets and ambient lighting, available by specifying the Adora Pack (£499). All Adora models are pre-wired for a CD/radio, and speakers are factory fitted.
Model-specific changes for 2013 see a new bed make-up system in the Danube, and the extended lounge in the Seine’s lounge, which measures 1.98m x 1.72m and is a definite improvement on that in the 2012 542DL.
Weights in the four models carried forward from last year are unchanged; at the time of writing the MiRO and MTPLM for the Thames had not been confirmed, but Adria expects it be around 1800kg.
No price increases for 2013
There are no price rises for the 2013 Adora range, so this could see them compete well with British-built new-season models (last year, prices for Adora caravans increased by 3-4%).
Of the five models, the Thames, sporting the most-supplied floorplan to the British volume market, will face the strongest competition, with every manufacturer having a strong offering.
All Adria caravans compete well on price and weight, but the brand can suffer in terms of equipment levels, as British tourers by the likes of Bailey are stuffed to the gunnels with kit at price points that are often irresistible.
Practical Caravan’s verdict on the five-layout 2013 Adria Adora line-up
Improvements for 2013 make the Adria Adora range even more compelling than last season. Specify the options pack to match the kit in Adora’s British-built rivals and it’s hard to see why the Adria proposition – low weights, generous payloads and clever design touches – isn’t adopted by more UK caravanners.
2013 Adria Adora layouts
Adria Adora Seine (612DL) – end-washroom, fixed twin single-beds and offside midships kitchen four-berth. Extended lounge is a welcome addition on a floorplan that has a lot to squeeze in. Price: £15,990
Adria Adora Drava (612DP) – rear island bed, nearside midships kitchen, offside midships washroom four-berth. Convenient and accessible fixed bed but lounge is cosy as a result. Price: £15,490
Adria Adora Rhine (612DT) – nearside fixed-bed, offside corner washroom, offside dinette six-berth. Improvements and options pack, if purchased, will help close the gap on its nearest rival, Bailey’s twin-axle Olympus II 620-6. Price: £15,990
Adria Adora Danube (642UP) – fixed twin single beds, nearside midships washroom, front corner lounge four-berth. Our pick of the 2012 range, thanks to its sociable lounge, gets even better. Price: £16,490
Adria Adora Thames (643UT) – widebody nearside rear fixed bed, end-washroom, offside midships kitchen four berth. Could run its rivals close if price and weights are competitive. Please note: our pictures of the Thames show the van with an offside entrance door and fixed bed – this was a demonstrator built for the launch event. The final van will be manufactured to UK specifications, with the caravan door and fixed bed on the nearside. Price: £16,929
