What is it?

Volkswagen’s foray into the camper van market began over 60 years ago, and the California moniker has been used for well over 25 of those years, which is quite an achievement.  In 2019 the Cali, as the kids on the street call it, was given a substantial facelift with improvements in practicality, comfort and safety.

Built and designed entirely by Volkswagen (not outsourced like Mercedes and Ford), the California is a converted VW Transporter - a good looking one at that, that gained plenty of admiring glances, thumbs-up and comments during our week together.

On the road

The Ocean’s 2.0 litre TDI has 200bhp, and using a delightful 7-speed DSG gearbox will get you to 62mph in 11.9 seconds and carry on to 126mph.  I can’t imagine a time when you would need to go that fast in a camper van, unless you’re on an autobahn and running late for a ferry!  Normal tootling around saw 39mpg, which I thought was rather good, considering its weight.

Despite weighing in at 3,080kg and being a bit top heavy, the Cali' doesn’t wallow around corners as much as you would imagine.  It was quiet, too, with all the amenities of a hotel room and more, I expected creaks and moans from the cupboards and so on, but there wasn’t any.

I found the California to have a better on-road ride than the Ford Nugget, not that there’s anything wrong with the Nugget, it’s just that the Volkswagen is nicer.

Standard across the California 6.1 range, you have Driver Steering Recommendation that gives the driver suggested inputs to help stabilise the vehicle. The system also intervenes using gentle adjustments if it recognises oversteer when cornering.  There’s also Crosswind Assist, Adaptive Cruise, Lane Assist, Park Assist and Side protection.

Interior

Starting up front I was pleasantly surprised at how more modern and user friendly the VW is in comparison to the Transit, it’s less van-like. You still get lots of practical cubby areas, and there’s plenty of space between the front seats for a fat bloke like me to get into the back without getting out the vehicle.  Both front seats swivel, obviously.

The living area is a traditional camper design, with the double-ring gas-fired hob, fridge, sink, drawers and cupboards all neatly fitted along the passenger side of the Cali'.

The rear bench seat slides back and forth as you would expect, and offers further storage underneath. I’m not going to say that the rear seat is the comfiest for long journeys, but it needs to be flat for you to sleep comfortably on.

When it’s time for bed, the rear bench seat easily lowers to offer a comfy nights sleep, and if you want to sleep higher up, the electric roof takes only moments to raise, though access can be a tad tricky. Once up and settled the mattress offers plenty of support and the sides are taut enough not to flap around in the wind.

Back downstairs, another really cool feature is the integrated window blinds, especially up front where they roll out from the side of the A-pillars to cover the windscreen. Oh yes, I almost forgot - the windows in the rear seating area are double glazed with heat-insulating glass (green) up front.

Whether you’re exploring in the height of summer or mid-winter, the Cali' keeps you comfortable with chilled air conditioning and a bloomin’ great heater that warms up the van in no time.

The table is cleverly stored in the sliding door and disguised as a panel and can be used both inside and outside the Cali.  On the subject of clever storage, the two camping chairs are stored in a zip-up fabric bag that’s attached to the rear tailgate.  The tailgate initially opens to a convenient height to access the chairs, then can be raised to its full height.

No camper van would seen without a side awning, and the Cali’s is simple to operate and offers both much needed protection from both the sun, and rain.

Of course there are compromises, for a vehicle of this size you don’t get a toilet or shower, but there are plenty of spaces to store a shower tent/cubicle and porta-potty.

Conclusion

Loved it!  Volkswagen have done a top-notch job of creating a compact home from home that throughout the vehicle has a quality feel about it.  Just wish I had had a bit more time to go exploring in it!

Prices start at just over £60,000 for the California, rising to £73,010 for the Ocean.

more at » volkswagen-vans.co.uk