New Age Manta Ray Escape MY26 review: Australia's mass-market composite caravan, sized right

The Manta Ray is New Age’s volume-seller in the on-road touring segment — and in MY25/26 it’s the case study in how an Australian mass-market manufacturer responds to imports. The bet: rather than chase the cheapest-possible build, move the whole on-road range to full composite construction (the European format) and hold sticker prices flat. Two model years in, the bet looks correct.

What changed in MY25

The Manta Ray was a timber-framed van for most of its model history. Reviewing the 18ft Ensuite for Caravan World in February 2024, John Ford could fairly describe the build as “well-engineered” while flagging that the “Meranti frame needs vigilant maintenance” — moisture management, screw-point sealing, the maintenance cadence that all timber-framed vans require to age well.

By the time Chris Fincham reviewed the MY25 19ft Escape for caravancampingsales in November 2024, the construction story had pivoted entirely. The MY25 Escape uses 25–35mm thick fibreglass sandwich panels with closed-cell XPS foam cores for walls and roof, plus a honeycomb composite floor — what Fincham described as “mirroring European-style RV manufacturing approaches” used by Jayco and Snowy River.

The materials change is meaningful for three reasons:

1. No timber means no moisture-rot vulnerability — the historic Achilles’ heel of Australian aluminium-clad-on-timber-frame caravans
2. Better thermal insulation — the foam-core panels run R-values roughly 30–40% above traditional construction
3. Weight reduction — composite panels are roughly 20% lighter per square metre than equivalent framed construction

Critically, New Age held the price flat. The MY24 timber-frame 19ft Escape was $79,990. The MY25/26 composite 19ft Escape is $79,990. The buyer gets a materially better product at the same sticker — that’s the unusual move.

Layout and living

The 19ft Escape is a couples van. Front island queen bed, café-style dinette opposite the kitchen, internal ensuite with separate shower and toilet at the rear. The 7.99 m overall length is what most Australian caravan parks treat as the “standard” upper bound — anything longer attracts oversize-site fees.

Fincham’s review flags that the entry-spec Escape “misses out on a few items like a front toolbox and second battery” versus higher Manta Ray trims — fair criticism, though most buyers spec those as dealer add-ons or aftermarket installs without changing the headline value proposition. Standard inclusions on the Escape are the usual mass-market checklist: reverse-cycle air conditioning, three-burner cooktop, microwave, large 3-way fridge, separate ensuite, electric awning, reversing camera, 200 W solar with AGM battery (lithium is an upgrade option).

For the off-road sibling, Rachael Doherty’s What’s Up Downunder review of the 19ft Expedition (October 2025) tested the same family on the off-road variant with XT Freestyle Cruisemaster suspension, finding it “just floats through” corrugations and “handled the abuse like nothing else.” For the on-road Escape reviewed here, the running gear is conventional leaf-spring tandem — fine for sealed roads and well-formed gravel, not intended for the Plenty or the Canning.

On the road

Towing the 18ft Ensuite variant behind a Walkinshaw-tuned Volkswagen Amarok V6, Ford reported the pairing worked well — though he noted the 2,790 kg ATM also suits “mid-range tow vehicles like the Isuzu MU-X.” The 19ft Escape sits in the same envelope (Tare 2,271 kg, ATM 3,000 kg, ball weight 141 kg per New Age’s published figures), comfortably towable by a Prado 250, Triton GLS, Ranger Wildtrak V6 or any of the 3.0L diesel utes that dominate the Australian tow-vehicle market.

The 729 kg payload headroom (ATM minus Tare) is reasonable but not generous for big-lap setups — for a full-time-touring couple loading water, gas, food, bedding, recovery gear and aftermarket extras, expect 500–600 kg of that headroom to disappear. Watch the ball weight especially: at 141 kg the Escape is light-hitch by AU standards, which is good news for the tow-vehicle’s rear axle but worth re-checking after loading.

Where it sits in the market

The Manta Ray Escape is the closest Australian mainstream gets to European-style construction. Jayco’s Discovery range matches it broadly (Discovery hardtops use similar composite construction in the MY26 lineup) but lacks New Age’s mid-range range breadth. The Snowy River brand offers similar materials at higher price points. Chinese-built composite imports undercut the Manta Ray by 15–25% but lack the established AU dealer network and warranty track record.

Fincham’s expert rating was 82/100 — squarely positioning the Manta Ray Escape as a buy-with-confidence choice in the mid-tier on-road segment without claiming it’s exceptional.

That feels about right. The Manta Ray Escape isn’t the cheapest van you can buy ($79,990 isn’t entry-level). It isn’t the most off-grid capable (200 W solar and AGM standard is modest). It isn’t the most family-friendly (couples only, no bunk option in the on-road range). What it IS: the most future-proof construction in the segment at a price that doesn’t punish you for taking it. For couples doing the Big Lap on sealed roads with reliable dealer support, it’s the rational mainstream choice in 2026.