World premiere of the all new Volkswagen California

[wildslammer22]

As expected from Jonny, that's the best of this set of press launch videos. Some good additional info (though not sure all of his facts are 100%).

• as we most often camp as a couple & usually with only one rear passenger when in car-mode, I might leave the fourth seat at home now I've seen the bed folded out onto the kitchen ledge & travel with e-bike/s folded inside.
  
  
• double-clicking all the interior lights off is neat
  
  
• rotating the front chairs is big improvement, my least favourite job when setting up
  
  
• I like the hard roof lower cover, the tambour on T6 gets on my pip
  
  
• I park on the street at home, so a passenger side sliding door for loading will suit us (with awning above) as driving away from offside kerb currently into oncoming traffic lane is a regular heart-stopper
  
  
• I've read the above table discussion, and note he does mention that this five legged version is a prototype & the production version will have four legs. I'd be happy with the small extender and this larger one - I rarely use my T6 table as it's always either too big inside or too small outside. I have an IKEA chopping board (here) that clips on the Beach side bracket & take a bigger cheapo folding Quecha for outside.

Have to say I'm liking the Multivan more & more, esp. now an aux heater is confirmed for the TSI and PHEV. Just now hope that it won't start with an 8 ...

Agreed this is the best overview yet and some nice tech and design touches. It wouldn’t work for me and how I camp but I can see that it will appeal to many.

A fully loaded Ocean PHEV with 4wd will be pushing 6 figures I reckon which will define its audience to a large extent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Corradobrit]

Have to say I'm liking the Multivan more & more, esp. now an aux heater is confirmed for the TSI and PHEV. Just now hope that it won't start with an 8 ...

all depends on what drivetrain you want. The PHEV will likely start with an 8 possibly 9 if VW think they can get it.

 

[soulstyledevon]

1 - Are people really convinced on a one hob burner, now moved further back in the cab, harder to access…?
2 - Smaller table to prep food…?
3 - Having to exit the van, to obtain tables…?
4 - Internal water tank and fill point…?
5 - All cupboards look smaller than the previous Ocean…?
6 - You can no longer store a Porta Potti under the sink
7 - Lower payload…?
8 - Narrower boot space…?

I wanna like it, I wanna love it.
But as someone who doesn’t own an Ocean at present, this thing looks a huge error by Volkswagen.

 

[TwoDogs]

The biggest showstopper for me is the single burner. We cook in our 5.1 a lot and couldn't manage with a single burner.
Also, where do you store crockery and cooking stuff?
I find it funny that the reviews are trying to claim that sliding doors on both sides are a design choice that people want...it's not, it's just that the base vehicle has sliding doors on both sides!

 

[sidepod]

He puts a very positive spin on the new Ocean model!

Yeah he was quite “if I’m nice VW will give more toys to play with “.

 

[sidepod]

1 - Are people really convinced on a one hob burner, now moved further back in the cab, harder to access…?
2 - Smaller table to prep food…?
3 - Having to exit the van, to obtain tables…?
4 - Internal water tank and fill point…?
5 - All cupboards look smaller than the previous Ocean…?
6 - You can no longer store a Porta Potti under the sink
7 - Lower payload…?
8 - Narrower boot space…?

I wanna like it, I wanna love it.
But as someone who doesn’t own an Ocean at present, this thing looks a huge error by Volkswagen.

Agreed. I kind of like the interior but all I could think of during the vid was where do I put my X or Y etc. The super thick bed topper takes up a ton of space on the rear shelf.
And this is from T4 owner which is a smaller van than a 5/6!

It would be interesting to know what percentage of Cali sales are existing Cali owners trading in and buying new vans. I know a few punters here seem to swap vans as often as underpants.
Do VW not care about existing owners as they’re a small percentage of repeat business and only care about new customers?

Do I care? Probs not. The 4 stays.

 

[Defender90]

Agreed. I kind of like the interior but all I could think of during the vid was where do I put my X or Y etc. The super thick bed topper takes up a ton of space on the rear shelf.
And this is from T4 owner which is a smaller van than a 5/6!

It would be interesting to know what percentage of Cali sales are existing Cali owners trading in and buying new vans. I know a few punters here seem to swap vans as often as underpants.
Do VW not care about existing owners as they’re a small percentage of repeat business and only care about new customers?

Do I care? Probs not. The 4 stays.

I think we should do a poll
How many people own their California out right
This will show I bet that people will buy the new cali because they have no choice the pcp deal they are on will end at some point this means more financial commitment to an older van with unknown costs so vw will offer deals to keep people in the financial treadmill of never ending car financing

 

[CaliforniaSeb]

Yeah he was quite “if I’m nice VW will give more toys to play with “.

The fact is a lot of these early access reviewers are granted access on that very basis. I don't blame them, they have to make a living . However they really cannot be too critical . It would have been the same deal reviewing previous Californias. I would wait to see what one of long term usage reviews say?

 

[Corradobrit]

The super thick bed topper takes up a ton of space on the rear

Unfortunately comfort comes at a price. My back is adamant it’s a price well worth paying.
Currently at a park for night recommended stopover on the edge of the Marne river. Loving life and my T6.1

 

[CamperFam]

So as a bit of background - the past week or two i've been pining over a Grand Cali. I've been falling 'out of love' with our T6 Ocean purely for the faff that it can be with a family of four, despite all of it's cleverness. The Grand fixed that to an extent, but with some slip ups on it's 'cleverness'. The new Cali has the same issue as the Grand California but magnified due to the size constraints.

The problem is this - VW themselves completely fail at designing a camping vehicle. The GC does a good job due to the space available. With the Cali, with it's confined living arrangement, being SMART and SENSIBLE on your layout is fundamental. So to remove storage for a sliding door that no one wants or needs, or to shrink a bed down so that two adults will struggle to sleep in it is a terrible move.

All I can imagine is that VW are designing their California range as 'Caddy for 1, Multivan for 2, Grand Cali for 2+2', rather than realising that each fulfil a different purpose not limited or restricted to people count. There are activities, places and things we can do with our Cali that a Grand just couldn't do, and vise versa.

Never the less, the lack of an educated designer who understands camping on the design of these seems clear...

 

[Corradobrit]

Sharavan is perfect imo. Encapsulates the whole ethos of the design. For some it could be the perfect solution.

 

[tobyprivett]

I’ve not read the whole thread or watched all of the video but:
Is there enough room inside to use a porta potti with the bed out and the roof down?

 

[Pollewop]

My guess is that the "all new California" will be commercially successful although the success will not be as huge as with the current California and it's predecessors... The new one will appeal to a new public and fan base... The current fan base will be replaced by a whole new one... The old guard will keep stick to the 6.1 and the ones before that, and will probably replace those with other kinds of campervans...

 

[wildslammer22]

1 - Are people really convinced on a one hob burner, now moved further back in the cab, harder to access…?
2 - Smaller table to prep food…?
3 - Having to exit the van, to obtain tables…?
4 - Internal water tank and fill point…?
5 - All cupboards look smaller than the previous Ocean…?
6 - You can no longer store a Porta Potti under the sink
7 - Lower payload…?
8 - Narrower boot space…?

I wanna like it, I wanna love it.
But as someone who doesn’t own an Ocean at present, this thing looks a huge error by Volkswagen.

If your camping style is to stay at a single site for several days in good weather using both ‘awnings’ so you can cook outside and take advantage of the ‘three room’ concept I get it.

Stealth camping is not ideal due to small and faffy to deploy lower bed, tiny table, single gas burner and limited food prep space.

I still think it’s best suited as a versatile daily driver/day van. In that use case you could argue it’s closer to the original California concept than what the t4/5/6’s evolved into.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hirsty]

too many posts to quote above, but all correct IMO - their guy said it himself that their 'vision' is three sizes Small, Medium & Large - it's just that Medium ain't what it was, and for a fair few on here it'll not be big enough.

I still expect that they'll be able to sell as many as they can make, whilst charging a premium, and they're in business purely to maximise shareholder capital deployed ... Third-parties will have a field day developing accessories to fill-in the shortcomings, all of which took 30+ years to evolve for the T4/5/6.

Maybe it's as simple as not wanting to make it too easy for Ford by using the Transit / Transporter platform & keep tight control of the Cali "Universe", or perhaps (if it bombs) there'll be a future "Medium-Plus" or somesuch "in response to community feedback".

 

[pluc99]

I’ve not read the whole thread or watched all of the video but:
Is there enough room inside to use a porta potti with the bed out and the roof down?

According to the German VW site, a porta potti will fit perfectly in the space behind the left front seat and the kitchen unit, but they don't explicitly state that it can be put to use.

 

[sidepod]

According to the German VW site, a porta potti will fit perfectly in the space behind the left front seat and the kitchen unit, but they don't explicitly state that it can be put to use.

Promise me you don’t actually sit on a potty and have a dump while your other half is lying there watching you? I’ve always believed the secret of a successful relationship is separate bathrooms.

 

[Kayleigh]

Maybe it's as simple as not wanting to make it too easy for Ford by using the Transit / Transporter platform & keep tight control of the Cali "Universe", or perhaps (if it bombs) there'll be a future "Medium-Plus" or somesuch "in response to community feedback".

Maybe part of the agreement with Ford was that VW could not use the Transit as a base for a camper, with the opposite being true for the Caddy.
I’m just speculating of course!

 

[Kayleigh]

According to the German VW site, a porta potti will fit perfectly in the space behind the left front seat and the kitchen unit, but they don't explicitly state that it can be put to use.

So you mean there is no space for your feet???

 

[pluc99]

Promise me you don’t actually sit on a potty and have a dump while your other half is lying there watching you? I’ve always believed the secret of a successful relationship is separate bathrooms.

No way! I don't mind walking through a quiet campground in the middle of the night (even in the rain) to get to the facilities. I carry a bucket and bag system for emergencies when wild camping , but that only happens when I'm travelling alone.

 

[pluc99]

So you mean there is no space for your feet???

I was just taking the p**s and don't actually know but i'm fairly confident that VW wouldn't state that it fits there if you couldn't use it in situ.

 

[Corradobrit]

I was just taking the p**s and don't actually know but i'm fairly confident that VW wouldn't state that it fits there if you couldn't use it in situ.

Maybe that’s why there is an extra door there. So your feet can hang out.
If you thought vehicular Tetris was a thing in a T6, wait until you try the sharavan.

 

[babble]

Well, it looks awful to me. I agree with all the comments on lack of space etc. it feels like a step towards the caddy from the T6. i honestly don't think it will sell. The point of the T6 cali for me is that is was just big enough, but right on the limit. This one is too small. A couple of great things about the cali for me that are missing from this: I loved the convenience of the slide out table. out and up in seconds. big enough for food prep, cards, laptop etc. it meant you could really live in the cali. i miss that in the beach and can't believe they have ditched in the new cali. (not to mention the main table is now in the boot. why??). the other thing is that i actually like the rear cali bench for lounging on as one person sidways and sliding in and out of. i don't like the idea of two moulded seats. You can even fit three kids on the rear cali bench if needed, which often proved useful for me. In my two seater beach, you can actually host six if needed. i love that flexibility.

 

[hirsty]

According to the German VW site, a porta potti will fit perfectly in the space behind the left front seat and the kitchen unit, but they don't explicitly state that it can be put to use.

"Two hopes, and Bob's in America" as my Grandfather used to say ...

 

[B J G]

One aspect that would make it a no-no for me with my multi Brittany Ferry trips is that by stretching the length it goes over the 5mtr price category into the 6mtr one adding costs.

If memory serves the IOW Ferries have a strict 5mtr length cost change point also.