New California feeling from Hanover

Hybrid drive, more space and yet still suitable for the garage: VW presents the California Concept study at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. Great expectations of success are placed on the successor generation, now the seventh since 1989. After all, 260,000 of its predecessors were sold, making the camping bus probably the best-selling motorhome in the world and binding an extremely loyal circle of fans to the brand.

5.17 meters in length and just under two meters in height are the most important external dimensions of the VW based on the long version of the series. The elevating roof is a standard feature, providing headroom and two additional sleeping berths. Downstairs, two campers can slumber on the folded-down single seats, but they should love each other because the lower berth is not more than one meter wide.

New is the second sliding door of the successful model that makes the shortened kitchenette on the left side of the vehicle more variably usable. Its stoves, one gas-powered and the other induction-powered, can now also be used from the outside. Awnings on both sides provide the chef de cuisine with a dry place to work. Camping furniture will also be on board the California in the future; the folding chairs stowed in a bag on the tailgate have been given a higher and more comfortable backrest, and the table is stored in the sliding door and can be used indoors as well as outdoors.

The interior can be accessed from the left and right, and thanks to the length-adjustable individual seats and the swivel armchairs for the driver and front passenger, it is variable and can be used as an on-board restaurant. It is not yet clear which engines will be fitted to the T7 California. A diesel will probably not be among them, but a gasoline engine and a plug-in drive, whose battery could allow about 40 kilometers of electric driving. The premiere date for the new model is also still up in the air. It is possible that a production version will be on show next year and will then hit the roads and parking lots in 2025. (aum/mk)