Volkswagen said the Beach Tour represents its “classic camper van”, adding kitchen elements such as a single-ring gas cooker, a cutlery drawer and more storage space. It also gains a 230V power supply.
The Coast drops to four seats but gets a larger, well-packaged kitchen, adding a fridge, cabinets, a sink and a second camper battery.
The Ocean gets all of that plus fabric seats made from recycled materials (with heating function for the driver and passenger), an auxiliary air heater, climate control and a roof-positioned storage box.
Volkswagen hasn’t detailed pricing for the California yet, but it’s likely the new van will cost more than its predecessor. PHEV variants in particular are expected to command much higher prices.
The sixth-generation California currently starts at £61,462, rising as high as £81,208 for the range-topping Ocean when equipped with a 2.0-litre diesel and four-wheel drive.
The California’s key rivals, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo and Ford Transit Nugget, start at £83,490 and £76,027 respectively.
There’s still no electric California, but we don’t have to wait much longer: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra confirmed in March last year that an ID Buzz-based camper will arrive in 2025.
