Full review

Here’s a ’van aimed squarely at our shores. This newcomer is one of only two in the 2017 range without a fixed bed.

So, there is a great weight of expectation on the shoulders of the new 604FF. If the reaction of my Dutch and Spanish colleagues is anything to go by, the 604FF should go straight to the top of the (Rapido sales) charts.

Now, if you were hoping for an update of the market-leading base vehicle then you’ll be disappointed.  The same black fascia with hard, cheap plastics continues, but you get a USB socket alongside the 12V power point. What you don’t get is an AdBlue tank, as Fiat meets the new legislation without such a system.

The Fiat offered its usual combination of sharp steering, easy gearchanging and surefooted manners on this test., thanks to the lower, wide rear track chassis here (and the commendably short rear overhang). Performance-wise, the Euro VI Ducato feels just like the Euro V+ version. Fuel consumption of 26.8mpg bumbling around rural France dropped to 23.5 overall when we had an early morning dash back to the factory, but you can order your 604FF with the 150 engine (now with improved torque) or even the 180.

Further options are a leather steering wheel, climate control, alloy wheels and chrome-ringed dials. The basic cab looks, well, pretty basic, though carpets will lift the ambience and the Pack Select takes care of all the other essentials. This pack adds cruise control, a passenger airbag, the posh habitation door with waste bin, window and flyscreen, rear speakers and a cooker hood (with LED lighting).

The white body, red graphics and silver skirts are trademark Rapido and the overcab pod includes a big, opening sunroof. Open the door and the internal step is conveniently low and a new grab handle serves the less mobile. Inside, you see the new Castello contemporary furniture finish with very pale wood, gloss white drawer fronts and shiny wood top locker doors with mushroom contrasting strips and chromed handles.

The main locker is exceptionally useful for chairs, mains lead, hoses, levelling wedges and so on. It’s also accessible from inside the ’van. Just be careful that you don’t pack the space too tight, though, as the RCD, habitation fuses and boiler drain valve are all here.

The ‘FF’ stands for ‘for four’ in Rapido-speak and signifies the inclusion of that drop-down bed. Here, the seats can convert (with a slot-in backrest and head restraint on the offside) to face forward for travel.

The lounge is also significantly more, err, loungey than rivals with a half-dinette. The cab seats spin right round, so you can sit here and put your feet up on the sofas. You can lower the table, and this is part of the night-time ritual, which also involves removing all the backrest cushions, turning a key and pressing a button. Your comfy double bed then whirs down to just above seat height (820mm from the floor). At the cab end, the mattress is square-sided, but the width is 1.30m in the middle. Its shape enables it to clear the doorway at one end and the TV at the other. All your bedding can stay in situ when the bed rises to the ceiling again, by which time you’ll already be convinced that this is a gazillion times better than any bed made out of seat cushions.

The galley is worthy of a gourmet. There’s more worktop here than some firms offer in their entire range. Add in a sensibly placed oven/grill, a tall fridge/freezer with AES, an extractor hood, lots of big drawers with a trio of twist knobs to lock them shut for travel and even cupboards that are big enough for jumbo cereal packets and you have a kitchen worthy of the name.

The wardrobe is a decent size for two folk on tour. There are no top lockers in the lounge (they’d restrict the bed lowering) but there is some under-seat space, mainly in the settee by the door.

In the bathroom there’s only one shower tray drain hole, meaning that there’s usually a soapy, wet corner after a shower. This is a good example of an all-in-one shower/toilet compartment and it’s great to have folding screens to protect the door and the mirror-fronted toiletries/medicines cabinet, rather than a clingy curtain.

So, the 604FF may not have the changing room facilities of its predecessor, but many UK buyers will find that a small sacrifice for the class-leading kitchen seen here. It also feels much more spacious, partly because of the layout and partly because of the large windows and opening sunroofs over both the cab and kitchen. 

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the October 2016 issue of What Motorhome magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome here.