Swift is bringing all its brands under one Swift name for 2018 in an effort to streamline and give greater strength to its chief brand.

But the Hull manufacturer’s focus isn’t just on marketing for the new season.

There are a handful of new layouts and substantial redesigns, too!

The headlines

Every ’van that comes out of Swift’s Cottingham factory in Humberside this season will have a Swift badge on it. But the other brands that Swift has also been producing have not entirely disappeared.

In fact, it is perhaps a measure of each brand’s success that Bessacarr – a name with a faithful following going back several decades in both motorhomes and caravans – has survived in a new 10-strong range, known as the Bessacarr 500 Series.

But the Autocruise name, which was still being used on last season’s revamped van conversion range, has now been dropped. For 2018, this range returns as an up-specced four-model collection, known simply as Swift Select.

Bolero has also disappeared, although Swift says the new Bessacarr range has a similar spec level to Bolero, but at a lower price.

Layout-wise, there are four new models in the Bessacarr range, and one new one on the hugely successful Escape range. Extensively redesigned and updated last season, Escape has seen the biggest rise in sales among any Swift range, up 60% year-on-year.

Sales of Swift motorhomes as a whole are up 21% this year.

The changes

The 10 models in the Bessacarr 500 Series all come with a black cab and ‘Black Edition’ graphics on the outside, with gold ‘Bessacarr’ lettering and white extruded skirts that link to the full GRP rear that includes a reversing camera.

The wheels have 16-inch alloys and within the offside skirt there is a pannier locker.

A panoramic sunroof adds light to the front lounge, in the new-for-2018 Bessacarr range. Here you will also find ‘aircraft style’ curved overhead lockers in Oyster grey with a gloss Aralie Sen inlay.

Silverado soft furnishings include seats that are now sculpted for more comfort. There is also a full leather and SwiftShield option.

The kitchens in these new Bessacarr motorhomes now feature a Fenix repairable worktop and, in most cases, a slimline Dometic fridge.

The optional Lux Pack includes cab air conditioning, cruise control and a Status 570 TV aerial.

The four new layouts in the 2018 Swift Bessacarr range include the 574 and 584, both four-berth ’vans with fixed single beds and an end washroom that differ only in length.

There is also the 597, which features a central washroom and kitchen, and two fixed single beds at the back over a garage, while the 599 has a rear island bed.

All the fixed beds in these and the other six Bessacarr motorhomes come with Duvalay Duvalite mattresses.

For those who do not require room for many extra passengers, all of the new layouts, plus the 560, have a lounge seating option. This sees the front dinette replaced with parallel seating, making the ’van a two-berth, two-seater.

The Besscarrs have been built using Swift’s SMART construction and come with the Swift Command app-based vehicle management system, and Swift Command Tracker, a pre-installed Thatcham Category 6 approved tracker, with an option to subscribe.

The new Escape

The new layout in the Escape range, meanwhile, is the 6m-long 604, a four-berth ‘van featuring a rear washroom with a separate shower cubicle, plus a drop-down bed over the dinette.

Like all the other eight Escapes, it comes with Nova soft furnishings and Swift airwave bedding, while a Comfort Pack will add a panoramic sunroof and winterisation.

Last year, Swift redesigned its van conversion Select range as a stripped down budget vehicle that, in standard spec, didn’t even include an onboard waste water tank. There was also a huge range of different packs you could have to take the price back up again. There has been a slight reversal of this policy in 2018.

The four new Select models have a standard specification that includes a choice of white or iron grey on the outside with complementary graphics, onboard fresh and waste water tanks, Truma Combi 4 heating and travel seats in all models that need them.

There are also captain’s seats and an integrated radio/MP3 player in the cab. The 122 and 184 get a three-burner hob, too.

There is a choice of just two option packs. The Driver’s Pack upgrades the engine from 115hp to 130bhp and adds cab air conditioning, cruise control and LED daytime running lights. The Lux Pack further adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a DAB radio, an upgraded ‘Silver’ techno dash kit and reversing sensors.

Swift Select ’vans also get Swift Command and Swift Command Tracker, with an option to subscribe.

Kon-Tiki and Rio

There are fewer changes in the Kon-Tiki and Rio ranges, which, together with the Bessacarrs, are part of the ‘Black Edition’ family.

Making the Kon-Tiki 625 and 635 available as overcabs this season means you effectively get nine different Kon-Tiki models to choose from.

All feature Carabou soft furnishings, gloss lockers with hessian colour inlays, and chrome handles and locks. Standard spec includes built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Rio continues as a three-model line-up, with two of these models, the 320 and 340, including the rear tailgate that was part of the range’s USP when it first launched.

Soft furnishings inside are Cordone, with espresso fabric on the seat edges and pebble-coloured SwiftShield inlay.

Outside, reversing sensors have been added as part of the standard spec, with a reversing camera as an option. A Lux Pack will get you cab air conditioning, cruise control and a Status 570 TV aerial.

In other news

Swift claims it is going into the new season with the lowest number of leftover 2017 ’vans on record. So if you are still after one, you need to hurry!

To go along with the consolidation into one brand, the Swift logo has been redesigned.

You may not notice it immediately, but look closely and you will see that the bird has been reshaped to appear stronger, while its wings now exceed the inner edge of the roundel outline, supposedly to emphasise freedom.

2018 Swift motorhomes at-a-glance*

Van conversions:

  • Swift Select 122 – 2 berths, 2 seats, rear lounge, 5.99m long, 2.3-litre 115bhp Fiat Ducato, £42,420
  • Swift Select 144 – 3 berths, 4 seats, rear lounge, 5.99m long, 2.3-litre 115bhp Fiat Ducato, £43,980
  • Swift Select 164 – 3 berths, 4 seats, fixed rear bed, 6.36m long, 2.3-litre 115bhp Fiat Ducato, £45,500
  • Swift Select 184 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear lounge, 6.36m long, 2.3-litre 115bhp Fiat Ducato, £45,500
      

Low-profiles:

  • NEW! Swift Escape 604 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear washroom, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £47,580
  • Swift Escape 622 – 2 berths, 2 seats, rear lounge, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £44,830
  • Swift Escape 614 – 4 berths, 4 seats, end washroom and garage, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £48,080
  • Swift Escape 664 – 4 berths, 4 seats, fixed bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £47,380
  • Swift Escape 674 – 4-6 berths, 4-5 seats, rear lounge, optional drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £49,490
  • Swift Escape 684 – 4-6 berths, 4-5 seats, rear fixed single beds over garage, optional drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £49,390
  • Swift Escape 685 – 6 berths, 5 seats, rear lounge, drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £50,550
  • Swift Escape 694 – 4-6 berths, 4-5 seats, rear island bed, optional drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £49,330
  • Swift Escape 695 – 6 berths, 5 seats, rear bunks, drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bp Fiat Ducato, £50,030
      
  • Swift Rio 320 – 2 berths, 2 seats, rear lounge, tailgate, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £53,630
  • Swift Rio 325 – 2 berths, 4 seats, rear transverse bed and garage, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £52,180
  • Swift Rio 340 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear lounge with drop-down bed, tailgate, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £55,340
      
  • Swift Bessacarr 512 – 2 berths, 2 seats, end kitchen, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £54,630
  • Swift Bessacarr 524 – 4 berths, 4 seats, end washroom, drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £58,180
  • Swift Bessacarr 542 – 2 berths, 2 seats, end washroom, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £59,880
  • Swift Bessacarr 560 – 4 berths, 4 seats, transverse bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £59,880
  • NEW! Swift Bessacarr 574 – 4 berths, 4 seats, fixed single beds, end washroom, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £60,930
  • NEW! Swift Bessacarr 584 – 4 berths, 4 seats, French bed, end washroom, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £60,930
  • NEW! Swift Bessacarr 597 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear fixed single beds above garage, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £60,930
  • NEW! Swift Bessacarr 599 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear island bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £60,930
      
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 625 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear island bed, £76,820
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 635 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear fixed single beds above garage, £76,820
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 669 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear island bed above garage, £84,465
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 679 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear transverse bed above garage, £84,465
      

Overcabs

  • Swift Bessacarr 596 – 6 berths, 6 seats, rear lounge, drop-down bed, 2.3-litre 130bhp Fiat Ducato, £63,930
      
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 625 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear island bed, £76,820
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 635 – 4 berths, 4 seats, rear fixed single beds above garage, £76,820
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 649 – 6 berths, 6 seats, rear lounge, £84,465
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 669 – 6 berths, 6 seats, rear island bed above garage, £84,465
  • Swift Kon-Tiki 679 – 6 berths, 6 seats, rear transverse bed above garage, £84,465
      

*All prices include a £1495 delivery charge