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quoteA heavyweight contender
Everything is big about this motorhome, except one thing which we’ll tell you about later. The Swift Kon-tiki is a full-on six-berth that weighs in at a positively heavyweight 5,000kg maximum.
A 28ft long tag axle, with a traditional overcab design. You get a full-length, recessed awning as standard. And not one, but two LED awning lights. There’s plenty of exterior access storage access, without going to the extreme of a full garage at the back.
Despite its multi-berth capacity, you can also see the attractions of the Swift Kon-tiki 649 for any family, from couples upwards. The rear lounge, with its long settees, for instance, could easily provide permanent, 6ft-plus, twin single beds. Or a transverse double. Indeed, a pleated divider completes its role as a bedroom.
Swift supplies this Kon-tiki with the 150bhp version of Fiat’s 2.3-litre engine, but you can’t help feeling it really warrants the 180bhp upgrade, although that adds some £2,345 – and that’s before you consider whether you also want Comfort-Matic automatic transmission.
It all comes on Al-Ko’s double-floor chassis coupled to Fiat’s Ducato Maxi cab in metallic black. And that overcab pod is one of the biggest of its type, comfortably housing a double bed, with Duvalay mattress on a slatted base, that hinges up out of the way when not needed. Crucially, there’s also significant headroom here, too.
Sleeping berths five and six come courtesy of the adapted forward lounge, which in daytime mode comprises a double dinette (with four three-point seat belts) and a settee. Both cab seats are on swivels, too, but they barely get a look in here. Instead, it’s all plush upholstery and softly sprung seating that contribute to the overall luxury.
Mid-‘van, the washroom is on the offside and it’s suitably roomy, housing a fully-lined shower cubicle as well as a swivel-bowl toilet and corner basin. There’s high- and low-level storage here, but it’s a slight surprise there’s just the one double hook and a single looped towel holder. A window is a notable omission, too.
The floor-to-ceiling wardrobe between the washroom is comparatively capacious, with plenty of hanging space and shelving, despite this also being the storage location for a free-standing table, as well as the header tank for the Alde central heating system.
All this leaves the kitchen to extend along the nearside. Sure enough, there’s plenty of corian-style work surface here, with an inset stainless steel sink immediately next to the cooker – a Dometic model with dual-fuel hob (three gas rings, one electric hotplate) and separate oven and grill – supplemented by a microwave oven. Kitchen storage is plentiful, too, with plenty of racking in the various lockers.
As you’d expect in a motorhome of this size and price, the standard equipment list is almost infinite. Highlights include DAB cab stereo, solar panel, twin leisure batteries, Swift’s exclusive Command control system. There’s also the Winter Pack… making the kit list go on and on.
That one small thing, then? Swift’s designers have included a 110-litre fridge which seems a little small for a motorhome like this…
Verdict: Set up for six, in luxury
Plus: Lots of seating and sleeping configurations, high on kit
Minus: Small fridge, windowless washroom
In-a-nutshell: Bring on the big stuff
There’s more information on the Kon-tiki on the Swift website. Find out more about insuring this or your current motorhome on our motorhome insurance discounts page.
Alternatives: Auto-Trail Frontier Comanche S
Swift Kon-tiki 649 factfile
| Model | Swift Kon-tiki 649 |
| Base vehicle | Fiat Ducato Maxi/Al-Ko |
| Dimensions | 8.56m L x 2.35m W x 3.08m H |
| Berths | Six |
| Travel seats | Six |
| Maximum weight | 5,000kg |
| Payload | 815kg |
| MPG estimate | 24-28 |
| RRP | From £80,360 on the road |
| Safety & security | Electronic immobiliser, Swift Command Thatcham Cat 6 proactive tracking device (subject to annual subscription), remote central locking to all doors, ABS and EBD, EBA (emergency brake assist), twin airbags, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguisher, twin-lens colour rear-view monitor |
| Key options | 180bhp engine (£2,345), Comfort-Matic automatic transmission (£1,750), Al-Ko air suspension (from £6,995), Winchester Stone leather upholstery (£2,195), roof rack and ladder (£550), detachable towbar and electrics (£595), Swift Command tracker annual subscription (£95) |
How much fridge space does everyone need when you’re mobile? we have this vehicle, it offers so much space and freedom and does go anywhere… if you need more chilling then get another chill box and put it under the rear lounge seats, perfect for all the cold drinks, water etc – runs on 12v and 240v so chilling whilst driving… and accessible from the inside
personal recommendation – if your buying new, have the 180BHP engine as certaily makes the difference – if you can afford add the E & P system / front suspension springs upgrade, changes the whole dynamics of the vehicle when driving and parked, especially if you enjoy wild camping… https://www.ep-hydraulicsnews.co.uk/ then it should last you years…
enjoy…
We were also seriously looking at this model but fridge size became a deal breaker and purchased an Autotrail. Strange that such fundamental things seem to get overlooked
Great article, we have one and love it. Easy to drive in fact a great cruiser. We use it mostly in Europe where the attitude to motorhomes is somewhat more enlightened than here.Love the rear lounge just great for entertaining friends. We like the different zones within the van which enables as much freedom you can get in a relatively small space. While the fridge could be bigger its not a deal breaker for me as we like to eat out when in France as much as we can, guess if you like to stay in and cook then I can see it being an issue. Not found a van yet that ticks all the boxes but this one almost get there for us
Great to hear you’re loving your Kon-tiki Tim. Hope you enjoy lots of adventures in it for years to come.
We looked seriously at the Swift but only put off by the fridge size too and went for an AT Scout with almost identical layout
Spot on comment at the end. Some of that oversized rear lounge should have been sacrificed for a larger fridge. It won’t sell many because of the fridge. Swift have a very limited view of the motorhome market continuing to design vehicles that only suit being used in Britain. Big Ovens and small fridges! If this is the way swift think then their market will continue to be limited to owners who only spend their time in British campsites. Had one once, neighbour has one now. Wouldn’t go anywhere near one as they aren’t exportable, even for a holiday!
Thanks for your comments Andrew. We’ll pass them on to Swift.