Volkswagen California T6.1 Review 2024

The Volkswagen California T6.1 makes a case for itself on an emotive front as much as a logical one. Its compact dimensions mean that it allows a family to head off for a break without the need for a huge campervan or caravan that would be more intimidating to drive.

Volkswagen’s campervan heritage will attract a few too, with the modern Volkswagen California sharing many of the attributes with the old 1960s camper that still has many fans today. It brings more creature comforts than those old buses, though, with technology meaning that the Volkswagen California offers everything that you would expect from a modern hotel room, apart from the bathroom that is.

But where the Volkswagen is special is that there are so few like it. There might be a couple of other manufacturers that do something similar, but very few and none with the history and experience that Volkswagen has.

There are very few direct rivals to the Volkswagen California T6.1 – a well-specced in-house campervan isn’t something you find on most manufacturers’ lists.

The two main rivals are the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo and the more recent Ford Transit Custom Nugget and both are created in partnership with Westfalia, rather than in-house like the Volkswagen California.

The other alternatives are campers made by aftermarket converters. This gives you more control on how you lay the van out, but doesn’t come with the years of experience that the Volkswagen offers.

The finish in the Volkswagen California T6.1 is excellent, which you would hope for given the cost. Despite the front part of the cabin having the same fundamental layout as the Volkswagen Transporter van, there is a little more in the way of gloss and polish in the form of different coloured materials, some chrome edging and a flat top to the dash rather than a series of open-top storage boxes. The steering wheel is covered with leather, too.

The living area gets a selection of wood-effect veneers on the Coast, which also comes with a velour non-woven floor covering, a stainless-steel sink with an adjustable tap, and chrome and black details throughout the cabin. 

The Ocean gets a slate-effect finish to the kitchen area, an upgraded upholstery on the seats, velour floor mats and extra LED lighting throughout the living area, including in the tailgate, cupboards and in the pop-up roof. The front seats are heated, too.

Other touches include aluminium door handles for the cupboards, push-to-open latches and upgraded materials. 

The cheaper Beach Camper version gets a stowable, fold-out mini-kitchen with single gas hob while the pop-up canvas roof is manually operated on the Beach Camper, Beach Tour and Coast.

There are several screens in the Volkswagen California T6.1, with the 2019 facelift bringing upgrades all around. What you get depends on which model you go for though.

Both Beach models and the Coast version come with a simple 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a row of shortcut buttons either side. It gets USB and Bluetooth connectivity, but it is worth bearing in mind that the USB slots are USB-C, which is a more modern connection than most smartphones come with. Until the world of tech catches up, Volkswagen is supplying adaptors so you can use your existing phone.

The Ocean gets all the latest gear, though, with the central screen upgraded to an eight-inch system with shortcuts that still appear down the side, but as buttons that lie flush with the screen. It’s a smart system with excellent graphics that is easy to use. 

Both versions get App Connect, which is Volkswagen’s name for Apple Carplay and Android Auto, but the Coast gets the latest version which allows you to connect wirelessly. From mid 2020 you can use this without worrying about the impact on your battery as the California offers wireless charging for those phones that can support such a feature.

The other impressive feature on the Ocean is the digital cockpit, which turns the instrument panel in front of the driver into a much more customisable and attractive display. If the slightly bold layouts aren’t for you then you can go for a more conventional style. 

The final screen is another new one and is a touchscreen linked to the living area. It shows the battery charge level and capacity, the external temperature and the van’s fresh and waste water levels. It also controls the parking heater, interior lights and cool box temperature. It even acts as an alarm clock should you wish.

The Volkswagen California T6.1 is based on the short wheelbase Volkswagen Transporter, so it's 4904mm long, 2297mm wide (including mirrors) and 1990mm tall before the roof goes up, this adds another 1050mm to the overall height. Volkswagen had to work hard to make the most of the space available rather than cheat and use a bigger vehicle.

The standard vehicle comes with seating for four. You can get an optional fifth seat should you wish, although there is no way of boosting the sleeping capacity so you would have to take a tent for them to stay outside if you did.

If you stick with four seats then the rear two sit on a set of runners so you can slide them forward or backwards as you wish. Send them all the way back and the rear passengers get a vast amount of legroom, to the extent they could stretch their legs all the way out. Even though this isn’t the high-roof Transporter you still get a great amount of headroom for all four occupants, too. 

Both those rear seats get ISOFIX fittings for child seats, too. Because there is only the one side door you will have to climb in to put any children into their seats, but there is enough room that it is still easier than stooping down to, say, a low hatchback.

There isn’t a big boot in the classic sense, but there is a vast amount of storage throughout the California. You can move those sliding seats forward and put things behind them, stash things under the bench seat, pop clothes into the wardrobe, lock valuables in the safe or put smaller items in the 45-litre compartment on the roof at the back of the van. There is also a space in the tailgate into which you can slide two camping chairs and a slot for the table in the side door and a 42-litre cool box that acts as a fridge. Add in the various kitchen cupboards and drawers and most of what you need for camping will be able to just live in the van.

The other camping luxuries include a roll-out awning that tucks neatly into its own storage on the side, a heater that warms the van in moments and cables that allow you to hook up to a local electricity supply to save the battery. There’s a 30-litre fresh-water tank and another 30-litre waste tank and space for a 2.8kg natural gas canister to power the hob.

The Volkswagen California T6.1 comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and, as of the most recent update, there are just the two power outputs on offer. These are 150PS and 199PS, and both were brought in at the time of the 2019 facelift. Prior to the facelift these two engines were 150PS and 204PS and there was also a 102PS model.

This 102PS model is underpowered for hauling around the California and all the stuff you need for a break, with only 250Nm of torque – the other engines currently boast 340Nm and 450Nm. This means it runs out of puff rather rapidly.

Both of the other two engines are up to the task, though, and there is no major reason to upgrade to the more powerful of the two if you are torn between them. The 150PS model will be able to take on long trips and short town journeys alike. It’s not the quickest, with 0-62mph taking 14.3 seconds, but the California doesn’t feel like the sort of vehicle you want to pull off fast acceleration moves anyway.

If you want a bit more pace then the 199PS model manages 0-62mph in 11.9 seconds, or 11.3 if you go for the 4WD version.

Pre-facelift versions of the engines came with either manual or automatic gearboxes, with the 102PS paired with a five-speed ‘box and the rest of the range offered with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG. Post the 2019 update, though, Volkswagen ditched the manual option and went auto only. 

There was a brief period when the California was offered with a petrol engine, again with 150PS and 204PS, and both were free-revving and sounded good but they were ditched after less than a year so there won’t be many on the used market.

It wouldn’t do for the Volkswagen California T6.1 to sound like a van, so thankfully Volkswagen has added in extra sound deadening materials to help keep out as much of the noise as possible. This has been the case since the model’s launch, after Volkswagen took on comments about the T5 and its refinement.

The lower powered pre-facelift engine was the noisiest when you pressed on and accelerated hard, but the more relaxed nature of the higher-powered engines means that you won’t need to do that anywhere near as much so things are a lot more relaxed and quieter. The quietest engines of all are the petrols, especially at low revs when they are very refined indeed.

Wind noise and road noise are both kept out well, too, thanks again to that insulation. It’s much more likely that you will be interrupted by the noise of the crockery and cutlery rattling around in the drawers and cupboards. Pack well and this shouldn’t be an issue, but the nature of the California means it is more likely than in a family hatchback.

The big benefit of the new electric power steering system is the extra safety kit it allows the Volkswagen California T6.1 to come with. The high price of the van means that it offers several desirable features as standard, too, which is not the case on the commercial vehicle equivalent.

Crosswind assist, adaptive cruise control, city emergency braking and front and rear parking sensors are some of the main, most recent additions to the standard kit list. The Ocean model adds park assist, rear-view camera, side assist, auto high-beam headlights and cornering headlights.

Of those, the crosswind assist is the one that will help less practiced van drivers feel comfortable behind the wheel of a vehicle that is bigger than a car and can get rocked by a big gust.

The steering also allows active lane assist to be offered, but it is only available as an option. Other options include a trailer assist system that helps steer the vehicle when you are reversing, traffic sign recognition and hill descent control on the 4Motion 4WD model.

All models get driver and passenger airbags with side and curtain bags on both sides. 

There has been no Euro NCAP test of the Volkswagen California, and the most recent assessment for the Transporter van was on the previous generation T5 back in 2013 when it scored four stars. The tests have got stricter since then, but the California offers much more in standard safety kit than its commercial vehicle cousin so it’s not a result to read into too closely. 

Volkswagen has a good reputation for reliability and came 10th in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, scoring 88.4% for overall satisfaction. 

The added kit makes the Volkswagen California T6.1 more desirable, so bumps up the insurance group slightly – the groups range from 29 to 36.

However, insuring a campervan is slightly different to insuring a car or a van and there are specialist insurers that can help lessen the potential bills. Rather than heading straight to your standard car insurance company, talk to company that deals with campers first.

Because of its relatively high CO2 emissions, the Volkswagen California sits in a high VED band, which means that the first-year charge will add four figures to the purchase price regardless of which model you go for. The 4Motion is the most expensive of all, sitting in band L, which means you’ll pay more than £2,000 in first year tax.

The annual VED bill will be higher for the first five years, too, due to every model having a purchase price in excess of £40,000.

All of current trims on the Volkswagen California T6.1 offer a good level of luxury, with it being more a case of choosing whether you want even more toys on the Ocean over the Volkswagen California T6.1 Coast and Beach. The smarter cockpit, extra lighting, upgraded kitchen surfaces and park assist all mean that the extra investment is worthwhile.

That said, there is enough kit on the Volkswagen California T6.1 Coast and Beach models, and the 150PS diesel is perfectly strong enough, that opting for the entry-level model won’t mean you have any less fun on your holidays away in a California. 

If you are buying a used one then the ones to avoid are the more basic Volkswagen California T6.1 Beach models with the 102PS diesel engine as the more austere finish and underpowered engine don’t do the camper justice. The petrol engines are not the best fit either, due to their inefficient nature.