2024 Volkswagen California revelead – bigger, better than before
VOLKSWAGEN Commercial Vehicles has officially pulled the covers off the seventh-generation California for the European market.
It is based on the long wheelbase version of the Multivan and will be offered in five versions – Beach, Beach Tour, Beach Camper, Coast, and Ocean – when it goes on sale in June.
According to Volkswagen, every area of the California has been has redesigned, making it more spacious, smarter, more sophisticated, more versatile and more sustainable.
For example, the camper van now comes with two sliding doors as standard, as well as a pop-up roof.
When the pop-up roof is closed, the interior height is 1,297 mm and when it is open, the height increases to 2,108 mm.
Customers can also opt for an awning that can be fitted on left or right side of the vehicle to shield against rain or too much sun.
Inside, the rear bench seat has been replaced by individual seats, allowing customers to store their expensive bikes inside. The seats can also be positioned individually according to personal preferences.
From the California Beach Tour and above, the backrests of the outer seats can also be folded all the way back to form a flat bed surface.
In addition, practical drawers are located under all individual seats as well as in the driver and front passenger seats. There’s also a large number of 45-watt USB-C ports to ensure that mobile devices never run out of power.
The Beach Camper is also equipped with a permanent mini-kitchen at the rear, while the Coast and Ocean each get a versatile kitchennette and a pull-out refrigerator in the style of the Grand California.
The California is built on the MQB platform and will be offered with several powertrain options, including a four-cylinder TDI with 150 PS and a four-cylinder TSI with 204 PS, both are front-wheel drive.
It will also be available as a plug-in hybrid called the eDrive that boasts a total system output of 245 PS and 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.
The platform also allows a wide range of driver assist systems including Travel Assist, which offers semi-automated driving assistance and thus increases long-distance driving comfort.
