The Volkswagen California may remain the global icon of compact, space-efficient van life, but there are a number of other smart pop-top mini-camper vans out there capable of providing a similar, if not superior, experience. Increasingly, those vans are being developed and marketed by automakers themselves. The latest addition to the landscape is the Holidays from Citroën. The new mini-camper offers a few conveniences that the California lacks, including a removable indoor/outdoor kitchen and toilet.
Much like Nissan (and its ally Renault), Stellantis' French brands Citroën and Peugeot have been focusing some attention on the camper van market in recent years. Peugeot has been content with highlighting third-party conversions and concept campers at major RV shows throughout Europe, but Citroën has taken things more seriously, launching the Holidays camper van lineup in 2023 with the Type H, a fully retro van that gave the oft-stuffy RV segment a much needed injection of on-brand quirkiness.
Not everyone needs age-old retro quirk, though. So with its latest offering, Citroën sheds the corrugated Type H skin and turns the midsize SpaceTourer van into a small, efficient camper better suited to the modest modern masses.
The new Holidays camper van looks much the same as the Holidays Type H inside thanks to Citroën's ongoing partnership with Slovenian conversion company Bravia Mobil. The 196-in-long (498-cm) two-floor van comes standard with a pop-up sleeper roof that helps it deliver four-berth overnighting to complement the four belted seats down below. The double bed in the roof area measures 47 x 77 in (120 x 195 cm), while the lower double bed is just slightly smaller at 45 x 75 in (115 x 190 cm).
That standard sleeping roof serves as the foundation of the Holidays' flexible design because the folding second-row bench/bed is mounted to floor rails and can be removed to empty out the rear cabin for carrying bikes, skis, surfboards or whatever needs to come along. The Holidays becomes a two-person camper van in that case, but those two will still have a comfortable place to sleep after popping the roof.
The newest Volkswagen California, based on the always flexible Multivan, is capable of letting its two rear seats slide right out the tailgate, too, delivering the same level of adventure camper-cum-everyday MPV/cargo van capability. Where the Holidays surpasses Volkswagen's latest is in the removable kitchen block that can be used inside or outside while camping or stored away in the garage to clear up more everyday driving/cargo loading space. Volkswagen teased a fixed kitchen with added indoor/outdoor capability on its 2023 Multivan California concept, but ultimately went with a simpler design.
Citroën's removable kitchen block includes a dual-burner gas stove, sink, 10-L fresh and gray water tanks, and storage. A small 16-L fridge box is located behind the removable block, remaining in place and connected to the onboard 95-Ah 12-V leisure battery. The attachable dining table can be used inside the van, on the outside of the kitchen through the sliding door, or as part of the outdoor setup with the kitchen removed.
As is typical in this class of camper van, the Holidays doesn't include an indoor bathroom. However, Citroën does include both an outdoor shower with its own 25-L fresh water tank and a portable toilet.
Citroën steps onboard power up above California level by wiring a roof-mounted solar panel to the leisure battery to keep it charged when off-grid. The van includes two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports and a wireless smart phone charger. A 230-V electrical socket is available when the van is hooked up to shore power. A programmable Webasto heater keeps camping comfortable in colder weather, readily adjustable via an integrated control panel that also operates the interior lighting.
At the wheel, the Holidays benefits from the latest SpaceTourer features, including a next-gen infotainment system with 10-in color touchscreen and 3D connected navigation, Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and a suite of 17 driver-assistance aids that includes adaptive cruise control with stop & go, auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist and hill start assist. Power comes from a 174-hp 2.0-liter BlueHDi turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic transmission.
Further adding to the Holidays bragging rights over the new California, the camper van is currently set at a special introductory price of €48,990 (including VAT, approx. US$53,850) in Germany, considerably less than the €62,689 (US$68,925) starting price of the most basic Volkswagen California Beach sleeper van and almost 40% less than the more comparably laid out €77,832 (US$85,575) California Coast. If the indoor/outdoor cooking, toilet and solar panel weren't enough to convince you, that price difference certainly might.
On Tuesday, Citroën announced a UK starting price of £56,590 (including VAT, approx. US$72,800). The order books will open in the coming weeks, with the first deliveries planned for later this year. Volkswagen has not released UK pricing for the T7 California just yet, so we can't offer a comparison for that market.
The Holidays first debuted at the CMT 2024 show earlier this year and will appear this month at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon.
Source: Citroën
