Carado - an aspiring brand with great potential

Carado continues to write its own success story when it comes to elegance, functionality and unbeatable value for money. In the forthcoming 2013/2014 season, new design, clever solutions and functional details are again set to inspire caravan enthusiasts throughout Europe.

This still relatively young Hymer Group brand has just come to the end of an eventful 2013 season. Despite turbulent market trends in some European countries, Carado concluded the 2013 season on an extreme high. Carado management appear correspondingly optimistic. “Over the last season we achieved a rise in sales of around 10 per cent – even though important export markets are showing dramatic falls in registration numbers”, explains Thomas Gross, managing director of Carado GmbH. “The brand has by no means fully exhausted its potential, though. In the first-time buyer segment we can make an impact with our brand attributes – simple elegance, pure functionality and high quality at a small price. However, we’re also aware that Carado is being increasingly well received not only among first-time buyers but also among established motorhome owners and caravaners, particularly due to its outstanding value for money.”

Quality and price consciousness is an established way of life at Carado. This fact becomes particularly clear from a tour through the Capron production plant in Neustadt, Saxony. For seven years now the latest production facilities, optimized processes and highly qualified and motivated workers have ensured consistently high quality. “We deliberately avoid incorporating expensive design elements in the vehicles in order to be able to maintain the price and quality level”, explains Andreas Ortlieb, Marketing Director of Carado GmbH. On the other hand, a great deal of importance is placed on functionality. If possible, therefore, compact corner kitchens are installed which on the one hand are very space-saving but, at the same´time, offer lots of storage and shelf room. In addition, the practical fold-away bed above the lounge suite, which has an ever-growing army of fans, is now available in two further layouts, the T447 and the T449 – here the complicated reorganization of the dinette is a thing of the past. “We want to differentiate ourselves from our rivals and thus consolidate our market position throughout Europe with features that offer the customer special benefits and make everyday camping easier”, stresses Andreas Ortlieb.

The brand’s self-confidence is also reflected in targets set for the coming season. After over 2,300 leisure vehicles were produced and sold in the 2012/2013 model year – an increase over the previous year of approximately 10.5 per cent – Carado GmbH is planning a further rise in the coming season. Solid growth and the generation of additional market share is currently the watchword at Carado. Appropriate measures have been taken at Carado to be able to achieve this ambitious goal.

Carado brand motorhomes have probably undergone the greatest changes. “After seven years of only moderate product updating it was now time to fundamentally overhaul the interior”, remarks Andreas Ortlieb on the developments made. “At the same time, however, we’ve remained consistently faithful to our range, offering customers elegant vehicles at low prices,” continues Andreas Ortlieb. The interior has in fact been considerably upgraded and now has an unprecedentedly stylish look. The new design of the roof storage cupboards impresses thanks to its elegant visual appearance, lending the vehicles the charm of a high-priced motorhome. Large, rounded roof storage cupboard doors not only conceal a large amount of storage space, they also form a defining element in the interior of the new models. Their appearance is improved by a distinctive stainless steel handle. One highlight for the new season only becomes evident in the evening. The standard LED ambient lighting creates a romantic atmosphere, showing the inside of the vehicles in a completely new light. The interplay of the new “Calma Imperial” wood effect and “Oak Select” flooring creates a harmonious ambience, underlining the oftquoted “simple elegance” of the Carado motorhome. A touch of Italian “dolce vita” is as noticeable as the precision of high-class German workmanship.

In the creation of the new image, the Carado developers focused unequivocally on “harmony”. The materials, patterns and colours used are stylistically coordinated to create a pleasant atmosphere. “The aim was to create a strong built vehicle that combines familiar Carado “made in Germany” quality with harmonious and elegant design. We’ve succeeded in achieving this balancing act!” explains Andreas Ortlieb. Major changes have also been made in the caravan sector. Here the model range has been significantly streamlined. At the end of the current season the traditional range of caravans is being discontinued and will no longer be offered for sale in the 2013/2014 model year. In the coming season Carado will therefore concentrate exclusively on the attractively priced, light and compact caravans of the “Delight” series. “This series is highly popular – particularly among newcomers – and in this target group weight and price are amongst the most important purchasing criteria”, according to Andreas Ortlieb. Following the trend towards greater environmental compatibility and increasingly economical and compact cars with a correspondingly lower trailing load, this product matches the lifestyle of the younger generation. “Delights” can therefore be hauled without difficulty even by Golf class vehicles. With four attractive layouts, this series meets the needs of young families as well as couples who attach great importance to mobility.

In the coming model year, lovers of mobile holidaying can look forward to elegant, highquality and attractively priced models from Carado. Carado is offering its customers a “perfectly formed” overall package, looking optimistically to the future. Thomas Gross: “Despite ever-greater competitive pressure and a difficult market environment in Europe, with its new product range and changes to the interior Carado is moving forward with extreme confidence into the new season. We have ambitious goals, but with the help of our powerful business partners and a strong team we will achieve them!”