German camper van and small motorhome builder Sunlight has made a name for itself as a go-to for capable adventure machines built to support formidable all-terrain excursions. With last year's Ibex 4x4 concept, it previewed how it would step things up to the next level. And now it's preparing to take the official step, readying the production Ibex for launch this summer. Inspired by prototype testing in rugged worldly destinations like Morocco and Iceland, the production camper van promises to meld a ruggedized Volkswagen Crafter 4x4 shell with a smart, homey interior built for extended living.
Back in 2019, Sunlight showed one of the most creative adventure camper studies we've ever seen in the 4x4 Adventure Van concept. What it lacked in naming creativity, it made up for in rather out-of-the-box features like an integrated wakeboarding winch, rooftop hammock and climbing wall grip roof access. Sure, those features wouldn't really fly in a production van, but they showed a commitment to free-roaming, thrill-seeking van life that's proceeded along through actual products like the Cliff 4x4 Adventure Edition and Vanlife.
Nowadays, the brand's socials are loaded with more photos of mountain bikes, ski goggles and foaming surf than camper vans or motorhomes.
The Ibex continues the journey, with Sunlight touting it as its most ambitious camper van to date. As a concept, it was dressed up with features like a raised air intake, large off-road tires and a specially prepared high roof with integrated LED light bar.
Sunlight has spent the interim putting those features – and the van at large – to the test in destinations like Iceland and the Faroe Islands, a journey brought to life by the Ibex 4x4's transition from a "Desert Sand" shaded concept to a "Glacier Blue" preproduction model. Sunlight also promises other evocative colors, including "Lava Black" and "Stormy Gray," but we find the light powdery blue the perfect splash of color in the oft-neutral world of RV life.
While the Ibex 4x4's bull bar, snorkel and slim front light bar continue to catch the eye immediately, it's the roof that's the functional centerpiece of the Ibex package. Crafted from fiberglass, it supplies 6.5 feet (198 cm) of interior height for comfortable standing and walking. Its recessed passenger side edge more neatly integrates the awning, keeping it from sticking way off the side of the van as is standard on many campers. An ultra-thin light bar integrated into the upper sliding door frame delivers camp light whether the awning is deployed or not.
The Ibex 4x4 floor plan features a standard rear bed and front dinette split by a rather square-cornered wet bath with space-saving foldaway sink. The transverse bed measures 54 x 79 in (136 x 200 cm). The kitchen houses a sink/dual-burner gas stove combo and a drawer-style fridge/freezer located at the end of the block for access from inside and out.
Sunlight plans to launch the Ibex 4x4 orders on August 1, just a couple weeks ahead of this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, where the camper van is bound to star. The camper will be built atop Volkswagen's 163-hp all-wheel-drive Crafter van.
Sunlight will announce pricing closer to launch, but from the looks of it, the Ibex will serve as a flagship atop a camper van lineup with current starting base prices ranging between €48,499 and €73,499 (approx. US$56,725 and $85,975), depending on which specific Fiat Ducato- or Ford Transit-based model one is looking at.
We'll bring back more details once they're available.
Source: Sunlight
