Swift Rio 325

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 3 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Camper Chassis-Cab Maximum weight: 3,500kg Payload: 645kg

The concept of a compact coachbuilt with a garage was born back in 2005, when Hymer launched its first ‘Van’ to rival van conversions. The next development aimed to better van conversions’ rear barn doors, as 2012’s Bürstner Brevio introduced a huge top-hinged rear tailgate on a coachbuilt body. Swift was not slow to recognise the appeal of the design. Its Rio arrived just over a year ago with compact dimensions and a rear tailgate – and layouts with more UK appeal.

For 2016, the Rio 325 break the range’s mould. There’s no tailgate here, while the layout is the ever-popular rear bed format.

Externals are unfussy but good-looking. Bike rack brackets are pre-fitted on the rear panel and, above the cab, a big sunroof illuminates well on the inside. The habitation door comes with a window, central locking and internal rubbish bin, but there’s no external step.

Chassis options are very limited on the Rio – there’s the Comfort-Matic automated gearbox, plus cruise control and cab air-con - and that’s it! Thankfully the 130-horsepower unit fitted is more than man enough. You’d probably want reversing sensors or a rear camera fitted.

Standard cab kit includes electric windows and mirrors, a passenger airbag and Fiat’s more basic entertainment unit that still offers DAB radio and USB and auxiliary inputs. Swift has included rear speakers in both the lounge and bedroom.

There are two rear travel seats and a dedicated storage slot for the table inside the wardrobe. Putting it away makes for a spacious feel to the lounge. TV connection sockets are provided next to the washroom wall, so your set can be perfectly situated to view from the swivelled cab seats. The table is easy to deploy when you need it, because it’s nicely light, and there’s room for dining for three.

The third single berth is made using the forward-facing seat, swivelled cab seat’s squab and lowered table. It’s quite short, so only suitable for kids or smaller adults, but it easy to assemble: a squab-levelling cushion is supplied and there’s only one other slim infill cushion.

In the kitchen, Thetford’s domestic-style stove offers a separate grill and good-sized oven. The hob has three gas burners and one 800W mains hotplate, while up higher still, there’s a swish stainless-steel microwave. As for worktop, there’s a useful slab, while Swift’s own GRP sink is supremely practical. A flip-up panel offers even more surface for prep, but there’s no barrier or splashguard between the worktop and the bed.

The compact cutlery drawer is joined by a utensils drawer and a roomy drawer beneath the cooker. There’s a couple of cupboards down there, too, and two more up top. The fridge is unremarkable but plenty big enough.

The quirky bit in the washroom is the washbasin: it’s long and thin, with an end that slopes up onto a counter. But it worked fine, and the skinniness is a clever design detail, making the whole unit less obtrusive in what is undeniably a bijou space.

You also get a spacious cabinet and a big mirror, but the toilet is mounted a little high for comfortable sitting and the shower is served only by pulling out the basin tap.

The height-adjustable double bed and the large locker beneath it are big reasons to buy the 325. It’s a commonly seen design, but this one comes with a twist as the bed is height-adjustable. With the bed lowered there’s a metre of headroom and access is easy, thanks to a step which looks like a low-level drawer. Raised, there’s only 0.60m to the ceiling and part of the bed is now terminally overshadowed by the range of lockers on the rear wall, which reduces its effective width. Access now requires considerable agility with no ladder.

The bed also narrows towards the foot, while the raising mechanism trims the mattress length to only six feet. My pillows had a tendency to slip into the gap at the top. Some kind of headboard would solve this problem. But the bed’s sprung slats and thick Duvalay mattress are excellent, and the adjacent kitchen unit makes a great night table.

Storage space starts with pockets above the cab. There’s a handy hidey-hole beneath the lounge floor while, up top, there are two lockers and a pigeonhole. There’s a slim but usable wardrobe.

There’s just one external access door to the under-bed locker, so you need to climb inside to get at stuff at the back of the space. The existing door is only 0.95m high, and is narrower at its base, which makes access even trickier. That said, there’s plenty of space in here for loads of other stuff and over half-a-tonne of payload. Even with the bed lowered there’s 0.55m of headroom.

There’s an excellent range of lighting: over-locker ambient light, pin lights set into the riser of the lounge floor – even the kitchen splashback is very attractively edge-lit.

Heating and hot water is provided by Truma’s trusty Combi boiler, here in 4kW form and with the programmable LCD-equipped control panel. This is the iNet-ready version, which means an add-on piece of kit allows control and programming using an app on you smartphone or tablet.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the April 2016 issue of What Motorhome.

The 325 is a welcome addition to the Rio range, being versatile and well-equipped. But the bed is a bit short and the locker beneath may not work as a full-blown garage.