Marquis Lifestyle 6 FB special edition caravan

The Marquis Lifestyle 6 FB special edition caravan is a new take on a Sprite. It keeps Sprites’ lovely full-width panoramic window, gives it higher-grade fabric and a microwave – and calls it a Swift The extras Lifestyle extras : Upgraded upholstery Ultra-comfort mattress Microwave oven Diamond Pack: Alloy wheels AL-KO Secure wheel lock Door flyscreen Radio CD player with Pod input Two scatter cushions

If the Swift Sprite caravan’s light weight and competitive price appeal to you, yet you want a caravan that looks more mainstream-Swift than budget-price Sprite, it’s worth taking a close look at a special edition.

In Marquis Caravan’s version of the Sprite range, you get Sprite layouts and Sprite spec, with just a little bit more. But there the similarity with Sprite ends. For this Sprite is called a Swift Lifestyle…

As example of the seven-model range, we tested the Lifestyle 6 FB. It’s based on the Sprite Quattro, which is priced at £14,621. That price excludes dealer delivery and also excludes Swift’s Diamond Pack, which is fitted to every Sprite. When you add on £499 for the Diamond Pack the Quattro becomes £15,120; then the normal dealer delivery fee of £545, takes the Quattro to £15,665. The twin-axle Marquis Lifestyle 6 FB costs £16,295, including Diamond Pack and delivery. For the extra £630 you get a microwave, an upgraded mattress, plus upgraded upholstery fabrics – and a name that (if these things matter to you) upgrades the caravan from Sprite status to Challenger status.

On the Lifestyle 6 FB the Diamond Pack gives you three important features: a hitch-head stabiliser, a spare wheel and two AL-KO Secure wheel lock, plus the aesthetic advantages of alloy wheels and two scatter cushions. You also get a door fly screen and a Radio/CD/MP3 player with iPod connection.

The 6 FB’s layout gives you a fixed bed with a shower-toilet room alongside it, an offside two-seater dining area that makes into bunks and a long lounge in which you can create two more single beds or a massive double.
 
 

Showering

Showers which share their space with toilets divide opinion. Families who always use campsite showers will love this caravan because so little space is devoted to something they won’t use. But people who appreciate the luxury of their own shower will find the 6 FB’s shower room doesn’t match their needs; you have to dry the shower tray after every shower because it’s also your pathway to the loo.
 
Sleeping

This caravan’s flexibility for meeting the needs of a growing family is outstanding. The two major things which mark this model out as ahead of the pack are the length of the lounge settees and the depth of the mattress on the fixed bed. The settees are 1.8m (nearside) and 1.9m (nearside) – amply long for adults to sleep on. Or, of course, you can make a large double bed across the width of the caravan. And the sprung mattress, in the Marquis Lifestyle, is deeper than on the standard Quattro.
The bunk beds that make up in the offside dining area are longer than most, at 1.76m.
 
Storage
Hand-in-hand with caravan length goes large amounts of storage. Huge amounts of space are under the long settees – and there are drop-down doors to make getting inside easy. More lower storage is under the dining area. Then there’s the brilliant storage opportunity under the big bed. The spare wheel is secured towards the front of this area but doesn’t take up much space. Eleven top lockers line the walls and the wardrobe gives you full hanging depth.
 
Dining
When it comes to mealtimes the
6 FB excels again – this time because the long lounge gives you so much space and because you have an extra dining area opposite the kitchen.
 
Lounging
Put your feet up and nestle into the front corners – the rounded upholstery holds you comfortably… The 6 FB’s long lounge creates superb lounging arrangements. Time to take in that fawn fabric with feature swirly backrests that distinguish Lifestyles from Sprites.
 
Kitchen
Other than storage and sleeping arrangements the kitchen is the most important element of a caravan when it comes to catering for family needs. And the 6 FB’s kitchen excels both on storage and surface area. It has cupboards on both sides of the fridge, both with enough depth for tall items like cereal packets and soft drinks bottles.
 Cooking appliances are a full oven and grill plus three burners and, of course, the microwave that’s part of the Lifestyle extra spec.
 
Towing
With twin-axle geometry to enhance stability and also make the reversing procedure more accurate (and therefore easier), it’s no surprise that the 6 FB has excellent road characteristics. Add in the light weight of the Lifestyle FB (its 1587kg is 16kg more than the Quattro, because the special edition Lifestyle has a microwave and thicker mattress) and you have an excellent road package.
Hitched to our Kia Sorento the
6 FB sped along lanes, through a town and out onto the open road in exemplary manner. Quite simply, one of the easiest and most relaxing test tows we’ve carried out.
 

The Marquis Lifestyle 6FB special edition caravan is a fabulously spacious choice for families who like Sprite – and want a bit more