Auto-Trail Grande Frontier GF-70 'review'

Just got round to reading Nick Harding's 'review' (I use the term loosely) in the October mag of the above new A-T A-class. This is one of three in the new range and at a smidge under 7m long is the 'baby' of the trio.

typical airy fairy notes regarding a few characteristics of an A-class and more about the layout...nice seats, the bed, the kitchen etc, etc....all typical 'pre printed' stuff, seen many times before....

..but, hang on, let's have a shufty at the Technical Data panel.....where the meat is....

ah, this van is only available on the light chassis and Nicks example was plated at 3500kg...

the MIRO is listed at 3270kg leaving a stunning (for the wrong reasons) payload of just 230kg.

add the passenger at 75kg, a tank of water 'to explore the great unknown' at 100kg and whoops....where has all that gone?.....just 55kg left....

add the media Pack, Auto, rear steadies and the Coffee Table option and that's it just about gone before anything at all is put inside the van...don't select the tow bar option whatever you do....

this makes the van totally unusable (by some considerable margin) to anyone on a normal license....I wonder if the brochure or salesman will highlight this?

even AT's own 'weight' calculator doesn't flash bright red when you end up with zilch...

..but wait....riding to the rescue in the options list is a 'chassis upgrade'....perhaps onto the heavy chassis with the more suitable 4.5t capacity?.....

no.....a whopping uplift to 3650kg giving a huge working payload of about 150kg.....for everything from pots and pans, to cutlery, food and drink, clothes and bedding, bikes and tools, bbq and chairs/tables etc...

IMV, the van is totally unusable at 3500kg....unless the OH is left at home, you carry no water or just about everything one 'normally' carries...so excludes all younger drivers or those who have lost their grandfather rights....

...and 'incredibly tight' (just about unusable) at 3650kg for the great majority of those who actually carry 'stuff' with them when they tour.

as the other two vans in the range are, thankfully, plated at 4500kg on the heavy chassis it can only be either cost (heavy chassis is more expensive ) or the desire to be 'inclusive' for those with a 3.5t license that led AT this way..

either way, a total backfire...nice van but totally inappropriate chassis.

Without an honest salesman or some prior research, for some, this will be a very expensive (nr £80k) mistake.

you'd hope an objective 'review' would highlight something like this, but the magazine doesn't exist to produce objective reviews....that would upset the cosy relationships...