Swift Freestyle SE 664

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 605kg

This new Freestyle motorhome from Lowdhams features a  conventional French bed floorplan, in a modest 6.72m-long body.

Although it’s British through and through, it adopts the more continental half-dinette for the versatility of being able to carry rear passengers, while the galley is a straight run of unit along the offside, rather than the more usual L-shape.

As you enter, there are coat hooks and a tall mirror, while the kitchen faces you. Galley spec is typically British, with a microwave taking priority over fridge capacity – a modest 85 litres, although at least you can dispense with the freezer section. The cutlery drawer is tiny, too, but the Freestyle fights back with a good slab of worktop alongside the large sink, which comes with a removable draining board and a slot-in chopping board. Cup and plate racks are fitted, too, as are two sensibly placed mains sockets.

Forward of the kitchen, the lounge will seat four comfortably, more if some are slim or youngsters. There’s a small step down from the cab, but it doesn’t impinge on relaxing or dining here. The position of the TV bracket – over the table – is not ideal, but the table itself is wobble-free and can be extended towards the nearside sofa. There’s plenty of room under the bed for outdoor gear, though you’ll need to take care not to damage the boiler, which is not boxed in.

Lying back on the thick Duvalay Duvalite mattress, with room to sit up against the large purple cushions and built-in headboard, it’s tempting to end the report right here with forty winks. Yes, it’s that good, but do note that it’s not the biggest bed and it does narrow considerably towards the foot. If you need more than two berths, then the lounge converts into a transverse double, but it’s got rather too many joins and ridges for regular use.

The shape of the main bed does mean that access into the washroom adjacent is easy and inside the ‘little room’ you’ll be impressed by the amount of space – it feels huge, helped by the fact that almost everything is shiny white. You may be less enamoured by the curtain for showering, though, and the wet floor afterwards. So, in its bathroom, as elsewhere, the Freestyle takes a more British approach to motorhome design, with a slightly different set of priorities, but it also does so with fresh new design that will win plenty of fans. Especially when considering the price and spec.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the March 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.

A completely new look for Swift’s Escape motorhome gives this Freestyle dealer special a great starting point. Look at the added spec and the 664 plays the value-for-money card above all else.