VW launches new California. In German

Outdoor enthusiasts of the world, this is your new Volkswagen California. We like the California a lot. It's long been the car of choice for those averse to B&Bs, but without a disposition for holding up lines of traffic on single-carriageway roads.

And with Merc’s swish new Marco Polo to fight, the California has been thoroughly overhauled, bringing it in line with the new T6 Transporter.

Sadly, the only information we have on the details of this overhaul comes from VW Germany. Our German isn’t so hot. But we've fed the German info through an internet translator, so we're fairly sure we can bring you the definitive verdict.
 
The basics? The Cali will come in three specs – Beach, Coast and Ocean – starting at 41,429 Euro, or around £30,000. Good value, given that, according to our translated info, “he is the perfect combination of an up to 7-seat cars and a motor home with up to five beds”.
 
With the Cali's usual extreme flexibility – the downstairs sleeping area yielded by folding back seats, the mezzanine level bedroom folding up from the roof – “he has for everyday life and traveling a great base”.
 
“Vacation in the great outdoors makes you hungry,” the German bumf correctly identifies, “and it’s more practical if you can conjure up quickly on the way something delicious.” So the Cali’s neatly appointed kitchenette, with hobs, sink and fridge, continues service.
 
The handy solutions don’t stop there, naturally, with a foldout table and chair set integrated into the doors and, somewhat excitingly, there’s a new ‘multifunctional holder’ in the rear of the Cali. “He's a cup holder, ashtray holder and towel rail in one,” you’ll be delighted to know.
 
On the outside, it’s evolution rather than revolution, with fancy new LED lights the only real differentiators. But with practicality and commodiousness at the forefront, taking the styling knife to the California’s boxy shape would never do.

We're told “the vehicle height is still old-compatible 1.99 meters on all three models." Welcome news, given the tendency of new-generation models to swell.
 
There’s a host of posh car technology on offer, with switchable dampers, active cruise control, a tiredness detector and a rear-view camera. There are manual and DSG gearboxes, front- and four-wheel drive and, for the Europeans at least, a choice of both diesel and petrol engines, upmost versions of each boasting 201bhp, all the better for scrabbling out of muddy fields.
 
“The new California promises a great experience from every angle,” our continental chums promise. “The quality indoor murmur mouse reporting is as inviting as the new sharpened vehicle design.”
 
We can’t wait to try the quality indoor murmur mouse reporting for ourselves.