VW California

Volkswagen opens UK orders for the updated California: the hybrid heats the cabin for up to 8 hours when parked. Plus French winter tyres and Highland cattle.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles announced UK prices and specifications for the updated California on 4 November 2026 and opened orders the same day. First deliveries are due in early 2027.

French converter Antilope Van has introduced the Flex 5 Confort, an all-inclusive camper van based on the Renault Trafic. The fully equipped version costs €65,900, well below the price of similarly configured VW California or Mercedes V-Class models. The cheapest variant starts at €52,900. A test review notes both strengths and weaknesses at this price point.

Marta Tibau and Marià Miño met in Andorra at a prison press event. Since 2012 they have travelled the world in a camper van and share their journeys on YouTube.

Marta and Sergi, two journalists, met in 2006 at La Comella prison in Andorra while covering a visit by the Raonador del Ciutadà. After a trip to India in 2008 they decided to work and travel simultaneously. In June 2012 they set off from Buenos Aires without a return ticket and over the next 12 years drove across the Americas in a 1995 Volkswagen California, covering more than 190,000 km and visiting 21 countries. In early 2025 the couple moved to Oceania, bought a 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser Serie 79 and are preparing a tour around Australia. They publish weekly episodes on their YouTube channel Furgoenruta, which has over 200,000 subscribers.

The Suisse Caravan Salon is running at the Bernexpo site in Bern until Monday 26 October. The show is fully booked again this year, with twelve halls and a large outdoor area for vehicles, accessories and tourism offers. Gerry Meyer of Campland Schweiz said the trend towards 4×4 vehicles is strengthening, and many off-road campers and expedition vehicles are on display. Demand for camper vans and panel vans remains unbroken, including the VW California, Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo and Ford Nugget, alongside classic semi-integrated motorhomes. A dedicated vanlife zone, a test drive course and travel talks are also part of the programme.

The Volkswagen California Ocean, built on the Multivan platform, was tested over 1,000 km at 7.6 l/100 km. It has two sliding doors, a kitchen and a roof bed, but no toilet or indoor shower.

The VW California 2.0 TDI DSG Beach Camper is available for private leasing via carwow at 348.67 euros per month gross. The contract runs for 24 months with an annual mileage of 10,000 km and no down payment. The stated saving compared to an alternative offer of 818 euros per month is 469.33 euros monthly or 11,263.92 euros over two years (57.4%). The vehicle has a 150 PS diesel engine, 7-speed DSG, four sleeping places and a mini-kitchen.

The author rented a VW California for 600 francs for a weekend trip to Ticino. At the destination, it turned out the campsite was on plot 27, not in the wilderness as expected. Operating the vehicle was challenging already in the parking lot, and features such as the auxiliary heater, reading light and USB-C port did not work.

IMTEST conducted a multi-day test of five camper vans measuring between 5.40 and 6 metres at a campsite in northern Germany. The assessment covered basic equipment and connectivity, driving and safety, and living and sleeping areas. The models tested were the Forster Livin' Up V 599 VBL, Hymer Free 600, Sunlight Cliff 540 RT Adventure Edition, Volkswagen Grand California 600 and Weinsberg CaraTour 600 ME. Prices for new camper vans start at around 45,000 euros, while models such as the Volkswagen California 6.1 can reach up to 100,000 euros depending on equipment.

Opel and Tinkervan unveil a camper based on the Zafira Life with a pop-up roof, 180 hp diesel and a starting price of €45,000.

Marta Tibau and Marià Miño met in an Andorran prison in 2007 and have been travelling in campers since 2012, visiting 21 countries and covering over 190,000 km.

In 1986, at the Caravan Salon in Essen, Westfalia began producing a camper based on the Ford Transit for Ford. The model, named Nugget, featured a rear kitchen and a spirit stove instead of gas, allowing it to be registered as a passenger car. Unlike the VW California, the Ford Nugget is still available with all-wheel drive and a diesel engine.

The Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo is the most expensive compact campervan, around five metres long. Prices start at 82,000 francs, while the comparable VW California Ocean costs from 79,130 francs. The Marco Polo offers air suspension, a diesel engine from 120 kW (163 hp) to 174 kW (237 hp) with a 9-speed automatic, and automatic level adjustment. However, in camping use it trails the California, which has a central control panel in the living area and integrates camping chairs and a table into the body.

Spanish company Panama has unveiled the P10H camper based on the Ford Tourneo Custom 2026 with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It combines a 2.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor for a total output of 232 hp and 525 Nm, with an 11.8 kWh battery providing 52 km of electric range, earning the DGT CERO environmental badge. Dimensions are 5.05 m long, 2.15 m wide and 2.06 m high, with a weight of 2,686 kg. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, collision warning, rear camera, 13-inch multimedia display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats and 17-inch alloy wheels. The camper section features a pop-up roof with a double bed, a 36-litre fridge, a two-burner gas hob, a sink, an outdoor shower, a boiler and insulation. Pricing starts at €73,990 without discounts, significantly undercutting a similarly equipped Volkswagen California eHybrid, which exceeds €95,000.

The Volkswagen California Ocean is equipped with a 150 hp diesel engine, comfort suspension and extensive camping equipment. The model offers four berths. The article is a review rather than a news report on a launch or price change.

IMTEST tested five compact camper vans measuring between 5.40 and 6 metres at a campsite in northern Germany. The models included the Forster Livin' Up V 599 VBL, Hymer Free 600, Sunlight Cliff 540 RT Adventure Edition, Volkswagen Grand California 600 and Weinsberg CaraTour 600 ME. The test assessed equipment and connectivity, driving and safety, as well as living and sleeping areas. Prices for new camper vans start at around 45,000 euros, while models such as the Volkswagen California 6.1 can reach 100,000 euros.

Volkswagen is offering the VW California Beach Camper on a private lease at 369 euros gross per month. The contract terms are fixed: 24 months, 10,000 km per year, with no down payment. A one-time delivery charge of 1,850 euros gross applies (1,100 euros for self-collection), raising the calculated monthly cost to around 446 euros (415 euros with self-collection). The vehicle is available from February 2027 and features a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 110 kW (150 hp), front-wheel drive and a 7-speed DSG.

Tinkervan has introduced a camper based on the latest-generation Opel Zafira. The model comes with a 2.2-litre diesel producing 180 hp and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base version costs around €45,000, roughly €30,000 less than a Volkswagen California. The camper features a pop-up roof with a 1.30 by 2.0 m double bed; options include a diesel parking heater, a shower with an 11-litre tank, a 100 Ah auxiliary battery and a kitchen module. The environmental class is 'C'.

Volkswagen has unveiled the California Beach concept, designed to let one vehicle serve as both a family minivan and a camper. Developed with Stuff Bubble, the concept uses inflatable modular camping units that can be inflated or folded in minutes. The kitchen module weighs under 10 kg and includes a functional tap and sink, while the inflatable bed (about 12 kg) can be configured as a single or double. The concept debuts at Caravan Salon 2026, where Volkswagen will also show the ID. California Cruise electric camper, with a production version planned within two years.