VW Grand California & California XXL on the Brussels car show

[Hotel California]

Visited VW at the annual Brussels car show ,
One Cali Ocean in a closed stand no entry to the general public only with a salesmen.
Talked about the verhicles beeing held back to register and he said to me the affected verhicles need a software update and it's VW themself that found out and VW took action by holding all verhicles at the dealer to sort out not a action taken by the governement .
Only saying what he told me but i find it a rubbish explenation.
Anyway , i was not intrested in the Ocean ....but ...

The XXL was also on display only visible after standing in line 5min then you could enter the stand with a salesmen letting you in the XXL .
He gave us the oppertunety to take a quick look arround inside .
The white plastic looks to bright and "hard" imo , the concept itself is nice with some very clever storing solutions and a nice bathroom/toilet compartment.
Did not get the chance to lie down on the bed but it all looks good .
The window in the roof would be great to look at the stars at night.
But it's a prototype and nobody knows if it will be this if it ever goes on production.
He also said noting actually works (cooker,water,coffee machine ) or at least they can not show it.

And in the end it's nothing world-breaking VW did , if you look in other Van sized campers they are compareble imo . I am not totaly over the mood with the XXL .
Price is estamated 80-100k

 

[Hotel California]

Some nice things in the VW shop also

 

[westfalia]

So they had a California on the stand - of which no-one can buy at the moment-
a prototype xxl - or LT/ Crafter which probably won´t go into production
and a 70,000€ Multivan covered in fookin flowers.

Looks like the fridge could boost profits this year if it has a good energy rating.

 

[Gazellio]

Not keen on exterior style of XXL but I bet its great inside.

 

[Romke]

Just wondering why VW call it the XXL (with two Xs). Could there be an California XL (one X) in the planning based on the long wheelbase T6?

 

[Ginab]

What an ugly vehicle - nearly as bad as the Club Joker!
If you must have a vw, at least the California has no pretensions to be anything other than what it is.
Otherwise, you might as well buy a ‘proper’ motor home.

 

[California4x4]

What an ugly vehicle - nearly as bad as the Club Joker!
If you must have a vw, at least the California has no pretensions to be anything other than what it is.
Otherwise, you might as well buy a ‘proper’ motor home.

I’m of a similar opinion. By the time you have a vehicle that is too high to park anywhere, too long to park in a parking bay and too obvious to stealth camp, you might as well go really big and get a one year old motor home with 4K on the clock for about £45k. However, If I was going Big, it would be a 4x4 sprinter converted myself as a go anywhere stealthy base camp. That sat, as someone who has built their own campervan previously, I love what VW have done with the concept XXL. They have thought widely and demonstrated ideas that can only really be done mass-market like the roof light and perfect interior finish without anything stuck or screwed to the walls of your precious vehicle.

 

[Roger Boeken]

Just wondering why VW call it the XXL (with two Xs). Could there be an California XL (one X) in the planning based on the long wheelbase T6?

There is a new camperbus based on T6 long wheelbase: Westfalia Keppler six. I is an attempt to get best of all in one vehicle: a transporter, a beach with 6 seats, an ocean. There is an article in Camper Vans magazine nr1/2018 (german).