The all-new VW California campervan is unveiled

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has unveiled the brand-new generation California campervan.

The California is a campervan icon and after building 280,000 units of this bestselling model every area of the campervan has been redesigned.

It’s longer for a start, based on the long-wheelbase version of the Multivan at 5.17m – almost 27 cm longer and than its predecessor.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has redesigned every area of the California campervan, making it more spacious, smarter, more sophisticated, more versatile and more sustainable.

For the first time ever, all California vehicles will have two sliding doors as standard, plus a plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive system. This means that the campervan temporarily becomes an electric vehicle, at the same time allowing long overall ranges.

Five versions of the new California will be available to order from June 2024 – Beach, Beach Tour, Beach Camper, (with a mini-kitchen in the rear) as well as Coast and Ocean (each with a full kitchenette on the driver’s side).

VW says the new California acts as the perfect all-rounder and ideally combines the functions of a versatile VW bus for everyday use and multifunctional campervan.

Key features of the new California campervan

All versions of the new California share the pop-up roof with a front window and large front opening as well as two extra side windows in the bellows (all with mosquito net).

Another common feature is the sliding doors on the left and right sides – so it can now be loaded and unloaded from both sides. And both sides of the vehicle can be used as an open-air terrace for the first time when pitched up.

An optional awning can now be ordered for the left or right side to shield against rain or too much sun. And there are now individual seats instead of a rear bench seat, so bikes can now also travel inside, and the seats can also be positioned individually.

Practical drawers are under all individual seats as well as in the driver and front passenger seats. A large number of 45-watt USB-C ports also makes sure that mobile devices never run out of power.

All new California campervans from the Beach Tour version upwards are also equipped with a brand-new campervan control unit in the C-pillar on the passenger side, where all campervan functions can be controlled and checked via the display. Alternatively, the functions can also be operated via a corresponding in-car app on the infotainment system and the California app on a smartphone.

All the LED and background lighting in the interior can also be switched off at the same time with a brief double tap on one of the numerous light switches.

The new VW California campervan in detail

Based on the Multivan, the campervan is 5,173 mm long (its predecessor was 4,904 mm); the width without exterior mirrors is 1,941 mm (its predecessor was 1,904 mm).

At 1,990 mm, including the lowered pop-up roof, the height is identical to that of its predecessor, which means it is again suitable for multi-storey car parks.

A long wheelbase of 3,124 mm spans between the axles so there’s more space on board than in its predecessor.

When the roof is closed, the interior height is 1,297 mm; when the pop-up roof is open, this increases to 2,108 mm.

Thanks to the MQB platform in the Multivan, a wide range of driver assist systems are available for the new California, offering extra safety and comfort. These include oncoming vehicle braking when turning function to Travel Assist, which offers semi-automated driving assistance

A new feature is the new plug-in hybrid drive (eHybrid) with a system output of 180 kW (245 PS), allowing the new California to be temporarily transformed into an electric vehicle for everyday use.

It’s the first MQB model from the Volkswagen Group to combine a plug-in hybrid drive with the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system.

Two-tone paintwork – an iconic VW California campervan feature
As an alternative to the 11 single-tone paint finishes, the following two-tone variants will be available for the new California campervan (top and bottom respectively): Mono Silver/Energetic Orange metallic, Deep Black Pearl/Fontana Red metallic and – exclusively for the new California – the new colour combination Candy White solid/Starlight Blue metallic.

The pop-up roof’s three-layer bellows can be configured in the three colours Toffee Brown, Glacier Blue and Basalt Grey. Plus, seven different 16-, 17-, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels are available for the new California.

VW California Beach Camper

The name says it all – the California Beach Camper’s type approval is for a classic campervan. Like the Beach Tour, it’s a five-seater, but is also equipped with an extremely compact mini-kitchen and a 230-volt shore power connection.

The kitchen with single-ring gas cooker, cutlery drawer and extra storage space is located in a permanently installed module in the boot area. It simply pulls out at the back when the boot lid is open (which also provides protection against the rain).

California Coast

The four-seater California Coast is equipped with two individual seats in the back, a full-fledged kitchenette on the driver side and a second campervan battery (a total of 2 x 40 Ah LiFePo). The same applies to the California Ocean.

The kitchenette has been completely redesigned and does not protrude as far forward as its predecessor thanks to the new California’s longer exterior length.

There’s still room for getting in and out of the sliding door on the left and the height-adjustable driver seat can now be rotated completely by 180 degrees; and space is created for the fridge, which opens forwards as a drawer like in the Grand California. This can also be operated from outside the vehicle for loading and unloading breakfast or chilled drinks.

The fold-out bed in the living area measures 1.98 m x 1.6 m. When folded out, it is extremely stable, resting on one of the folded-down seats on the right and on a step integrated into the kitchenette on the left.

California Ocean

The flagship model in the range, the four-seater Ocean is equipped with numerous extra standard details. These include the exclusive Mélange Raven seat fabric made from recycled material, seat heating for the driver and front passenger seats, auxiliary air heater, automatic air conditioner (Climatronic), a large roof stowage box above the load compartment and background lighting in the kitchenette.

The 28-litre fresh water tank in the Coast and Ocean models is now five litres larger. Both versions also have a practical exterior folding table (which can also be used inside and as an extension to the worktop) and an extra 230-volt socket with shore power on the outside for an electric hob.