New Volkswagen California review

The Volkswagen California can trace its history back to the 1950s so it's probably no surprise that it's the first model most people think of when you mention a campervan.

Things have changed a bit since the previous-generation California though – let alone the 1950 Type 2 Transporter. For example, the 2024 model is based on a long-wheelbase VW Multivan instead of a VW Transporter, adding 269mm to its length and a petrol plug-in hybrid to the engine range. Plus, you now get sliding doors on both sides, rather than just on one.

There are three main versions of the new California, all kitted out for a camping trip. Entry-level Beach Camper, which has a fold-out hob, is aimed at occasional campers, while Coast and Ocean get kitchenettes and other extra equipment.

The main rivals offer similar set-ups, so if all that appeals to you, you might also be considering a Ford Transit Custom Nugget or Mercedes V-Class Marco Polo. Read on to find out how we rate the 2024 VW California against the best campervans you can buy...

The newest of the three engine options for the VW California is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), badged the eHybrid. It combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and battery to produce a total of 242bhp. 

That power is fed to all four wheels so you get four-wheel drive and, while technical specs have not been confirmed, we suspect it’ll feel pretty potent, with a 0-62mph sprint time of 10 seconds or so. Better still, its predicted electric-only range of up to 56 miles will allow you to drive it like an electric van when there's charge in the battery, potentially keeping down fuel bills.

If you want a traditional petrol engine, you’ll need the 201bhp 2.0-litre TSI. We suspect that’ll be smooth with plenty of power but the same engine in the VW Multivan is not very efficient.

Our engine choice would be the 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel. It suits long drives far better than the PHEV or regular petrol and has plenty of low-rev grunt to get you off the line and up to speed easily, even when the camper is filled with people and luggage. 

All three engines for the California come with an automatic gearbox which is smooth when cruising around but struggles when things become more involved. Indeed, on a hilly country road, it often takes a while to drop into the right gear before lurching forwards. Luckily, flicking into Sport mode helps to alleviate the issue.

Refinement is good for the most part, with road noise kept at acceptable levels and wind noise only really becoming noticeably as the California hits motorway speeds.

There's some suspension noise over larger abrasions and, inevitably, you’ll hear the kitchen cabinets and any items in the fridge rattling away. In fairness, that’s an issue all campervans suffer from, and the California is still a more refined companion than the Ford Transit Custom Nugget – although the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo is more hushed.

In the past, the California didn’t ride very well, but switching to the Multivan platform has changed things for the better. It’s still pretty firm but even on the largest 18in wheels you won’t have many complaints about how it deals with undulations and small imperfections. 

Large abrasions, though, are its Achilles' heel. Hitting those causes a bit of a thud and can unsettle the California. If comfort is high on your list of priorities, we’d point you towards the Mercedes Marco Polo.

All-out handling isn’t the California’s forte and it’d be unfair to penalise any campervan for that. That said, it’s good in all the ways that count, with well-weighted and precise steering to help you place it on the road, and better body control than the Transit Nugget and Marco Polo. 

"The diesel California's engine gave me more than enough oomph to climb a mountain pass between campsites but the gearbox gets quite frustrating and struggles if you need to pull off from a near standstill." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

As with a lot of vans, you sit quite upright in the VW California. You quickly get used to that and the amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment makes it easy to get comfortable. Even better, the driver and passenger seats get adjustable armrests, which are great on long drives.

With a huge windscreen and large cut-outs in the front windscreen pillars, the California gives you great forward visibility and it’s easy to place it on the road. The view over your shoulder isn’t quite as impressive, but large windows on the sliding side doors and big wing mirrors ensure you can see what’s around you. Some versions – including top-spec Ocean – get blind-spot monitoring (full specs have yet to be confirmed). 

Despite the California’s size, it's easier than you might expect to park if you use the reversing camera, and the front and rear parking sensors.

Every California comes with a digital driver's display. As with the set-up in VW car models it's really easy to read and can show you lots of information plus a good-sized map. You get proper buttons on the steering wheel but unfortunately most other controls are touch-sensitive sliders and buttons, which are fiddly to use.

While we’re on the topic of screens, every California gets a 10in touchscreen on the dashboard with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, DAB radio and Bluetooth. Upgrading to top-spec Ocean trim adds built-in sat-nav.

The trouble is that the infotainment system doesn’t use VW’s latest operating system. It's not all that intuitive to use and can be a little slow as you prod around. Worst of all, though, the row of touch-sensitive sliders below the screen, which is used to control the air-con temperature and music volume, are not illuminated, making them impossible to find at night.

Some versions of the California get a 5.0in touchscreen in the rear giving you control over camping features – things like putting the California into camping mode, which turns all the exterior lights off, and letting you know how much battery power you have left. It’s not very responsive though, and menu options often take multiple presses before responding.

Everything in the California feels well-built, with all the cupboard handles and surfaces feeling as though they'll withstand regular use. It all feels pretty plush, with various appealing materials to make you feel at home. They're certainly better than the shiny stuff in a Ford Transit Custom Nugget – although the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo (with its soft-touch plastics and leather trim) feels more luxurious.

"I like that you can control all of the camping functions from the rear control panel. Although it's a bit slow, it still saves you having to clamber through into the front seats to make changes." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

Up front in the new VW California, you get big door pockets with bottle holders, two gloveboxes, two pop-out cupholders and a covered shelf that hides the USB port and 12V socket. In other words, there’s plenty of storage space (we just wish the cupholders were bigger). 

The rear seats have handy drawers underneath for even more storage and you can rotate the front ones 180 degrees to face the rear bench. It's a little tricky to rotate them but, in fairness, the front chairs in the Ford Transit Custom Nugget and Mercedes Marco Polo are fiddly too.

Further back, the set-up is quite different depending on whether you’re in a California Beach Camper, a Coast or an Ocean. Beach Camper is a five-seater and gives you three removable rear seats, allowing you lots of extra storage space. Alternatively, they can be folded to create a bed. 

You get a second bed by raising the manual roof and it's accessed through a hatch above the front seats. You can use the seats as a step to clamber up there but you still have to haul yourself up. If you’re very short or have limited mobility you’ll want to stay on the ground floor.

For al-fresco eating, you get a fold-out kitchen with a single gas hob in the boot. That allows you to stand beneath the sizeable boot hatch when cooking.

If you step up to a Coast or Ocean, you lose one of the seats (so it's a four-seater) but get the full campervan experience. The Coast is a less luxurious version with a hydraulically-assisted manually raised roof and fewer toys. Both get a full kitchen with a single gas hob, a sink with fresh and waste water tanks, a fridge and additional leisure batteries for extended stays away.

Compared with the previous-generation California, the cooker and fridge (in Coast and Ocean versions) are smaller, but there's a plus side to that. By making the fridge a small drawer below the cooker, VW has opened up space behind the front passenger seat.

As a result, you now have space to enter and exit through both of the rear sliding doors, giving you more freedom when you’ve pitched up for the night. It’s especially advantageous if you go for an optional awning on both sides, increasing your living space considerably. 

In the back, a two-person seat bench with storage is standard in Coast and Ocean versions – there’s no three-person option. Whichever model you pick, folding the seats into a bed takes a fair amount of muscle power. It’s not quite as strenuous as in the Ford Transit Custom Nugget but the electrically folding seats in the Mercedes Marco Polo make life much easier.

All new Californias get an external 230v electric socket for hooking up to the mains, and you’ll find a 230V socket and some 12V ones. The tailgate hides a couple of folding camping chairs.

There's plenty of boot space but it’s quite a tall, shallow area. It’s also worth pointing out that the lower bed stretches into the boot area when in use, limiting space significantly if you're storing stuff overnight. 

"You can tell VW isn’t new to the camper game and living in the California for three days was a pleasant experience. I just wish the monstrous – and heavy – tailgate was electric." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

Pricing for the new VW California has yet to be confirmed but we expect it to sit between the Ford Transit Custom Nugget and the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo (as was the case with the previous version). You'll be able to compare prices on our New Car Deals page.

While efficiency figures have not been released, we can get an idea from the related VW Multivan. The California’s extra weight means that we’d expect it to be slightly less efficient, which isn’t great news for the TSI petrol engine, which barely manages 30mpg in the Multivan. The TDI engine fares better, managing more than 40mpg.

CO2 figures will probably be on the high side so company car drivers wanting to keep down their BIK tax payments will want to go for the plug-in hybrid version, called the eHybrid.

The entry-level California trim, Beach Camper, comes with 16in alloy wheels, a manually-operated pop-up roof, a mini-kitchen with single-ring gas cooker and other kit.

Coast gets larger 17in wheels, a fold-out bed, three-zone climate control, an electro-hydraulic pop-up roof and VW’s new compact kitchen with a cooker, fridge, sink and more cabinets.

If you’re more the glamping type, top-spec Ocean might be for you. That version gets 18in wheels, lots more ambient lighting, electric sliding doors, an electric tailgate and adds sat-nav to the infotainment system.

Euro NCAP hasn’t tested a California for safety but the Multivan it’s based on was given the full five stars. We expect the California will get similar levels of standard safety kit, meaning automatic emergency braking (AEB), a selection of airbags and electronic assistants.

We don’t have any reliability data for the California but Volkswagen came 22nd out of 32 manufacturers in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey. That’s above Mercedes in 24th place but below Ford in 17th.

"You can’t argue with the amount of kit that you get with top-spec Ocean trim. During my camping trip, there wasn’t a creature comfort that I needed and couldn’t find. I suspect the official pricing will reveal that you pay for the luxuries though." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

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