Full review

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Hymer Grand Canyon S 4x4

The Grand Canyon S – that’s S for Sprinter – is a long-standing model in Hymer’s campervan range but this  season it received a major makeover, with key design influences from the amazing, award-winning Venture S (the one with the staircase and incredible inflating rooftop bedroom). 

This, however, remains a more conventional campervan and one at a slightly more attainable price point. It is available as a rear-wheel drive model or, as here, on the 4x4 Sprinter.

The options

Merc’s 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive adds £6,200 to the base price, but then it’s compulsory to choose either the Equipment line Plus CV (£5,760) or Premium CV equipment line (£7,710). 

Both packs include the 10.25in MBUX display, cruise control, sat-nav, DAB radio preinstallation and the electric parking brake. 

You also have to opt for the most potent 419 CDI chassis and the nine-speed automatic transmission, so the starting point for a 4x4 Grand Canyon S is over £100k – and there are plenty more options to consider…

A Light Package (£230) adds a pendant lamp as well as ambient lights to slot into the rails.

The Autonomy Package LFP (£6,480) adds the Hymer Smart Battery System 2.0 with three lithium batteries, a 1,300W inverter and a 95W solar panel.

The spec

There are two interior furniture styles to choose from, the Ivy Green (like that of the Venture S) and Pearl Grey, with a lighter colouring. These are offered at the same price in combination with the Indiana seat fabric.

Change the latter for one of four alternatives and you could spend up to £1,770 for one of the part-leather trims. Inside, there are also new wall panels with multifunction rails; you can choose whether you want extra  storage or use them for more decorative items. 

Using a similar ethos to the changes on the low-profile ML-T (also offered as a 4x4), adding to the specification for the 2024 season has been all about greater off-grid capability. 

That includes an 80Ah lithium battery as standard, but you can choose to upgrade this to a maximum of 320Ah for greater self-sufficiency.

This is complemented by the introduction of diesel-powered Truma space and water heating, reducing the dependency on gas. 

It’s a twofold benefit as you only need a small gas locker (for one 6kg cylinder) and there’s now more generous under-bed storage.

Winterisation is improved, too, with more insulation in the roof, better circulation of the warm air, and a heated waste water tank. There’s also now an electric release valve for the grey water tank, so no more fiddling about with mucky external taps.

Functionality has been addressed, with all electrical components now grouped together in the rear boot, alongside the gas locker. So, if one of those dreaded gremlins rears its head, you’ll only have to look in one place to try to figure out what’s going on.

The Grand Canyon S now also includes the Hymer Connect system, with one touchscreen for all the systems, from battery and water levels to solar power and lighting. And there’s an app that allows you to control and manage certain elements away from the camper.

The interior

Up front, the lounge sees an improved half-dinette bench seat (with optional Isofix) for enhanced comfort both on-site and when travelling, with a choice of two tables, the standard one folding away neatly against the wall. It can also be used as a compact coffee table.

The kitchen

In the kitchen, which is quite compact, there’s a worktop extension that can slot onto the end, by the sliding door, or adjacent to the fridge. 

The 90-litre cooler stands lower, at three-quarter height, so allowing some through vision and a greater feeling of space. The sink and hob unit is also new, featuring chunky metal pan stands. 

The bedroom

In the bedroom, access to the bed has been improved via a sliding divider that closes off the storage (keeping everything safely restrained in the boot) that has a set of folding steps attached. Clever design allows the steps to be used without limiting access to the fridge.

Under-bed storage even includes a laundry bag, while two folding chairs and an outdoor table (£260) can be supplied to fit in this zone, with the chairs mounted on one of the rear doors.

The star feature of the bedroom, however, must be the Lattoflex mattress. It’s a one-piece-per-person affair with no joins and built-in supports. 

Then, to maximise the rear storage, you simply lift the bed base and roll up the mattress to one side. It’s very clever and very comfortable. 

You can even fold away one half of the bed for more floor space – useful when cooking or getting changed, perhaps. Note, too, the new felt-style trim in the bedroom, for a cosier feel, while elasticated storage pockets on the rear doors are a neat touch.

An additional bedroom window (on the left-hand side of the campervan) can be specified, while the omission of the bedroom’s top lockers (so you can sit up in bed) is an option of which we wholeheartedly approve.

As standard, the Grand Canyon S is a two-berth camper but a dinette bed is available for a child or you can add a pop-top (£4,430) with upstairs double berth (the standard skylights are then omitted).

The washroom

Centrally located, the washroom has new slate-effect walls. Elasticated straps hold toothbrushes, etc, on the shelves and there’s even a shaving mirror.

The folding basin allows more space for showering or using the bench cassette toilet, while the showerhead can also be passed through the washroom window and attached to the exterior (using a suction cup fixing) for an open-air shower. 

More options

Finally, you can choose your wheels and tyres (16in black steel rims with all-terrain tyres for £1,770 seem most appropriate here), an electric sliding door, towbar, larger fuel tank, awning, heated cab seats, under-body engine protection for off-roading, a 22in TV, additional graphics and nine different body colours (Stone Grey is our favourite!). 

Go on, try Hymer’s online configurator and design your perfect Grand Canyon S…

Where to buy

Hymer has 14 dealers for its campervan range. These include 3 A’s in Wales and Thompson Leisure in Northern Ireland. Knowepark is the Scottish retailer. 

Then, in England, you’ll find Hymers at Adventure Leisure Vehicles (Cumbria), Campersales (Sussex),  Cranham (two branches in Essex), Emm-Bee (Lancashire), Travelworld (Stafford), Highbridge (Somerset and Devon branches), Leisure First (Dorset), Lowdhams (Nottingham) and Southdowns (Hampshire).