Price £13,895
MTPLM 1640kg
Warranty 3 years parts;
6 years body
omething very special is needed for a van to win a Practical Caravan award. But it takes something extra for a caravan
to become our overall Tourer of the Year. The Swift 620 Charisma has the necessary star quality
in spades.
There are other vans on
the market that offer a fixed
bed, a spacious dinette and
a comfortable end-washroom, but none of them do it for less than £14,000. Swift's outstanding achievement has been to offer the space and style of a luxury tourer at a mid-market price.
See the 620 parked next to rival caravans costing £18,000 or so and you'll struggle to justify spending another £4000. Yes, more expensive vans will come with a microwave and a CD
player included as standard,
but Swift owners can select these items as options for just £115 and £140 respectively.
Practical Caravan Reader Enthusiasts Roy Mann and Laura Truby were among the first to see the 620 in the metal (see p104), and they agree that the Swift is a cut above the rest. "The whole van has an air of class," says Roy. "It looks a lot more expensive than it is."
That's not just because this is a big van with a mid-range price. Build quality is worthy of a more expensive model, which is something that's impressed us about all the Swift Group vans we've tested over the past 12 months. Lockers and cupboards open and close with a reassuring precision that suggests years of loyal, reliable service to come.
Read the full review of this tourers, plus our verdict, in the Awards issue.
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The Practical Caravan judges have returned from their travels around the country. The votes have been cast and now we can reveal which manufacturer has won the year's ultimate caravan accolade. Of course, the real benefit of these awards is not just to the manufacturer - they are to show you the best buys.