Volkswagen California SE 2.0 TDI 4dr Car Review - March 2012

The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine produces maximum figures of 137 bhp at 3500 rpm and 251 lb-ft at 1750-2500 rpm, which is enough to make this camper van potter along nicely. A 0-62 mph time of 15.7 seconds and a top speed of 106 mph are hardly headline figures but velocity isn’t what the California is about.

On the road, the Volkswagen California rides better than you might expect. There is a fair amount of body roll on corners and bumpy surfaces produce a bit of bounce, but on smoother roads it feels perfectly settled. The 6 speed manual gearbox is fine and at motorway speeds the engine is barely ticking over. The steering feel, which is light at manoeuvring speed, weights up nicely once on the go. There is some wind noise inside the cabin caused by the large door mirrors, but the engine is fairly well insulated.

The comfortable driver’s chair (complete with armrests) has height adjustment and the steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach, so most drivers should be able to find a decent driving position. The dashboard is simple and well laid out with easy to read instruments and visibility through the large windscreen is excellent. The fit and finish of the cabin is generally very good.

The Volkswagen California SE 2.0 TDI 5dr shares much of its appearance with the van-like Caravelle and despite its size, it’s a tidy looking thing. Inside you get air-conditioning, heated front seats, electric front windows and door mirrors, MP3 connectivity and a CD player as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, front fog lights, remote central locking and immobiliser and alarm.

Among the available options are rear parking sensors at £420, metallic paint for £595, Satnav for £1,935, Bluetooth for £230, climate control at £720, leather seats for £1800 and cruise control for £215.

In the cabin there is only seating for four, but these four chairs swivel and slide and fold with very little fuss to create the various layouts one would need to drive, eat and sleep. The roof rises with the touch of a button to create the second “upstairs” bed but lowering it again can get a bit tricky as the accompanying awning needs folding correctly as the roof comes down. The optional side awning is simple to extend though. There are numerous little cubbyholes for storage but many of them are relatively small. There are only two gas rings and no grill/oven so menus are limited and the top loading fridge seems a little daft as you always seem to be moving things off of its lid, which is a much-needed flat surface.

The Volkswagen California comes with many safety features including six airbags, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Hill hold control, traction control and stability control.

Volkswagens have above average reliability, however for peace of mind this car comes with a three year 100,000 mile warranty.

At £42,905, the Volkswagen California SE 2.0 TDI 5dr is a lot of money for a camper van. Having said that, you’ll save money on accommodation when you go away. On the road, it drives reasonably well, particularly on motorways and A roads.

However, running costs won’t be cheap and it’ll probably depreciate badly and for the same price there are many full-blown motor homes out there that will offer more space for the same money. A combined cycle of 36.7 mpg is fairly good considering the bulk of the California, but a CO2 emissions figure of 203 g/km means that taxes and running costs won’t be cheap.