The all-new Volkswagen California campervan series has been unveiled in Germany.
This iconic Volkswagen campervan line-up offers five versions: the California Ocean, California Coast, California Beach, California Beach Tour, and California Beach Camper.
The California has long held the title of the world’s most renowned campervan, boasting over 280,000 units sold to date.
Now, the brand-new California, based on the extended VW Multivan, aims to carry on its predecessors’ success.
Every aspect of the campervan has been revamped by Volkswagen, enhancing its spaciousness, intelligence, sophistication, versatility, and sustainability.
Retaining signature features like the pop-top roof, Volkswagen ensures that the California remains suitable for everyday use and camping adventures alike.
For the first time, all California campervans come standard with two sliding doors, improving accessibility.
Another innovation is the introduction of a plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive system, allowing the campervan to temporarily function as an electric vehicle for extended ranges.
Pre-sales for the new California start in June, with Volkswagen offering various versions tailored to different needs and lifestyles, ranging from the compact Beach models to the fully equipped Coast and Ocean variants.
The new California sits between Volkswagen’s smaller Caddy California and the larger Grand California.
It features a pop-up roof with a front window, large front opening, and two additional side windows with mosquito nets.
In a first, both sides of the vehicle can now be used as open-air terraces, with an optional awning available for shelter from the elements.
Inside, individual seats replace the rear bench, offering more flexibility for cargo and passenger arrangements.
Additionally, a new campervan control unit allows for easy management of all functions via display or smartphone app.
Under the bonnet, the new California offers three powertrain options: a turbo-diesel engine, a turbocharged petrol engine, and a plug-in hybrid drive, combining efficiency with impressive performance.
Available in various exterior color options and wheel designs, the new California caters to diverse preferences. Each version is equipped with removable seats, practical drawers, and ample USB-C ports for convenience.
The California Beach, which is like a basic Multivan with a manual pop-up roof, is the starting option. It has six seats (two in the front and four individual seats in the back) and room for two to sleep under the pop-up roof, which you can open and close easily with a new mechanism.
The bed in the raised roof is 2,054mm by 1,137mm in all the new California models. It comes with a comfy mattress and good-quality disc springs.
The California Beach Tour comes with some standard features like adjustable seats for the driver and passenger, foldable chairs in the trunk, lighting in the pop-up roof, sliding windows, and a control unit screen.
Plus, it includes a camper battery onboard. Unlike the Beach and Multivan, it can seat five people, with the back seats able to fold completely for extra sleeping space.
There’s even a fold-out mattress and a foldable table for added convenience.
The California Beach Camper’s Type Approval is for a classic campervan.
Just like the Beach Tour, it can seat up to five people and comes with a super compact mini-kitchen and a 230V power connection.
The kitchen, featuring a single-ring gas cooker, a drawer for cutlery, and extra storage space, is set up in a fixed module in the back of the van.
To use it, you simply pull out the kitchen unit toward the back when the boot lid is open, which also shields it from rain.
The California Coast, a four-seater van, now boasts two individual rear seats, a full kitchenette, and an extra campervan battery.
The Ocean model shares these features.
The kitchenette has been revamped, offering a layout similar to its predecessor but with a sleeker design that doesn’t jut out as far.
This redesign brings several benefits: ample space for accessing the sliding door on the left, more room for larger drivers to adjust their seats comfortably, and the ability to fully rotate the driver’s seat.
Additionally, there’s now room for a refrigerator that opens like a drawer for convenient access from both inside and outside the vehicle.
The fold-out bed in the living area measures 1,980mm by 1,060mm and is well-supported when unfolded, resting on a folded seat and a step integrated into the kitchenette.
Plus, the California Coast is fully campervan Type Approved.
The Ocean remains to be the flagship model in the new Volkswagen California line-up.
It’s a four-seater, unlike the Coast version, and it comes with lots of extra features as standard.
These extras include special Mélange Raven seat fabric made from recycled materials (with “California” embroidered on the front seats), heated seats for the driver and passenger, an auxiliary air heater, automatic air conditioning (Climatronic), a big storage box on the roof above the cargo area, and ambient lighting in the kitchenette.
In both the Coast and Ocean models, the fresh water tank is now 28 liters, up from 23 liters.
They also both come with a handy folding table for outside use (which can also be used indoors or as an extension to the countertop) and an extra 230V socket outside for an electric stove.
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