It may have been a case of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but there were very few changes to Adria’s caravan models for 2019. There was one new Adora – the Sava, reviewed in our September 2018 issue – and one model axed from the Altea line-up.

The Alteas themselves also had a slight refresh inside with new fabrics on the bulkhead and a couple of additional goodies. But, otherwise, it was more or less the same as before.

Still, Adria itself has gone through a fairly big change in the past year, becoming part of the mighty French Trigano Group after more than 50 years of being probably the most famous brand out of Slovenia.

New ownership has not dented Adria’s focus on caravans as well as motorhomes, however – something its UK offshoot has always had a great interest in. So how does an Adria caravan measure up at the start of this new chapter in the company’s life? Just before Christmas we took a new 2019 Adria Altea 472 DS Eden away to find out.

Design

Although they have been a strong presence in the UK market for many years – strong enough to feature in the mainstream section of Practical Caravan’s Buyers’ Guide, for example – Adria caravans still look more Continental than their British counterparts.

Perhaps it’s the more-than-usually curved front-panel shape (which Adria claims is more fuel efficient) or the bare A-frame that gives this impression. No GRP moulding here. It may even be the single window at the front, even on upmarket models.

On the Altea, the latter is no bad thing. The large window is considerably bigger than you get on some roughly equivalent UK-based models, and, unlike them, even as standard the caravan is graced with a huge sunroof that you can also open (albeit only a little way).

The stable door is a new addition for this year, but the alloy wheels are part of the £399 Luxury Pack.

The rear panel is a bit more unusual. It’s constructed in such a way that suggests a rear hatch or boot opening should be at the bottom in the middle, but it’s just the way the ABS panels have been put together.

One slight disjoint in all this sleekness is the radio aerial that sticks out near the front on the offside. It is a very conventional aerial, and looks slightly retro compared with the van itself.

Towing

You can tell you are dealing with something of an entry-level van when you start towing the Adria. The Eden has an MTPLM of 1370kg, and the Volvo tow car that we tested it with has a kerbweight of 1735kg, so the match is comfortably within the 85% guideline – it’s actually closer to 79%.

But Alteas only come with an AKS stabiliser – no shock absorbers, and certainly not Al-Ko’s ATC trailer control system. Not at this price.

As a result, the ride, while perfectly tolerable, was a little more jerky than we’re used to – at least around town. Things were fine on dual carriageways and motorways, though.

That A-frame may be bare, but it’s also close to a metre-and-a-half in length, rather than the metre you could find on other brands. That makes for a longer outfit overall, but we suspect it also gives you more manoeuvrability when you are reversing or trying to back the van into a pitch.