Volkswagen has revealed the seventh-generation California, a camper van derived from the long-wheelbase version of the MQB-based T7 Multivan that launched back in 2021. First previewed by a concept last August, the new California will go on sale in June 2024, with deliveries set to take place in the second half of the year.
In terms of powertrains, the California is available with two four-cylinder engines, including a TDI diesel making 150 PS (148 hp or 110 kW) or a TSI petrol with 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW) – both drive the front wheels.
New for the California is an eHybrid plug-in hybrid setup that features a 1.5 litre TSI evo2 petrol engine, an electric motor, a battery and the company’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system. Exact power figures weren’t provided but the company says the California eHybrid is “the ideal companion for all globetrotters, winter campers and campers with boats or bikes on a trailer.”
Given its Multivan roots, the California is larger than its predecessor – the California 6.1 – and measures in at 5,173 mm long, 1,941 mm wide (without exterior mirrors), 1,901 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 3,124 mm.
As standard, all versions of the California (we’ll get to those soon) come with a pop-up roof as well as sliding doors on the left and right sides to make it easier to load items. On the former, Volkswagen says the interior height is 1,297 mm when the roof is closed, and increases to 2,108 mm when the pop-up roof is open. The pop-up roof comes with a front window and large front opening in addition two side windows in the bellows (all with mosquito nets).
With these features, owners can use their California as an open-air terrace for the first time, with an optional awning available for order for the left or right side if they want some protection against rain or too much sun.
Another new aspect of the California are individual seats instead of a bench seat in the rear, which Volkswagen says allows “expensive bikes” to be stored inside. You can of course adjust the seats to suit your personal preference, like folding them down to form a bed.
On the topic of versions, there are five available for the California, namely Beach, Beach Tour, Beach Camper, Coast and Ocean. Each one comes with specific equipment to suit different camper lifestyles, with the Beach having six seats that include 2+2 individual seats in the second and third row. There’s also a mattress that fits two people under the pop-up roof that can be opened and closed manually with an easy-to-operate mechanism.
The Beach Tour is similar to the Beach but adds on rotating and height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, two ergonomic folding chairs in the boot lid, lighting in the pop-up roof and sliding windows in the rear doors. This variant also comes with a five-inch touchscreen in the C-pillar on the passenger side, which provides access to all camper van functions. Users can also do the same via the in-car app on the infotainment system or by using the California smartphone app.
Unlike the Beach, the Beach Tour is a five-seater with three individual seats in the rear, with the two outermost ones able to fold back completely to create two additional sleeping spaces – there’s also an additional fold-out mattress on board. A lithium iron phosphate (LFP) camper battery with 40 Ah of energy capacity is also included with this version.
Next up, the Camper is also a five-seater but comes with a mini kitchen that includes a 230V power supply, a single-ring gas cooker, cutlery drawer and additional storage space in the load compartment. This kitchen unit can be pulled out to the rear when the tailgate is open but is otherwise kept inside to protect against the elements.
The next step up is the Coast, a four-seater that gets a full-fledged kitchen on the driver side and an additional camper van battery for 80 Ah of energy capacity. Volkswagen says the redesigned kitchenette, which features cabinets, a sink and a single-ring gas cooker, offers similar space to the unit fitted in the California’s predecessor, but does not protrude as far forward.
Lastly, the Ocean is the flagship version of the California as it has been in the past and comes as a four-seater with exclusive features. These include Melange Raven seat fabric made from recycled material and with California lettering embroidered onto the backrests of the front seats.
The luxury option also gets seat heating for the front seats, an auxiliary air heater, Climatronic automatic air-conditioning, a roof storage box and background lighting in the kitchenette. The Ocean and Coast also get a larger fresh water tank with 28 litres of capacity, which is five more than before. Both also have an exterior folding table and an additional 230V power socket.
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Confirmed 99.9% toppled turn turtle during freak weather storm
Too bad. We get only alphard and hellfire.
In Malaysia, food and drink we can get easily. What they should put in is a small toilet. For traffic jams and when travelling to beaches, don’t need to use the public ones.
small matter use urinal bottle, big matter must go public toilet otherwise use sarong cover body while pass it somewhere near bushes
why ditch the rock n roll seat bed ?