DETAILED REVIEW

Swift’s flagship Kon-tiki was redesigned for the 2019 season and, for 2020, it was joined by the Kon-tiki Sport.

Rather than an all-new product or a development of its bigger brother, though, the Sport is effectively a rebadged Bessacarr, with that historic name disappearing from the Swift portfolio.

Like the Kon-tiki, the Sport has a metallic black Fiat cab and the Darwin soft furnishings scheme inside.

As befits its pricing – now in the range of £67k to £72k – it comes well-appointed with features such as a recessed full-length Thule awning and twin-lens reversing camera, as well as Alde heating.

An initial 13 models has been slimmed back to 11 for the 2021 season as part of the company’s rationalised range.

All but the family-friendly six-berth 596 come with a choice of standard half-dinette seating or an ‘L’ version with parallel settees (no rear travel seats) at the same price.

The 560 is now the baby of the Kon-tiki Sport range. It’s a smart-looking low-profile with its overcab moulding incorporating a large sunroof.

Alloy wheels are standard and its habitation door (linked to the central locking) provides an easy, low entrance with a window, bin and flyscreen.

There are Thule mountings for a bike rack to be added, while external storage includes a skirt locker on the offside and a good-sized hatch into the low-level under-bed space (suitable for folding bikes).

The habitation windows are not the flush-fit items of the big Kon-tiki, which is perhaps a disappointment at this price level. A roof rack and ladder and a towbar are available as options.

Inside, the Sport 560’s French bed layout is a relative rarity these days. It comes with a half-dinette with the floor level here the same as in the cab for comfort, while the bench seat has enhanced shaping for superior support while you travel.

There’s a wall-mounted table with a slot-in extension leaf but that won’t be needed if just a couple are dining. Overall, this is a comfortable and well-lit lounge.

The L-shaped kitchen impresses, too, with its comprehensive spec. There’s a Thetford cooker with three gas rings, a mains hotplate and separate oven and grill, while a roof vent with extractor deals with cooking smells and an eye-level microwave caters for ready meals.

The sink comes with a removable drainer as well as a chopping board and, opposite, the 139-litre auto  energy selection fridge is one of the latest type with the door that opens from either side.

There’s a large cupboard under the sink and concealed here is a cutlery drawer, but that’s the only drawer in the galley.

The compromise always with a French bed layout is the shape and access to the bed, which here measures 1.90m by 1.25m max and narrows at the foot.

The mattress lifts on gas struts to reveal a large area of uninterrupted storage and the bed has corner shelves and reading lights but no USBs.

Twin wardrobes provide plenty of clothing storage and the washroom includes a good-sized separate shower with a new black panel for its riser bar and showerhead.