Many years ago, Volkswagen looked at the many, many third-party companies that had spent decades turning its line of Transporter vans into campers, and had a thought: “What if we did that ourselves?” The result was the VW California, and it’s been at the forefront of the ever-growing OEM camper market ever since. Now, there’s a new one, and the big news is that it’s no longer based on a van. Well, not technically.
The new California uses the VW Multivan people carrier as its base. Yes, it does have ‘van’ in its name, and sliding doors, but it’s not related to any of VW’s proper commercial vehicles. It sits on the company’s MQB Evo platform that underpins everything from the Golf to the Cupra Formentor. As a result, it should offer a more car-like driving experience than any California that’s gone before.
All versions of the new California get a pop-top roof and sliding doors on both sides for the first time. All but the basic Beach version also get a control screen in the rear which can operate all the camping-related functions.
For now, UK Californias come with a choice of two 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines – a 148bhp diesel, or a 201bhp petrol, both of which are mated exclusively to a seven-speed DSG transmission. Later on, a plug-in petrol hybrid will arrive with a peak of 242bhp.
Volkswagen California Ocean – side
The range kicks off with the Beach, which is essentially a six-seater people carrier with pop-top sleeping quarters for two, and the ability to fold the rear seats into two further beds. That comes only with the diesel and starts at £63,376. For the full glamping experience, you’ll need to plump for the Coast, which comes in at £70,576 for the diesel and £73,492 for the petrol. That’s a four-seater with a full-on kitchenette and a fold-out bed.
The top Ocean version, meanwhile, takes the Coast’s setup and jazzes everything up a bit with posh recycled fabric upholstery, auxiliary heating, automatic air-conditioning and some ambient kitchen lighting. It’ll set you back £77,476 for a diesel and £80,392.
Volkswagen California Ocean – interior
None of them are what you’d call cheap, then, but given they’re about the same size as, and a lot more mobile than your average London studio apartment, it starts to look like a good deal. Expect to see dozens of these under #VanLife on Instagram the minute customer deliveries begin this winter.
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