Price range: £11,490 – £12,995

 

THE ADRIA ALTEA entry-level range has been expanded for 2013, with one new floorplan being added. This brings the line-up up to five in total, and all models benefit from minor tweaks and equipment upgrades.

 

There were no changes to Altea for 2012, so the refreshment of the range will represent increased value for potential buyers.

 

The 2013 Altea range benefits from a new naming convention. River names have been prepended to the model numbers, so the line-up will now be known as: Shannon (390DS); Tay (432PX); Trent (532UP); Severn (542DK), and Tamar (542DT).

 

Five models in range

The Altea range now comprises of three four-berth and two six-berth caravans. Two models feature fixed beds and a make-up bed (Tay and Trent); two models have bunk beds plus a make-up bed (Severn and Tamar), and one model has a dinette that converts into two single beds, plus a make-up bed (Shannon).

 

The new model for 2013 is the Trent (532UP), which has a 1.9m-long island bed extending from the rear wall of the tourer. The midships kitchen is located on the nearside, with a washroom opposite. Lengths and weights are yet to be confirmed, but the Trent is 2.29m wide and has an overall height of 2.58m.

 

Range-wide improvements

Adria has made a series of changes and improvements across the Altea line-up. To accompany the new names, all Altea exteriors get new graphics on their GRP sides. Al-Ko AKS 1300 hitch stabilisers will also make an appearance for 2013, as part of the optional Altea Pack (£499). This appealing safety item will be accompanied by a wheel arch cover and the Truma Ultraheat electric heating system.

 

There are several range-wide improvements to Altea interiors for 2013. A new soft furnishings scheme called ‘Pero Icaro’ features cream-coloured curtains with brown tie-backs that pick up the detailing in the top edges of the seat cushions. The cushions sport a brown and cream swirly design with cream knee rolls and back supports. They offer good support and combine well with the dark cabinetwork.

 

The caravan floors are finished in a dark wood; drop-in carpets can be specified as an option to add further comfort (£200). The caravan walls are finished in white, as are the kitchen worktops and tabletops. It’s a pleasing treatment that works well, and one that wouldn’t look out of place in a more upmarket range.

 

All models feature a new mains light switch design, and drawers are now soft-closing. Fridges have 90-litre capacities and are now finished in a smart-looking black, and all 2013 Altea models have new Truma 3004 dual-fuel space heaters, which offer finite control over temperature settings and are more fuel-efficient than the models they replace.

 

Model-specific changes

There are also two model-specific changes for 2013. The Severn gets a revised rear bed, and a front window has been added to the front-bedroom, rear-lounge Tay – an omission we noted when reviewing this van in 2011.

 

Across the range, unladen weights are largely unchanged on last year’s models, although according to the technical information supplied at the launch event, the user payload of the Tay seems to have been reduced by 100kg. At the time of writing, no details on weights were available for the new Trent model.

 

Adria UK did not announce any price increases for its 2013 caravans, which is welcome news (prices rose by up to 5% in 2011) and makes the new Altea line-up more competitive with its rivals. For example, the Altea Severn shares the same layout (offside corner-bunks, nearside rear-corner dinette and nearside midships kitchen) with the Bailey Orion 450-5, Elddis Xplore 506 and Sprite Major 6 and betters them all on price, although the Elddis and Sprite have more generous user payloads.

 

Practical Caravan’s verdict on the five-layout 2013 Adria Altea line-up

The new exteriors and interiors keep Adria Altea sharp for 2013 and the lack of a price increase makes them more competitive.

 

2013 Adria Altea layouts

Adria Altea Shannon (390DS)end-dinette, nearside midships kitchen four-berth. Low price and weights so attractive option for young families new to caravanning. Price: £11,490

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Adria Altea Tay (432PX)front offside fixed bed, offside rear corner dinette four-berth. Quirky layout but new front window could boost appeal. Price: £11,490

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Adria Altea Trent (532UP)rear island bed, nearside midships kitchen, offside midships washroom four-berth. Large fixed bed has to be offset against cosy lounge. Price: £12,995

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Adria Altea Severn (542DK)rear offside corner bunks, nearside rear corner dinette six-berth. More affordable than rival vans from Elddis and Sprite. Price: £12,490

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Adria Altea Tamar (542DT)rear offside corner bunks, nearside corner washroom, nearside dinette six-berth. Our pick of the range – 2013 improvements could make it a budget alternative to the mid-market Bailey Olympus II 540-5. Price: £12,490

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