The new T7 California revealed

[pcevanrulo]

Have VW actually stated that they are going to make a T7 California? Or is this video purely speculation?

If VW were actually making an announcement of this kind I'm sure that they wouldn't come up with something so half baked.

it is a speculation. I read on a German forum that the California on the T6.1 base is continued at least up until 2025 or even 2027.

Still along way to go to manage the whole energy transition etc. Euro7 regulations will speed up things.

 

[2into1]

Did anyone else sense that Matt Watson was a bit embarrassed at the naffness of the video he was having to make? I like him but as someone said above, this was click bait and we’ll below normal standards.

 

[The Pox]

Did anyone else sense that Matt Watson was a bit embarrassed at the naffness of the video he was having to make? I like him but as someone said above, this was click bait and we’ll below normal standards.

I find he has an odd style even when reviewing more "worthy" ie fast vehicles. I always feel like he is close to taking the mick.

 

[clarinetbcn]

I quite like the sound of the interior being slightly longer and more spacious.

The interior length of the long version of the new Multivan is shorter than a short wheelbase T6.1 due to the long nose Golf platform which means the front row is set way back. This is disguised by a second set of false A pillars and a slanted windshield. If you follow the real A pillar down next to the front door you can see how long the nose is and how far back the front row is, it's nearly at the halfway point of the overall length of the vehicle. Very poor use of space, but a cost savings for VW by sharing a car platform.

That's why this ugly long nosed T6 mule was used for testing the running gear:

 

[pluc99]

Why? The only way they could do that, if weight is an issue, is limit the passenger capacity of the Beach so no more removable seats. That would go down well.

The T7 seats are interesting.There will be only single seats and the new rail system allows you to configure up to 5 of them (not counting the first row), turning them any which way or to easily remove any number of them.
On the german site, VW claim a 25% savings thanks to the new seats, but they fail to specify 25% of what.
Nevertheless, for my Beach speculation, I simply assumed that if there was enough weight capacity for a 7 seater then a 5 seater might have enough of a margin to add a pop-up roof and bed, but I honestly have no clue how much any of this would weigh.

 

[Joker 1299]

I had to laugh at the mock up having the sliding door and awning on the left....

As well as the kitchen

 

[dripster]

I would definitely vote for individually removable seats. Briefly had a Touran that had that, and when switching to camping mode on the Beach it would be great to remove one of the rear three to make it more camper-like. But I do wonder if the remaining ones will fold into an effective bed on this, I'm sure they could design it that way but wonder if it's been a priority?

I'm still a little bemused as to why (except for marketing) this is called a T7, it doesn't seem a natural successor to the T6/6.1 with all its guises, definitely more of a Touran++ or Sharan+ to me! I doubt we'll see a t7 panel/kombi?

 

[The Pox]

Wonder what the price tag will end up being.

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Wonder what the price tag will end up being.

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BTW I love the idea of having a Scalextric track on the floor. Presumably a £1000 option.

 

[Sames]

BTW I love the idea of having a Scalextric track on the floor. Presumably a £1000 option.

I had a scalextric track on the dashboard of my Hymer. A few racing laps at traffic lights.....

 

[Wildcamper]

I'm sure they'll come up with a solution.

Composite materials have moved on a long way.

Carbon fibre composites weigh about a fifth of steel, but are as good or better in terms of stiffness and strength. They also do not rust or corrode like steel or aluminium, and they could significantly increase vehicle efficiency.

The elevating roof is a prime candidate for this. I'd suggest the kitchen unit would be too.

The problem with carbon or glass composites is their recyclability, especially in a high volume application. To use the fibres again the polymer resin needs to be removed, usually by pyrolysis (burning). In the case of carbon fibres they retain up to 90% of their strength but the fibres are usually chopped restricting their reuse. Even though they retain much if their strength their is a high intellectual barrier to their reuse, aerospace would not touch them. Glass fibres on the other hand lose most of their tensile strength during the "burning" process leaving them all but useless as a composite material. So one then has to think what to do with quantities of glass fibre with no strength - insulation? Alternatively they could melted back to bulk glass, all this costs and at the present does not represent economic sense. So while reducing vehicle weight by substituting metal for composite I can't see this happening. Metal is easy to recycle, composites are not.

I'm sure they'll come up with a solution.

Composite materials have moved on a long way.

Carbon fibre composites weigh about a fifth of steel, but are as good or better in terms of stiffness and strength. They also do not rust or corrode like steel or aluminium, and they could significantly increase vehicle efficiency.

The elevating roof is a prime candidate for this. I'd suggest the kitchen unit would be too.

 

[Kayleigh]

I think we’ve had this conversation before. This T7 won’t be made into a California. It wouldn’t take the weight of the cabinets, passengers and luggage. They already made the middle seats super light, which indicates weight would be an issue. Also, to get the same living space as a T6 Cali you would need to buy the 5.3m version.
What we might see is a ‘light’ camping version a bit like using the current caravelle as a camper, with no pop up roof, but with rear seats that can fold into a bed. Maybe even some magnetic window blinds too.
Just my thoughts

 

[Prycey13]

Won’t the ID buzz be the next campervan platform? Think the ID buzz is released in 2024 so potentially a couple of years after that an electric camper? Personally I like the idea of an electric camper than you can slow charge on sites and fast charge en route. The ID cars currently charge at up to 150KW so can take on 200 miles of range within 30 mins. Not many 150kw chargers today but starting to see more ionity chargers popping up all over the place.

 

[Sean Fallon]

This is pretty lazy click-bate! As you said, awning on the wrong side, using T6 images and video for the 'latest' California, not even bothering to do any Photoshop on the internal fittings from the outside, no references to existing hybrid campers and how they use the batteries. Probably took an afternoon to throw that together. Still, it worked, I watched it!

I hate having people like him reviewing campers when he's not at all interested in them

 

[Sean Fallon]

I find he has an odd style even when reviewing more "worthy" ie fast vehicles. I always feel like he is close to taking the mick.

yes you are right , he does good car reviews but he hasn't a clue about campervans and he doesn't hide the fact that he's not interested in campervans, so I think he is the wrong person to review them he knowingly takes the wee wee

 

[Sp0_0k]

Why do they show Citroen on t7 reveal?

 

[rod_vw]

It'll be a big number I'm sure.

I had a Golf GTE a few years ago and that was brilliant. It had a small 1.4 petrol engine and an electric motor with a combined output of 204ps.

Something like that would be fantastic.

But a GTE only has about 20 miles range on electric then has to rely on the petrol engine and regenerative charging of the battery.
Mind my son has had two and liked them especially for the tax reduction as they have been company cars!

 

[kocotte]

Well not quite!! Some interesting ideas on how it could look...

OMG, this video represents everything I hate about YouTube.

• Clickbaity, misleading title.
• Purely speculative content.
• Not being clear about the sources or what is actually confirmed and what is pure imagination
• The length stretched to the limits, thanks to repetitions and useless side-stories.

It's cheap and disrespectful, and yet, everyone clicking and watching is just bringing more profit to the channel, and encourages the author to create more bullshit of that kind.

And unfortunately the author of this thread follows the same trend! Instead of telling us straight what the video is about, he suggests it actually bring some added content or ideas.

SO NO, THIS MOVIE ONLY SHOWS T6 VIDEO CUTS and REPETITVE T7 (non california) VISUALISATIONS, static, not even videos + some photoshopped bullshit. And says NOTHING about interior.

 

[The Pox]

OMG, this video represents everything I hate about YouTube.

• Clickbaity, misleading title.
• Purely speculative content.
• Not being clear about the sources or what is actually confirmed and what is pure imagination
• The length stretched to the limits, thanks to repetitions and useless side-stories.

It's cheap and disrespectful, and yet, everyone clicking and watching is just bringing more profit to the channel, and encourages the author to create more bullshit of that kind.

And unfortunately the author of this thread follows the same trend! Instead of telling us straight what the video is about, he suggests it actually bring some added content or ideas.

SO NO, THIS MOVIE ONLY SHOWS T6 VIDEO CUTS and REPETITVE T7 (non california) VISUALISATIONS, static, not even videos + some photoshopped bullshit. And says NOTHING about interior.

Read the first three words of my post again.

 

[kocotte]

Read the first three words of my post again.

yeah, followed by: 'Some interesting ideas on how it could look...'

Which, is a clickbait on its own.

 

[The Pox]

As Millican Dalton admirably put it... " Don't waste words, jump to conclusions."

yeah, followed by: 'Some interesting ideas on how it could look...'

Which, is a clickbait on its own.

As Millican Dalton admirably put it... " Don't waste words, jump to conclusions."