Verdict
There’s a new contender in the budget class for coachbuilt motorhomes. Swift has the Edge. The firm hasn’t just kept the price down (all other factors considered), but the weights, too. It has also fully managed expectations. Searingly good value, the Edge is definitely one to watch.
Pros
Feeling of space in rear bed area
Low purchase cost
Cons
Limited kitchen facilities
Limited windows
If 2020 turns out to be the Year of the Budget Motorhome, here’s the range that could spearhead it all. Swift, the UK’s most prolific ‘van manufacturer, has launched a new line-up where low price is everything.
The Edge, designed for families, offers five models, and we took an early look at the six-berth 476, one of three overcabs.
On the road for £50,125 might not strike you as ‘budget’. But unless you’re keen and can grab an early Edge with Euro 6b engine – in which case, the 476 would come in at £48,255 – your vehicle will have one of Fiat’s latest Euro 6d engines, which adds vehicle excise duty of £2315.
At the time of writing, and despite intense lobbying by the NCC, these charges will apply to almost every new motorhome purchased with a Euro 6d engine.
Living
The 476 has the format to cope with six – passengers and sleepers. The double dinette offers belted seating for four, with a short settee nearside. There’s a rather narrow side-fixing table, but there is an extension to slot in and clip on. There’s one small window in the lounge.
Kitchen
If I have one niggle, it’s that Swift isn’t the sole firm to call a budget model family-friendly, only to cut back on a critical area: the kitchen. For many reasons, touring with children means relying more on on-board food preparation and storage – requiring large-capacity fridges and full cookers.
This Edge makes do with a Thetford Triplex cooker (three gas rings, combined oven/grill) and a small Dometic fridge (albeit with removable freezer section). But I appreciate that a lot of cost has been saved here.
Washroom
The washroom facilities include a tap that extends for showering in an area that’s part-lined. There’s also a swivel-bowl toilet, a high-level shelf and a locker under the basin.
Beds
The overcab bed is an impressive size, with plenty of headroom. There’s only one window here and the single reading lamp in on the opposite side, though.
The main sleeping area is at the back, on high-level fixed single beds. Again, there’s one side window, plus a standard rooflight; but this is what helps keep the price so low. But, because there’s no overhead lockers (see Storage below), on the plus side, there’s less feeling of being hemmed in. Better still (for many), you can sit fully upright in bed.
Storage
Cupboards/wardrobes at the foot of each rear bed include hanging rails and two-way access. No high-level lockers here is another cost-saver.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 509 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.32 m |
| Width | 2.39 m |
| Engine Size | 2300 cc |
