The science behind the dealer special edition is simple. Take a basic model of caravan, add a choice selection of extras from the options list, give it a unique personality with bespoke graphics and fabrics, and voilà! You have a van that offers mid-market appeal for a temptingly affordable price-tag.

The eight-strong Marquis Lifestyle range follows this approach faithfully. Despite the Swift branding, it’s actually based on the Sprite and at the top of the range sits a pair of twin-axle, fixed-bed models.

We spent two weeks in a six-berth Swift Lifestyle 6 FB – with a fixed nearside bed to the rear, a corner washroom, an offside dinette and a parallel front lounge – to find out whether the extra kit of this reworked Sprite Quattro FB turns it into a caravan fit for a touring family.

The £1825 price difference between the Sprite and its Lifestyle clone initially seems hard to justify. But take a calculator to the Sprite options list and it soon makes sound financial sense, as well being more aesthetically pleasing.

Standard kit includes items such as the Scorpion alloy wheels, an AKS 3004 hitch stabiliser, Secure wheel lock receivers, a door flyscreen, a microwave, scatter cushions and a radio/CD/MP3 player with iPod connectivity (all part of the Sprite’s £595 Diamond Pack).

There’s also a panoramic front sunroof (usually £365), an alarm (£260), and a 100W solar panel (you have to pay £275 for an 80W version on the Sprite).

And that’s before you take into account the various other items that aren’t on the standard model’s options list, such as the uprated upholstery, the Omnivent, the external 230V mains socket and the gas barbecue point.

The Swift Lifestyle 6 FB sits on a twin-axle galvanised-steel Al-Ko chassis. It uses Swift’s ‘SMART Plus’ construction which comprises ‘PURe’ timberless polyurethane body framing, styrofoam insulation and GRP outer skins for the floor and roof.

Our 2016 model featured aluminium sidewalls, but changes for 2017 Sprite caravans – which will be shared by dealer specials such as the Lifestyle – were announced shortly after our test.

The most fundamental is the decision to shift to more dent-resistant GRP for the sidewalls, while all models also gain Swift’s Command system, with a smart control panel that allows you to monitor various caravan systems. If you download a free app, you can also control functions such as lighting and heating remotely via your smartphone or tablet.

Even though this dealer special is based on the Swift Group’s lowliest model range, it’s still a fine-looking tourer that hides its size well thanks to elegant design. 

Up front, there’s an upmarket triple window topped by a panoramic front sunroof. The stylish graphics in red and grey will stand the test of time and more closely align the Lifestyle with the mid-market Challenger than the greens of the Sprite.

To the rear, you’ll find a high-level brake light and fixing bars for the optional Thule Elite G2 two-bicycle rack.

And to see other Swift caravans for sale, click here – or for Sprite caravans, click here.