146 outandaboutlive.co.ukSeptember 2019
T
he Edge is a new range of
coachbuilt motorhomes for
2020 from the UK’s largest
leisure vehicl e manuf acturer, Swift.
Its in troduction is a response to the
company’s feelin g that the Escape
had crept upmarket of its traditional
competitors, leaving room for anew
model below. Swift describes the
newcomeras ‘specifically designed as
a starter motorhome’, so it’s no shock
to see family-friendly lay outs with up
to six berths and six travel seats. What
does surprise is that three of the five
models come with an overcabbody, a
type that some pundits considered to
havereceived the last rites, especial ly
after both Bailey and Elddis left the
sect or to focus on low-profiles.
Here, though, the lutonlacks the
usual baseball cap- style peak, with
just a modest jutting prowover the
windscreen. Thus, when lowered in to
position, the bed sits partiall y above
the lounge (60cmaft of the ca b), bu t
without restrict ing the use of any
seats (unlike a d rop-down bed in a
low-profile). The bed is also simply
on a hinged base, supported by gas
struts, so (probably with an eye to the
ham-fisted hiremarket) there’s no
mechanism to gowrong, no motor to
fa il, no fuse to trip. Equally, though,
there’s more r estricted headroom
in the bed (a maximumof 54cm,
reducing noticeably towards the fr ont)
and the Duvalay mattress sits on a
solid plywood base, while ventilation
comes from a small window in the
nearside. This shows j ust how far Swift
has been prepared to go tokeep the
Edge’s pricing competitive. This 476
model starts at £47,990.FROM B TO D
It’s the latest Fiat Ducato cab that
underpins this motorhome, though,complete with 2.3-litre diesel engine
designed to meet the latest Euro 6d
emissionsstandard. As you’d expect,
it’s the new entry-level 120bhp unit
here, butthe onlyclue to the ch assis
update i s when you refue l andspot the
AdBlue filler under the diesel one.
The Ducato still boasts good road
manners andis easy to drive; it’s in
the cabwhere its age is showing ,
especially without anyof the fancier
fittingsthat Fiat offers. Height/ tilt
adj ustment and apair of armrests
apiece do all ow front seat occupants
to get comfy andthe Driver’s Pack
adds the essentialpassenger airbag, as
well as cruise control, DAB radio and
reversin g se nsors.
The new engine provides
adequate performance, andwill suit
most owners as its t orque figureis
comparable to the previous 130bhp
unit.On the road, rattles fr om the
livingarea weren’t absent but the EdgeThe cab seats are not used onsite as the layout has six travel seatsrather than the usual four