Full review

Swift’s mid-range Challenger models are rising into the top-spec class of the caravan world for 2013, with a raft of both major and minor refinements. The result is a slightly new name (SE) and a range that’s got much more wow-factor than previous Challengers.
First off the production line was the 565 SE, with twin beds and a full-width rear shower room. It was ours for a day at the Swift factory    to review…
Alde heating – and Alde’s new, square, touch-screen control panel that’s much easier to use than the complicated control panels hitherto used – tops the list of important new spec for 2013.
But even before we stepped inside we’d spotted two of the Challenger’s 2013 refinements. The awning light is smaller, and neater in shape – and appears, in daylight, to give off more light than the 2012 Challenger awning lights. And at floor level, just alongside the doormat, is a tiny, but quite bright, LED light that provides just enough illumination for your first step inside the caravan at night.
There’s another of these little lights down alongside the twin-bed 565’s nearside bed. It’s subdued enough to leave on all night, so that it provides a slight amount of light, useful if you get up during the night.
The lighting theme continues in the kitchen, with a row of LED lights under the work surface, sending a shimmer of light cascading down the front of the fridge. There’s more lighting to notice, on the back wall of the kitchen. A shiny acrylic panel clothes the wall. On each side, a vertical row of LEDs casts light across the panel, illuminating the edges, creating a subtle, delightful light styling. Lighting level is taken care of by a very bright light set into the kitchen top lockers.
But there’s a lot more than lighting to grab your attention about this range now.
For 2013, Challengers get a 20-watt solar panel mounted on the roof, a tracking system, a key fob control for the awning light, an extractor fan – and a host of other refinements that were to reveal themselves as we went through   the 565 SE in detail…

Showering

Charmed by the SE’s lighting effects, we’d lingered in the kitchen for several minutes at the start of our evaluation before we started our usual test tour routine – in the shower room…
There is more lighting to grab our attention here, this time down each side of the (large) mirror.
It’s here in the shower room, though, that one of the 2013 SE’s most important features is visible. The new range has Alde heating. And there’s a heated towel rail (part of the system) in the shower room. The shower is large and rectangular, on the offside. There are two shelves for shampoo bottles. There’s a cabinet under the washbasin, two shelves and a second cabinet alongside the toilet. The window, on the offside, is dressed by a roller blind, in an abstract floral pattern of shades of grey. It descends smoothly – you just pull a cord. Very refined!
Directly above the heated towel rail is a towel loop and a hook – in the perfect position for warm air to rise and dry the towels.
 

Sleeping

Two single beds and a double that can be created in the lounge – the sleeping arrangements of the 565 are straightforward.
Only one little element detracts from an otherwise perfect sleeping environment. The only power point is beside the TV bracket at the foot of the nearside bed – and that’s too far to stretch a hairdryer cable when you want to dry your hair using the mirror in the shower room. But extra power points are usually an easy dealer-fit option.
Swift has introduced for 2013 an option of a set of bedding that matches the curtains. You get two duvets and two pillows, with high quality cream covers. In addition, there are two cushions and two sashes, in fabric that matches the curtains. The price of the set has yet to be announced.
The bedroom has more to      take your attention – and it’s all about storage…
 

Storage

Gas filled struts hold the beds as you lift them up. They’re strong enough to support more weight than just the bed; the table is stored in runners under the nearside bed – and it’s surprisingly easy to extract and slide back into place. A Velcro-secured strap ties the two legs together to prevent the lower leg from dropping down and jamming – which happened during our test because the strap wasn’t initially in place.
Both under-bed storage areas are kept uncluttered because the Alde radiators run at seat back level, rather than at floor level.
Front access flaps are here for instances when you don’t need to open the whole storage area. And there’s outside access to the nearside bed storage area.
The five top lockers in the bedroom have cream inserts, as do those in the lounge; that’s a new décor feature for 2013.
Access to the under-settee areas is via drop-down doors. There’s another drop down door under the front chest of drawers. Top cabinets are wide, and with an extended area that reaches right to the front of the caravan. Glass and bottle clips equip the nearside top cabinet for drinks.
The wardrobe is just to the rear of the door. Moving to the Alde system  suddenly gives you a lot more storage space. In the 565 that advantage is under the wardrobe; where the Truma heater was in 2012 models is a large cabinet, with two shelves and a drawer beneath.
 

Dining

It’s the usual arrangement – meals for two at the pull-out section above the chest of drawers, and food for four needs the table. It’s a sturdy affair and, as mentioned earlier, stows easily under one of the beds.
Lounging
Swift’s sunroofs stay for 2013 – and the Challenger gets prominent black edges to the sunroof on the outside, replacing the black and red ones of 2012. On the inside, the sunroof also gets new emphasis, in the form of a strip of dark acrylic trim, with the words Challenger SE in white – a nice touch.
Fabrics for 2013 are a mixture of fawns with splashes of red. Seating is fawn, with a raised weave pattern for interest. Dark brown sections run along the bases of the backrests and the lower edges of the seat cushions. Curtains and cushions are pale cream with red and brown poppies.
 

Kitchen

At first glance the kitchen appears to have limited lower storage. A slim cabinet between the (new Dometic) fridge and the oven contains two narrow metal basket-style shelves. But that’s not a problem for the new-year 565, because now that it’s got Alde heating, a cabinet under the wardrobe takes the place of the Truma heater. Suddenly, the 565 kitchen storage has been transformed.
The microwave sits between two top cabinets. Its shiny steel and black glass frontage looks brilliant flanked by the textured cream of the cabinet doors.
On the list of new spec for 2013 is an Omnivent extractor fan.
Actual kitchen surface space is limited to an area alongside the sink – but there’s a hinged section to help when you need it.
The Challenger’s designers have made the best use of space between the worktop and the fridge – there’s a slim cutlery drawer here (new for 2013); that’s the best place for table settings, leaving the narrower, deeper central drawer for utensils. There are two power points in the kitchen, but there’s not much space for a kettle near to them; we think most caravanners will prefer to use a hob kettle in this model.

 
Towing

ATC stability control is here. Importantly, though, for 2013 this model is estimated to125kg lighter than the equivalent 2012 565, even though it’s got Alde heating; exact weights of Swift’s new models for 2013 have yet to be announced.