The Volkswagen camper van is the stuff of automotive legend: surf boards on the roof, a mattress thrown in the back, but that’s all cast aside in favour of a boutique hotel feel for the newest iteration of Volkswagen camper van. Welcome to the newest VW California, complete with sliding doors to each side and a distinctly hi-tech feel. Your average surfie would be green with envy.
Naturally the two-tone colourways on offer do include a variety of shades of green, so that will occupy happy hours on the configurator. More important are the improvements to this most luxurious iteration of the Volkswagen camper van. While big news are those dual sliding doors for maximum ease of access, it’s the detailing that, as ever on VW products, attracts the attention. Kitchenette is ready and waiting for your just-caught fresh fish, with toughened glass worktop for filleting. Single gas cooking ring can be augmented with an induction hob for super-quick dinners.
Boffins at headquarters in Wolfsburg suggest that owners of the new California version of the latest VW camper van can expect to live off-grid for up to five days before needing to top up the inbuilt battery from an external supply. Levels of drinking and waste water are easily monitored via an iPad style screen, whose functions can be mirrored using a special app on your mobile phone. No need to even stir from your bed in the electrically-operated pop-up roof, then.
You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choices of propulsion on your new Volkswagen camper. Go for standard two wheel-drive petrol or diesel VW California if you will, but our selection would be the four wheel-drive 242 bhp eHybrid model, with an all-electric range of 62 miles and a towing ability of up to two tons, just in case you’d like to add extra accommodation in the form of a caravan.
The Eagles suggested that while you could check out of the Hotel California any time you like, you could never leave. The latest Volkswagen camper van makes sure that this is one California that you’d be perfectly happy to remain in. It’ll cost though. While VW have yet to confirm prices for the California iteration of their new Volkswagen camper van, it’s likely you’ll need at least £60,000 for the basic version and around £80,000 for our choice, the fully optioned four wheel-drive VW camper van. Not cheap, but it’s such a lovely place.
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