There’s no reason families of up to six shouldn’t enjoy the motorhome lifestyle – especially if you can get your hands on something like this. The 466 is a more recent addition to Swift’s Edge motorhome line-up where prices are kept keen.
Bunks are best for six appeal?
No doubt the two rear bunks beds in the Swift Edge 466 will have instant appeal to younger family members, but there’s also a double bed in the large overcab pod, plus the facility to make a second double from the dinette.
With proper travel seating for half a dozen, this counts as a full six-berth motorhome. The price you do pay, however, is a maximum laden weight of 3,650kg, so do check your driving licence allows you to use C1 status vehicles like this.
You’ll certainly soon get used to the more relaxed driving style of a vehicle that, on first acquaintance can seem intimidating thanks to its sheer size.
The Swift Edge 466 motorhome is based on long-term favourite Fiat’s Ducato which, in latest guise, comes with such luxuries as a DAB radio, part of an “infotainment” system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and a 5in screen, plus a steering wheel with cruise control/phone/stereo system controls. As we’ve come to expect now, too, air conditioning is a standard cab fitting and those rear parking sensors will help with reversing, and will attract a small motorhome insurance discount.
As standard, it’s Fiat’s latest 2.2-litre turbodiesel, but it’s only rated at 120bhp. If you want more muscle, and automatic transmission, you’ll have to head for the options list.
There’s not much in the way of cost-cutting with the bodywork, though. That huge overcab pod is all-GRP (apart from its single side window), as is the rest of the outer bodyshell, with polyurethane blocks and polystyrene insulation for the upper framework and tougher, denser Styrofoam in the floor. Fixings are already in place to add a Thule bike rack. There’s a 10-year bodywork warranty, too.
Windows to the Edge 466’s living quarters are semi-flush fitting and the habitation door now has two-point locking – no window here is one of a number of areas where Swift has kept costs down. It also lacks the large rooflight over the lounge that so many motorhomes boast nowadays.
Inside, all the seating is towards the front, with a double dinette behind the driver and an inward-facing settee aft of the cab passenger’s seat. On-site, this is your lounge, complete with side-fixing table which, with extension piece added, feels like it really could cope with six diners.
The kitchen is diagonally opposite, offering a full complement of cooking facilities – Thetford cooking with a three-gas rings/electric hotplate hob and a combined oven and grill, plus a microwave oven set directly above. There’s permanent worktop to the left of the sink (to place the detachable drainer) as well as a flip-up extension the other side of the cooker.
The only real gripe here is the somewhat limited 83-litre fridge capacity, although there is a removable freezer box and three-way automatic energy selection.
Opposite the kitchen, the washroom in the Swift Edge 466 has a swivel-bowl toilet and a corner fixed basin with a locker below. The tap has a pull-out hose extension so you can use it for showering – there’s also a curtain to pull around – its trigger operation is a good water saver!
Night time will test your organisational skills. The overcab double is hinged and simply pulls down into place; the second double – from the dinette – takes a bit more construction. They’re wider than the average bunks at the back – at 85cm – while either will easily accommodate six-footers, as do the two doubles.
Those bunks aren’t just about kid appeal – they save space too, in terms of optimising the room for daytime living. Plus, the lower bunk folds upright to create a storage area accessed from outside.
Overall equipment in the Swift Edge 466 is above expectations for this class of vehicle. Heating and hot water are from a Truma Combi system. An 80Ah leisure battery is standard, as is a Status 570 TV aerial. Fresh and waste water tanks are 100 and 60 litres respectively.
Be prepared to widen your net a little if you’re looking for a six-berth motorhome – especially if you want to keep the costs down. They are out there, but there are a few alternative floorplans to consider before you decide what works best for you and the rest of your family.
*This Swift Edge motorhome was reviewed at Salop Leisure.
Verdict: Swift thinks big, prices small
Plus: Big berths for your bucks, lots of daytime living space
Minus: Only the 120bhp engine as standard, small fridge
In-a-nutshell: Price-buster multi-berth to add to your Edge fund
There’s more information on the Edge motorhome range on the Swift website. Find out more about insuring this or your current motorhome on our motorhome insurance page.
Alternatives: Bailey Autograph 81-6, Benimar Primero 313, Compass Avantgarde/Elddis Autoquest 196, Roller Team Auto-Roller 707, Rimor Super Brig 87 Plus, Sun Living A 70DK
Swift Edge 466 factfile
Model | Swift Edge 466 |
Base vehicle | Fiat Ducato |
Dimensions | 7.32m L x 2.39m W x 2.98m H |
Berths | Six |
Travel seats | Six |
Maximum weight | 3,650kg |
Payload | 634kg |
MPG estimate | 28-32 |
RRP | From £61,195 on the road |
Safety & security | ESC with ASR (anti-slip regulation, ROM (roll-over mitigation and hill-holder, ECO Pack (stop-start, smart alternator, energy-saving fuel pump), electronic immobiliser, ABS and EBD, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, reversing sensors, VIN CHIP |
Key options | 140bhp engine and alloy wheels (£1,195), 140bhp engine and automatic transmission plus alloy wheels (£3,695), SwiftShield upholstery (£495), towbar (£695), awning (£695), bike rack (£315), metallic grey cab plus cab passenger seat swivel (£695) |
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