Time to Roam Magazine Issue 11 - October/November 2014 | Page 34

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tried + tested motorhome review

TRIED
+
TESTED
Review by Paddy McCann Tried and Tested Swift Kontiki 625 (Black Edition) RRP $174,990

EUROPEAN STYLE
& SOPHISTICATION
The new motorhome segment in Australia has
a lot to offer whether you’re a freedom seeking
retiree, a young couple or a family.

In terms of bang for your buck,
pricing has never looked so good, but
increasingly there is a difficult question
every motorhome buyer must ask.
Go with a sturdy Australian design or splash
out on the sophisticated European?
UK manufacturer Swift has been making
headway in the Aussie market for some years
now, especially with its caravans. As for
motorhomes, Swift’s recent manufacturing
upgrades have added a touch of style, making
that decision on whether to maybe go with
something from overseas that much harder.

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Fiat Ducato An Obvious Choice
Diesel prices in Britain are currently around £1.33
per litre ($A2.37) so fuel efficiency is high on the
“must have” list and the Ducato is about as fuel
efficient as a motorhome power plant can be.
The Fiat cab is also rich on features and offers
automatic shifting transmission, cruise control,
Bluetooth, central locking, airbags, anti-lock
brakes and air conditioning as standard.
Swift has done a sensational job of integrating
the cab into the body to create a seamless unit.
Everything flows together and it is hard to tell
where the Fiat leaves off and the motorhome
component starts. Even the leather-covered
seats have integrated Swift emblems. This is the
kind of fit and finish the Europeans are famous for
and the Swift Black edition does not disappoint.
It introduces a timber-less manufacturing

process to the roof and outside walls which
are said to be both lighter and stronger than
ever and totally impervious to water. So
confident is Swift in its new building process,
it offers a ten year “water ingress” warranty
when it comes to water leaks plus a three
year warranty on the internal cabinetry.

Unexpected Sleeping Spaces
Like most motorhomes aimed at more affluent
buyers, the main bed is the hero in the Swift
Kontiki 625 Black Edition. The north south
facing bed is queen sized and comfortably
proportioned and there is a reasonable walkway
on either side too. This setup offers an advantage
over east-west beds in that no one has to climb
over their sleeping partner to go to the bathroom.
Although the Kontiki 625 is offered with a
luton peak, the model reviewed is a B class
motorhome yet even this comes with an
additional sleeping space for two. With some
clever shuffling of cushions and supports
between the side facing two-seater couch and
the forward facing two-seater dinette, an extra
bed can be pulled together in no time. On the
down side, storage space usually found beneath
the seats is given over to the supports for the bed
but this a not a huge loss as lifting cushions and
seat bases to get at things is highly overrated.
If you do need to accommodate more than
four, you will want the optional luton peak which