Building on its Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Grand Canyon S camper van, Hymer has introduced a special edition that better supports the needs of work-from-anywhere roamers. The new van wraps nomads in warm, homey comfort trickled down from the incomparable Venture S motorhome and equips them with a robust 5G connectivity suite and smart home-level control, seamlessly blending the worlds of work, play and just plain everyday living.
The limited-edition Xperience package slides in between the base Grand Canyon S and the newest rendition of the off-grid-ready Grand Canyon S Crossover. The signature feature of the package is the 5G WLAN router and roof antenna that work to maintain faster, more reliable connectivity while out and about wandering the world. Hymer says it's the first time it's included a 5G WLAN router as standard. Dual-SIM capability lets van lifers prepare for using multiple providers when roaming around and outside Europe.
Complementing that enhanced connectivity package in the "Tech" section of the spec sheet, the Xperience also gets wired up for premium audio with four extra speakers and features a 7-in smart vehicle command touchscreen with remote app control.
The smart control package includes a sensor kit for accurate tracking of gas level, temperature and more. Power comes from an 80-Ah LFP leisure battery.
One part of this particular "Xperience" that will never make any sense to us: Between the two interior decor options of "Pearl Gray," a lifelessly uniform gray felt package, and "Ivy Green," a combination of felt and functional wood-look wall panels inspired directly by the design award-sweeping Venture S camper van+, Hymer chose to exclusively highlight the gray and pearly in its media kit.
We'd usually just chalk that type of choice up to "different strokes," but the Pearl Gray feels as disconnected and dreary as electronic noise on a TV screen. The oak-tinted overhead cabinet doors aren't enough to save it. The juxtaposition of soft-touch and hard-paneled surfaces featured in the Ivy Green package, meanwhile, feels much more inviting and is the type of decor that has helped Hymer win a number of awards, not only for the Venture S but also other products.
Hymer does at least close the gap between the two style packages by embedding a track within the Pearl Gray felt walls for hanging baskets, spice racks, artwork and the like, the same way it offers one between the "planks" of the wood-style trim. The Xperience doesn't offer the full versatility of the multi-track walls on the Venture S, but the single tracks embedded in the various walls certainly enhance the homey potential of the interior.
Another homey touch that bridges the two decor packages and serves as one of the Xperience trim's upgrades is the special "multi-level" ambient lighting kit. The system brings together hanging lights, position-adjustable wall-track lighting, direct overhead lighting and indirect mood lighting into a unique lighting environment. Users can easily adjust color and brightness and create/save individualized lighting configurations using the Hymer Connect app. Some of the individual lighting fixtures are sold optionally.
Whichever decor ultimately speaks to the individual buyer, it'll adorn a classic Hymer rear bed floor plan that puts a four-seat front dinette and wet bathroom on the driver's side and a kitchen block on the passenger's side. The kitchen comes stocked with a dual-burner gas stove/mixer sink combo, 90-L compressor fridge/freezer and extendable worktop.
The raised rear bed is positioned transversely with assistance from the extra space inside the left and right wall flares and offers a sleeping area of 195 x 135 cm (77 x 53 in). A sliding door below the front edge of the bed provides interior access into the garage, a nice feature if you need something out of your luggage in the cold night hours and don't want to leave a cozy interior warmed by the 6-kW diesel air heater.
The Grand Canyon S Xperience seats four on the road and at camp, but buyers who want to sleep four will have to add the optional pop-up sleeper roof with 200 x 122-cm (79 x 48-in) bed.
Like the standard Grand Canyon S 600, the Xperience is built aboard the 593-cm (233-in) Sprinter RWD. It gets upgraded with a more powerful 168-hp 2.0-liter diesel engine and nine-speed automatic transmission as standard. It also gains a 10.3-in touchscreen MBUX infotainment system, Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control with active distance assist, fog lights with cornering, a leather multifunctional steering wheel, and 16-in alloy wheels for its all-season tires. The special aesthetics package pairs Metallic Tenorite Gray paint with matching bumpers, a chrome grille, and special sidewall and rear flare graphics.
Hymer introduced the Grand Canyon S Xperience at this month's CMT Show and is now offering it at a base price of €109,500 (approx. US$114,000), a €20K premium over the regular Grand Canyon S 600. Available options include a 188-hp engine upgrade, the aforementioned pop-up sleeper roof, an electric folding step for improved ground clearance, and electrical system expansion with additional 80-Ah LFP batteries and solar charging.
Source: Hymer
