Slovenia is fast establishing itself as a leader in stylish vehicle camping. Joining the Adria Astella caravan and Dreamcase Tesla camper kit in sleek, stylish Slovenian camper options is the Bravia Mobil Swan 699, a Mercedes Sprinter camper van so dapper you might mistake it for a private business shuttle. Pop open the door, though, and you'll find a roomy four-sleeper interior with everything you need to enjoy a road trip, including a breezy rear lounge that serves up dinner with a view.
As we mentioned when we looked at the Bravia-converted Peugeot Boxer 4x4 Concept a couple weeks ago, Bravia's vans aren't usually anywhere near that bright or flamboyant. Every time we've seen the marque at a motorhome show, it's had a booth filled with stealthy glossy-black vans that would look more at home in valet parking lots than campgrounds filled with large, white camper boxes. The Mercedes badge and slimmed headlamps of the third-generation Sprinter only add to that look as compared to Bravia's Peugeot vans.
Bravia bases its flagship camper van on a 697-cm (274-in) Sprinter, starting out with plenty of floor space for a roomy, double-lounge interior. Its layout puts a spin on the well-established European camper van formula of rear bed/central bath and kitchen/front dinette by making a rear bed that doubles as a comfy lounge by day. The cushioned benches on either side of the rear table offer plenty of seating for Swan owners and campground neighbors, and the open rear double doors let everyone enjoy the views and fresh air while chatting and relaxing the evening away. At night, the lounge transforms into a queen-size 200 x 176-cm (79 x 69-in) longitudinal bed.
We've seen rear lounge layouts before, but what's interesting about this one is that, despite having a full dining area in back, it also has a classic four-seat dinette up front in the form of a double-seat rear bench with seatbelts across a tabletop from swiveling driver cab seats. With these two seating groups, occupants can have both a dining room and living room, a workstation and a relaxation lounge, separate places to sit during an ongoing fight, etc. The dinette converts over into a second bed, and while we think Bravia's pushing it by calling the 170 x 90-cm (67 x 35-in) mattress a two-person, we suppose it'll work for small children traveling with mom and dad.
Wedged between the rear bed and the front dinette on the driver side is a wet bathroom compartment with rotating Thetford toilet, corner sink and shower floor. The kitchen across the way comes equipped with a dual-burner gas stove, 85-L fridge/freezer, and sink fed by an 85-L fresh water tank.
A standard Truma Combi 4 heating system keeps the cabin temperature comfortable and hot water flowing, while a 70-Ah AGM battery keeps the lights on.
We've always found the interiors of Bravia's vans nearly as stylish as the exteriors, at least with the right color and trim choices. The black-and-white upholstery, marble-look bathroom walls and city-skyline-themed cabinetry bring a cool, modern look.
The Swan 699 that we checked out at the 2019 Caravan Salon was priced at €75,670 (approx. US$82,975), including tax, delivery fee and optional equipment like an awning and 100-W solar charging setup. It was based on a Sprinter with 161-hp CDI engine and 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. Bravia also offers 141- and 188-hp engine options and, for those who aren't big on black, a full palette of neutral and earth tone paint options.
Source: Bravia Mobil