Full review

Open the door of the 685, effectively a replacement for the old overcab 686, and you find an interior that could compete against the best that Ikea has to offer. Such freshness is hinted at on the outside, too, with blue and grey decals on a bodyshell that is all GRP.

This is technically a six-berth, but it only has five travel seats.

If you prefer to leave the front lounge free for leg stretching, the table also fits in the rear lounge. You only get one table, though. 

Swift has cleverly given the cushion under the cantilevered wardrobe a flat wooden surface (on its reverse side) that can easily take a tea set. Because you turn Swift’s AirWave cushions over to make the bed, you can still use this cushion at night.

Headroom when sitting up front might be an issue. We measured just 91cm between the surface of the seat cushions and the underside of the lockers. Another issue is lighting, as there is no central overhead light in the front lounge. There is ambient lighting, but we did wonder just how illuminated the inside would be in the dark hours.

The beds are comfy. The drop-down double includes a Duvalay Duvalite mattress. The bed at the rear is a fairly conventional arrangement involving caravan-style slats that pull out down the central aisle.

The nine overhead lockers are large, but only one of them is fully shelved and enclosed.

The central kitchen is sensibly L-shaped to allow more workspace. Underneath the ‘L’ there is a cavernous, shelved cupboard complete with a cutlery drawer, while you also get a three-burner hob, a 135-litre AES fridge and even a microwave.

The overhead locker includes a useful crockery rack and mug stand, and over the habitation door you will find the control panel, which includes the Swift Command system (which you can control remotely from an app) and switches for electric fresh and waste water tank drain valves.

The washroom opposite includes a fixed washbasin with an Ecocamel shower over it, but no window. There’s a fair amount of white plastic, but no more than is typical for an entry-level motorhome.

The cab is basic Fiat Ducato – very basic without the Comfort Pack. Power comes from the 130bhp 2.3-litre Euro VI engine as standard, and we commend Swift for an unusually short rear overhang. That should make handling much more surefooted.

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.