Korean automaker SsangYong is venturing into the great outdoors with a new camper van. The Tourist gives modern-day explorers and vehicle campers a simple, affordable option for driving into the wilderness and spending a night or few. A pop-top, a slide-out cooktop and sleeping space for two to four – what more does anyone need to get out there?
Based on SsangYong's 16.8-foot (5.1-m) long , 7-passenger Turismo MPV, the Tourist was built up to camping spec by Wellhouse Leisure, an established British camper van converter that also works with vans from Ford, Mercedes, Hyundai, Volkswagen and others.
Inside the Tourist's cabin, the usual camper van fold-out dining table is conspicuously missing, but most everything else you'll need to sleep away from house and home is there. The van includes a pop-up roof, two foam mattress single beds, swivel seats that spin around at camp, a portable toilet, fresh and waste water tanks, a tailgate awning, and a 12V charging system. Instead of resting solely on the rear seats, as in other camper vans, the two beds extend forward onto the folded front seats.
The tailgate kitchen area can be used to cook indoors or out via a slide-out two-burner stove that nests in the top of a kitchen unit that also includes a sink. There's also a 25L compressor refrigerator that fits neatly in the cabinet across the aisle from the main kitchen block.
The Tourist comes standard with a 176-hp 2.2-liter Euro 6 diesel engine and choice of six-speed manual or Mercedes-Benz seven-speed automatic. A 4x4 system is also available, giving the Tourist a bit more all-weather, off-the-beaten-track exploration chops.
SsangYong and Wellhouse are showing the Tourist at this week's Motorhome & Caravan Show in Birmingham, UK. The model starts at £29,995 (approx. US$36,500), and options include heating, a solar panel and two extra sleeping berths.
Source: SsangYong
