Swift Select 122

Nick Harding assesses the merits of the smallest of Swift's four-strong Select range of van conversions in the shape of the two-berth 122.

Van conversions are really popular in the UK at the moment, and leading leisure vehicle manufacturer Swift has a considerable stake in this market. It offers four Fiat Ducato-based Select models, with the two-berth 122 here very much the baby. It’s 6m long, offers two berths and sports a familiar end-lounge floorplan. On-the-road prices start at £58,390, putting it pretty much right in the middle of its sector.

BUILD QUALITY – 77%

Swift adds all windows aft of the cab as part of the conversion process. They’re not fully flush-fitting, but the overall look is instantly striking. For 2022, all Selects come in Fiat’s Lanzarote Grey paint finish, a colour developed specifically for the leisure vehicle sector. Swift has never been one to shy away from styling, with graphics, just a little bit of extra blue trim and 16in alloy wheels really helping these latest Selects stand out from a packed van conversion crowd. But often it’s the things you can’t see that really make a difference – like Swift’s use of Thinsulate insulation. As standard you also get the Thule awning, fixed sunroof over the cab area, 100W solar panel, exterior barbecue point and external shower connection, plus a full flyscreen on the sliding door.

DRIVING – 86%

Welcome to the Series 8 version of Fiat’s venerable Ducato. Here we have the latest 2.2-litre Euro 6D 140bhp Multijet 3 engine, with updated six-speed manual transmission as well as new electrical power steering. Safety systems such as Electronic Stability Control and Roll-Over Mitigation, as well as fuel-saving stop-start technology, daytime running lights and reversing sensors are welcome features. There’s just the one option – nine-speed automatic transmission at a somewhat hefty £2,995.

It’s all change in the cab, where there’s a new control-rich steering wheel and tweaked,  Silver Techno dashboard that includes a 7in colour touchscreen with DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. Cab air-conditioning is standard.

From a driving point of view, this is the best Ducato yet – for economy, performance, overall handling, and all-important emissions. 

DAYTIME – 78%

Those full-height back doors in the two-settee lounge are just begging to be opened when you arrive on site. There's plenty of room back here too, thanks to the much-favoured formula that puts the washroom and kitchen opposite each other mid-van. You have a choice of two tabletops: the larger, rectangular one stows on the bulkhead behind the driver’s seat for travel, while the wardrobe houses a smaller, circular top more suited to coffee breaks. 

Opening windows to three sides feature concertina blinds and flyscreens, while overhead there’s a Heki Midi roof light that’s great for further ventilation. Heating is via Truma’s trusty Combi 6. There are also fittings in the lounge for a television.

Overhead lockers lining each wall feature Swift’s usual easy-to-operate catches. The sills on the windows are a nice unexpected touch, while the solid interior walls, in a finish that looks easy to keep clean, should also find favour. Each of the three individually switched reading lights has a dimmer function. 

NIGHT-TIME – 77%

There’s enough length to the rear settees (6ft 2in) to consider them as single beds (each is 2ft 2in wide). Or you can make a 6ft 2in x 6ft 1in double by sliding both squab sections together and popping each backrest into the middle section. Frames are slatted for extra support as well as all-important ventilation to the underside of the cushions. This sleeping arrangement also allows easy access to the washroom and kitchen at night. Cab blackout is courtesy of blinds – a full-width option for the windscreen and one for each of the side windows. 

KITCHEN – 74%

It may be a minor point, but the kitchen worktop comes with a slight upstand for that bit of extra protection from unwanted spillages. The unit houses a Thetford Triplex cooker comprising a three-ring gas hob and combined oven/grill. A flip-up extension to the right of the sink provides the only real worktop, and there’s a handy waste bin at floor level. 

Kitchen storage provision includes two upper-level lockers (one featuring a cup holder), a large shelved cupboard under the sink that also houses a cutlery drawer, and a further locker (also shelved) below the oven. Two mains sockets are conveniently positioned nearby. Across the corridor, beneath the wardrobe, is an 85-litre capacity Dometic fridge with removable freezer box and automatic selection for its three power sources. 

WASHROOM – 70%

The double-hinged door is unusual, but it does help with access. The lined-plastic washroom is pretty compact, but the foldaway basin allows for extra space when needed.

There’s a curtain to pull around when showering – not ideal, but it does the job. The showerhead is a water-efficient Ecocamel Jetstorm model with on/off button, while underfoot is a shower tray that has a decent depth and two drainage outlets. 

A standard rooflight provides the ventilation, while the swivel-bowl toilet houses a heater outlet in its base. Toilet roll and towel holders complete the washroom make-up. 

DETAILS – 80%

The Select 122 is well prepared for winter – the 93-litre fresh and 58-litre waste water tanks get heaters and pipe insulation. Meanwhile, Truma’s MonoControl Crash Sensor gas pressure regulator is designed to allow you to operate the heating and hot water systems safely while on the road. 

You are only provided with an 80Ah leisure battery (but don’t forget the solar panel). Entertainment? There’s the Status 570 TV aerial, while ceiling-mounted Kenwood speakers mean the cab stereo can make its presence felt in the lounge. 

Among the fittings that may be small but can make all the difference, there’s a double coat hook just inside the sliding door, and a couple of neat shelves in the door recess. 

Further storage is provided by cloth pockets either side of the lounge and the nearside settee base (the offside bench houses the Truma boiler and electrics).

VERDICT – 77%

Everything you could want in a 6m-long van conversion is here. Fiat’s latest Ducato and Swift’s conversion work come together to create the very model of a modern motorhome.