They do say that strong essences come in small bottles, but this doesn’t apply to motorhomes. Unless we’re talking about this one, a C-class motorhome from China that expands into a legit palatial estate(-ish).
These days, we can all use a little escaping from our everyday reality and routine. Since most of the world is still under travel restrictions and the last thing you’d want is to have to travel for hours on end in the presence of strangers, RVs, motorhomes, campervans, trailers, tiny homes and the likes have emerged as favored solutions.
The industry has seen a massive boost due to increased demand, and that’s putting it lightly. Over in China, they’re already working on the design of what could be the perfect home on wheels: compact but still oh-so-spacious, high-tech and comfortable, and incredibly cozy, if not exactly a dream to take out on the road.
Photo: SAIC Maxus
It’s called the SAIC Maxus Life Home V90 Villa Edition and, according to the New Atlas, it’s a showcase model for customization potential but also has a working prototype. So it’s a concept, but in a slightly more advanced stage because some features included in the concept have already been implemented in real life. The report doesn’t mention whether this will ever head into production, but there’s strong indication that it might, seeing how a price tag was attached to the build.
You can see the working prototype starting at the 1.10-minute mark in the video below. The V90 is not called the Villa Edition for nothing: this RV has a standing-height upper floor that pops up, and includes a balcony and its own interior elevator. If that’s not peak “bring your home comforts on the road,” we don’t know what is.
Size-wise, the V90 is a C-class motorhome, in that it features an over-cab sleeping area. The V90 has slide-outs, too, maximizing available space on the bottom floor to offer a real-size living room with an L-shaped sofa that could easily and comfortably sleep at least two more people even if it doesn’t fold out.
Photo: SAIC Maxus
So, on the bottom floor is the living area, which includes the living room slash dining area, a full-size kitchen with everything you need to put together fresh family meals, and the bathroom. Behind the kitchen is the interior elevator, which comes to replace the stairs or ladder used in other motorhomes with pop-ups.
The single-person lift takes you to the upper story, which expands to standing height and floor-to-ceiling glass walls with tint technology. This area can function as an extra lounge or a home office, a tea room or a wellness-dedicates space to practice your yoga poses.
It comes with its own couch and large-screen TV and, perhaps more impressively, a balcony that hangs over the driver’s cabin. Right underneath it, in the bulbous protrusion, is the master bed (bedroom?), which is sadly not shown either in photos or video.
Photo: SAIC Maxus
Available living space is 12.4 square meters (133 square feet) in the upstairs area and 20 square meters (215 square feet) for the lower level, thanks to the slide-outs.
The whole thing is packed with technology: you get entertainment system, smart system controls of all electronics and amenities, IoT, and app, voice and gesture control for an advanced smart home environment. That is to say, there’s more to it than just a balcony and elevator to take you to the second floor of your RV.
Pricing for the V90 Villa Edition has been announced at CN¥2.68 million, which is roughly $413,000. It’s quite a lot of money for an RV, but then again, you would in fact be getting an actual, permanent home, right?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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