Prestige has become justly renowned over the years for its cleverly arranged owners’ cabins, for its ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ approach to powertrains and for its ability to create motor yachts that feel as much like floating homes as boats. What it hasn’t been known for up to this point is catamarans – and yet in spite of the fact that Prestige is part of the vast Beneteau Group, which also owns Lagoon, the new M48 has been designed not as an adaptation of a sailing yacht but as a powercat from the ground up.
That certainly means it can afford to be narrower and loftier than most comparable cats, but as Prestige is at pains to stress, this is not so much a cat as a novice-friendly cruiser with acres of deck space, plenty of stability and wallet-friendly running efficiency. In fact, to help us really grasp the idea, brand director Erwin Bamps explains, through a broad grin, that the M48 has been created to deliver the space of a Prestige 590, the price of a 520 and the running efficiency of a 40-footer. Time
