Zion Morelo Palace 90G Review

It’s big, beautiful, and it even has room to pack a small car into the garage. Claire Smith takes a look at the luxurious new Morelo Palace 90G.

Back in 2019, we reviewed the priciest RV available in the New Zealand market – the A-Class Morelo Palace 93MB from Zion Motorhomes, priced at $575,000. Just a few short years later, Zion has raised the bar with the latest Palace model, the 90G, which demands a cool $690,000.

The German-manufactured Morelo brand is one of the most luxurious to come out of Europe. Step inside and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve walked into a five-star hotel room with such niceties as underfloor heating, a ‘hidden’ TV, plush leather upholstery, and a heated towel rail in the luxurious bathroom, all wrapped up in deliciously divine dècor. There’s room in the garage for a small smart car for whizzing around town once you’re parked up. But more on that later. Let’s take a walk through and find out what makes this motorhome so special.

LAYOUT

Inside, the layout puts the lounge and dining area up front, kitchen in the centre, a split bathroom next, and the bedroom at the rear. And as its name suggests, the Palace 90G is all about space, and there is plenty of it. At 9500mm long, 2400mm wide, and 2400mm high, everything inside is just that little bit bigger than your average RV. It does mean you’ll need a Class 2 driver’s licence – but that could also give you a good excuse to turn down requests from that family member who expects rights to ‘borrow’ your hotel on wheels for a long weekend. “Sorry, I’d love to, but you’ll need a Class Two licence…”.

THE DRIVING FORCE

The Palace 90G is built on an Iveco Daily 70C16 chassis with a 205 HP engine, an eight-gear torque converter automatic transmission, and front and rear VB-air suspension – an intelligent spring and damping system that adapts in real time to the condition of the road surface and the load. This, combined with the extra-wide axle is designed to give a smooth “cloud-like” ride.

IN THE CAB

One of the first things you’ll notice as you step into the cab zone is the abundance of room. That and the fact that it is as elegant and luxurious as the living area. The cab seats not only offer air suspension with lumbar supports and armrests, but they’re also heated. And let’s all agree… a toasty warm seat in the middle of winter is one of life’s finer luxuries.

Designed to blend seamlessly with the décor of the living space, the dashboard is streamlined and handsome with black leather on the upper dash and a removable leather steering wheel. There are plenty of handy spaces for all those essentials for the driver and co-pilot – a chiller compartment, stainless steel cup holders, a big glovebox, magazine holders for keeping the latest MCD handy, USB ports and powerpoints, and oodles of leg space. Add in air conditioning, a panoramic front window and huge side windows, and you’re all set up for a road trip in first class comfort.

LOUNGE LUXURY

Finished in a blend of cream upholstery and cabinetry combined with timber veneers – brought to life with carefully considered LED lighting placement – the interior of the Palace has a definite ‘wow’ factor. It is a good looking interior.

Looking good doesn’t always translate into comfort, But the Palace does a superb job of combining the two. The plush Royal Leather settees are just as comfy as they look. And there’s room for visitors too with seating for six around the table, plus both cab seats swivel fully into the lounge. The table is extendable and telescopic so you can keep it compact during the day when you prefer more space or for dinner for two, then extend it out if you’ve got guests calling in for the evening.

As you’d expect, the Palace 90G doesn’t compromise on storage space, with drawers beneath the settees, and four overhead lockers in the lounge/kitchen space – there are even two dedicated wine glass lockers.

At first glance, it appears that the Palace 90G lacks an essential piece of entertaining equipment – the TV. But a closer look reveals a nifty example of design genius. The TV is hidden in plain sight behind the passenger side overhead lockers. Flick the switch to the side and the 32-inch screen electrically lowers, ready for evening viewing.

KITCHEN BLING

Like every aspect of the Palace 90G, the kitchen is spacious, luxurious, and also very practical. There’s plenty of prep space with a large 1740mm x 1000mm mineral bench. And because one is never enough, the bench houses twin sinks, one standard sized, a smaller one behind. Covers on each provide additional prep space when needed. The mixer tap swivels between both sinks and has a pull-down attachment to make rinsing off the dishes just that little bit easier.

For creating your favourite roadworthy meals, the kitchen features a three-burner hob and a gas oven with grill. Opposite the cooking zone is a full-sized 190L Dometic fridge/freezer unit.

Good coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures, and one that’s very much worth allowing space for. With that in mind, your home-away-from-home includes a Nespresso coffee machine, complete with a handy rack to hold coffee pods.

One of the benefits of travelling big is the abundance of storage space on offer, and the kitchen is no exception. Beneath the bench are three large drawers for pots and pans, a large rubbish drawer with two separate bins to allow for recycling or composting, plus a further four cutlery drawers. Also included is a handy pull-out pantry for bottles, jars, and tins.

BATHROOM BONUSES

More like an upmarket apartment than a motorhome, the split bathroom – located between the kitchen and the bedroom – is supersized and well set up.

On the driver’s side is a huge shower designed to cater for the big and tall. It includes a slide-tap and space to store all the essentials, as well as racks for hanging hand towels. And for those who like a leisurely, long shower, the 380L freshwater tank and a 3kW boiler means you can enjoy exactly that.

On the opposite side is the extra-large vanity unit that features a lovely big sink. There’s plenty of storage space of course, with three drawers beneath the sink and mirrored, LED-lit cabinets above. To keep your towels or clothes handy, the bathroom also includes a full-length wardrobe unit with shelving and rails. And for that extra touch of comfort and luxury, the heated towel rail keeps your towels toasty warm.

The bathroom can be closed off from the bedroom and kitchen with sliding doors, making it a roomy, private space.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Invitingly large and comfortable, the island north-south queen bed is at the rear of the Palace 90G. To make room in the large garage beneath, the bedroom is elevated with two steps leading up to the bed – Morelo’s designers didn’t miss an opportunity with these though, giving them a double purpose by adding storage space to each. The bed features a five-zone comfort cold foam mattress, and at 2000mm long by 1630mm wide, it’s certainly roomy. More storage is provided with three overhead cabinets, and an additional three along each side. And for a spot of stargazing, a large overhead skylight lets you watch the stars twinkle as you fall asleep.

EXTERIOR EXPERTISE

Often, designers of large motorhomes seem to focus all their effort on creating impact on the inside, leaving the outside to look, well… like a large motorhome. And while it can be hard to give such a big vehicle an eye-catching exterior, Morelo has stepped up and delivered a sleek, streamlined aesthetic that is both handsome and understated. The Morelo marque takes prominence from every angle and adds a touch of luxe.

The Palace 90G has been built for those who want to travel in style and luxury, and for a decent length of time without the need for daily maintenance. With that in mind, it comes with a 370L freshwater tank, 250L grey tank, and a 250L black tank. It also has four 130W solar panels, two 210AH lithium batteries, and a 3000W inverter.

ROOM FOR THE CAR

One of the defining features of the 90G model is the incredibly big garage. In fact, it’s big enough to hold a small smart car, which comes in very handy for zooming off to the supermarket or exploring nearby windy roads once you’ve parked up. But before you plan to pack in the family wagon, take note that the max dimensions for your smart car are 2.75m x 1.56m. My guess is the average owner of this big beast will want to use the garage space to store eBikes, dirt or quad bikes, water toys, or just all those extras needed for a long and luxurious holiday. There are drawers, cupboards and shelves built into the garage too, so you’ll be well organised and tidy as you travel.

An additional, smaller tunnel locker runs the width of the vehicle, handy for storing long items such as skis or fishing poles.

If you’re parked up near the beach, you can wash away the sand or grass before you step inside thanks to the hot/cold retractable shower inside one of the smaller lockers.

Other notable features include LED daytime running lights, an integrated, electrically extendable awning with LED lighting, automatic hydraulic legs, and a satellite dish.

SUMMARY

From its wide, panoramic front window to the carefully considered layout that creates openness and space, the Morelo Palace 90G has been designed so that its owners can come ‘home’ at the end of each day. With such a big floorplan, this may not be the type of motorhome you head away for long weekends in. Rather, it’s a home away from home that allows you to explore a favourite destination, or discover new ones, and make the most of them over a week or more. And with all those little extras that add up to a lot of luxury, it means those lucky enough to own one can enjoy that travel in maximum comfort and relaxation.

Morelo Palace 90g Specifications

Price as reviewed: $690,000

For more information, visit https://www.zionmotorhomes.co.nz/

Shot on location at Zealong Tea Estate