Volkswagen has launched the Caddy California compact camper in the UK, with prices starting at just under £30,000. Customers will be able to place orders from late May, 2021, with the first customer vehicles arriving in the UK later this year.
The van-based motorhome comes with a 1.07-metre by 1.98-metre bed, which is something between a single and a double in size, as well as a retractable “mini-kitchen”. The mattress is stored in the parcel shelf and opens out above the rear seats, which can be removed for extra flexibility, while the kitchen features a single-burner cooker and an integrated gas bottle.
California models also come with stowage compartments for cutlery and other utensils, as well as a camper table and California camper chairs. Even the blinds for the rear windows double up as storage bags.
If you need more space, Volkswagen will also sell you an optional ‘tail tent’ that attaches to the rear of the vehicle and provides additional living space, as well as an extra sleeping compartment. LED reading lights can be found in the passenger compartment and tailgate, too, providing interior lighting for the vehicle.
Aside from those additions, the Caddy California also comes with a selection of more conventional vehicle features, including air conditioning, power-adjustable door mirrors and a range of safety gadgets. Cruise control is standard, along with autonomous emergency braking that will hit the brakes automatically if the vehicle detects an impending collision.
The Caddy California is also fitted with App Connect, which allows smartphone apps to be accessed through the vehicle’s 8.25-inch colour touchscreen. And Bluetooth is also a standard feature, along with black roof rails and 16-inch alloy wheels.
More on the VW Caddy:
If you’re after a little more luxury, VW will also sell you the £960 California Plus pack, which includes a front centre armrest with space for two drinks, a 230V inverter and three-pin UK domestic plug socket. You get dark tinted rear glass, too, along with two USB points, power latching on all doors and LED rear combination lights.
Ignore that, though, and you’ll have to shell out £29,965 for the entry-level short-wheelbase 1.5-litre petrol version, while the 2-litre diesel with its seven-speed automatic gearbox comes in at £34,699. For a little more space, you can have the long-wheelbase ‘Maxi’ version, which costs £31,285 in 1.5-litre petrol guise and £36,019 if you go for the more powerful 2-litre diesel.
Gallery: Volkswagen Caddy California
