Volkswagen California SE 2.0 BiTDI 4MOTION DSG 4dr Car Review - March 2012

The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder twin turbo diesel engine produces maximum figures of 178 bhp at 4000 rpm and 295 lb-ft at 1500-2000 rpm, which is enough to make this camper van move along nicely. A 0-62 mph time of 12.9 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph are hardly headline figures but that won't be a high priority for a potential MPV owner.

On the road, the Volkswagen California rides better than you might expect for such a big vehicle. There is a fair amount of body roll around corners and bumpy surfaces produce a bit of bounce, but on smoother roads it feels perfectly smooth. The 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox works fine and at motorway speeds the engine is barely ticking over. The feel of the steering, which is light at manoeuvring speed, gets sharper 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 extra traction of the four-wheel-drive will be useful when pulling off the road onto the softer terrain of campsites and fields.

The comfortable driver’s chair (complete with armrests) has height adjustment and the steering wheel adjusts 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 BiTDI 4MOTION DSG 5dr shares much of its appearance with the van-like Caravelle and for all its size it’s quite neat looking. Inside you get air-conditioning, heated front seats, electric front windows and door mirrors, MP3 connectivity and a CD 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 £240, metallic paint at £595, Satnav for £1,935, Bluetooth for £230, climate control for £720, leather seats for £1800 and cruise control at £215.

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

In the cabin there is only seating for four, but these four chairs swivel and slide and fold easily to create the various spaces 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.

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

At £49,180, the Volkswagen California SE 2.0 BiTDI 4MOTION DSG 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 32.1 mpg is fairly good considering the size of the vehicle, but a CO2 emissions figure of 232 g/km means that taxes and running costs will be expensive.