New Volkswagen California 2024 review: still the camper van king

Verdict

The latest Volkswagen California isn’t tangibly better than before. The shorter kitchen isn't as useful, and it reduces the amount of available storage in the cabin – all so you can have two sliding doors. Yet overall, the Cali remains the king (or queen) of the compact campers, with loads of clever, considered features that just make it super easy to live with. This diesel will suit those who favour longer trips, but the plug-in hybrid due next year could be the game changer for those who like to stay closer to home.

With more than 20 years of history and heritage, and a lot more unofficial experience before that, no one knows the van-based camper market quite like Volkswagen. The California name first appeared on the T4 Transporter in 2003, and has been honed to perfection with every generation since.

Indeed, the T6 variant, which has been around in its various guises since 2015, was widely considered the best of its type. The likes of Ford and Mercedes have joined the party in recent years, but with over 200,000 Cali campers built to date, its rivals have some catching up to do.

Refusing to rest on its laurels, Volkswagen has just launched an all-new California. But instead of finding its platform in a commercial vehicle as before, the latest model uses the Multivan MPV as its base. That should, in theory, make it more refined and more car-like than ever, while the introduction of two sliding doors – one on each side – makes it a more practical proposition, too.

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At least, that’s the idea. We’re testing the most lavish of three available specs (Beach, Coast and Ocean), meaning our model is fitted with a compact kitchenette, shortened to allow access via that new left-hand door. It comes with a sink, pull-out fridge and single-ring gas hob, plus a small storage compartment and cutlery drawer underneath.

The old California Ocean had two gas rings, but apparently so few owners actually cooked inside their vans that VW now offers an external-facing plug and a detachable table, allowing you to fry your food on an induction plate outside under the awning instead. But during our two days of camping we didn’t use the left door once, so we’d argue the longer kitchen cabinets and the extra storage they provide would be more useful for most buyers.

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It’s a theme not exclusive to the kitchen area, actually. The wide, pull-out drawer beneath the rear seats has now been split in two to accommodate the Multivan’s individual sliding chairs, for example. The ability to remove these completely and turn your Cali into a bona fide van has its appeal, but for some, that will have been a critical cubby for things like the window shades or cleaning kit – items that will now need to sit under the sink alongside your tinned tomatoes.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it, in fact. The California is still a clever, carefully considered piece of kit, with plenty of room for odds and ends behind the rear seats and an airline-style drop-down bin for clothes or soft bags. There’s a big space under the bed at the back, which we used to store a deflated paddle board and small carry-on suitcase – all with room to spare. There’s another cupboard accessible from the back of the van, plus a zip-up bag fixed to the rearmost side window. All in, it’s unlikely you’ll be left without space to secure all you need for a week away.

Then there’s the clever Cali features that make living with one just that much easier. The front seats swivel 180 degrees, for example, and the blinds fix magnetically to the window frames – meaning you can put them up one-handed and in the dark if you need to. The interior lights are touch operated, and a double-tap now switches everything off in one go, so you don’t need to worry about fumbling around before bed. 

Speaking of beds, the California has two – each just about big enough for a pair of adults to sleep comfortably. On Coast and Ocean versions, the roof pops up electrically at the push of a button, after which you can raise the top bed so even the tallest adults can stand up inside. There are sliding side windows and zippered panels that allow decent airflow through the top – handy when temperatures refuse to drop below 20 degrees in the dead of night.

The lower of the two beds is a bit more fiddly to construct and not quite as cushy. And once it’s in place, renders the rest of the cabin largely unusable, due to the sheer amount of floor space it requires. If you’re travelling alone or even as a couple, sleeping in the roof compartment will make far more sense.

Elsewhere, the cabin feels like a solid evolution of what went before – with dark enough fabrics to be hard wearing, but not so dark that it feels claustrophobic. The infotainment system is a worthy upgrade, even if the touch sliders (similar to those in VW’s Golf) for the volume and climate controls remain an answer to a question no one asked. 

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Other tech high (or low) lights include the integrated touch panel on the C-pillar, which gives users visibility of the van’s variables – such as fresh and waste water levels, lighting and battery status. This small screen is also used to switch the fridge on and off, and can activate ‘Camping Mode’, which prevents the headlights coming on when you lock or unlock the vehicle – handy on a packed campsite in the dead of night. Thing is, the display is laggy, and everything contained within is also accessible via the Cali’s smartphone app. That’s what we’d use, given the choice.

On the road, the California throws up very few surprises. In diesel guise (as tested here) it’s a comfortable and relatively refined cruiser – only getting upset when you crash through a pothole and the whole van shakes. This is an almost unavoidable trait of any car with a hole in the roof, and the VW is certainly not immune to it.

You may argue that Volkswagen’s venerable TDI diesel is the perfect fit for a vehicle like this, capable of traversing countries and continents thanks to a range of more than 500 miles between fills. Yet next year a plug-in hybrid will join the range, expected to feature a big enough battery to offer over 60 miles of zero-emissions motoring. That might not sound like much, but the idea of creeping onto your chosen pitch in complete silence certainly has its appeal, and if you’re able to charge on site (surely one for the future?) for a reasonable fee, it could even save you money in the long run.

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles, even the basic Beach model comes with a pull-out hob in the boot. It’s arguably more practical, in fact; by not having a kitchen running the length of the interior, there’s space for five inside, and the bottom bed is a touch wider. This version comes with a manual roof, but you get the same dual-screen infotainment system and a reversing camera, plus 16-inch wheels and LED headlights. 

Coast could be the sweet spot, as it brings in the kitchenette and three-zone climate control, along with the electric roof and bigger 17-inch wheels. Ocean gets different interior fabrics, heated seats and ambient lighting, plus an electric tailgate and powered sliding side doors.

Prices will be announced shortly before orders open in October, with customer deliveries expected around year end. As mentioned, the plug-in should join the range in the new year.