Volkswagen's first plug-in hybrid camper van went on sale in Continental Europe last fall and is now making its way to the UK. The new California ran behind the Ford Nugget and one or two other camper vans in getting its own a clean, quiet electrified powertrain option, but now that it's arrived, it brings increased driving range and performance to the segment, plus a unique two-door deconstructed camping layout that sets it apart.
Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for. The plug-in hybrid California lagged a little behind the ICE model in terms of pricing and launch, but that's because Volkswagen was finishing work on its next-gen PHEV powertrain. Not only does the new eHybrid system bring in a larger battery to add 80 percent more electric driving range for a total of 54 miles (87 km, WLTP), its three-motor configuration brings aboard integrated 4Motion all-wheel-drive and boosts total system output to 241 hp.
All those numbers easily beat the Ford Nugget's 229-hp dual-motor front-wheel-drive PHEV with estimated 35-mile (56-km) range. And despite the Ford Nugget PHEV getting out of the gate ahead of Volkswagen on the mainland, the VW Multivan eHybrid becomes the first of the two to launch in the UK. Ford UK originally said the Nugget PHEV would be available to order in late 2024 but has yet to add it to its pricing sheet, which was updated earlier this month.
Volkswagen, on the other hand, announced this week a starting on-the-road (OTR) California PHEV retail price of £71,295 (approx. US$94,925), including VAT. That's for the simplest California Beach eHybrid 4Motion camper van. Stepping up the line, Volkswagen charges £78,495 ($104,500) for the California Coast and £85,395 ($113,700) for the flagship Ocean, both including VAT.
Unlike in other European markets, where Volkswagen offers multiple Beach models with different equipment levels, VW UK offers only a single California Beach, a four-sleeper pop-top that has five belted seats for the ride. It also comes with a basic slide-out mini-kitchen at the tailgate with single-burner stove and a full-width 78 x 52-in (198 x 133-cm) fold-down double bed in the cabin.
The four-seat Coast and Ocean pop-top campers swap the mini-kitchen for a more complete indoor/outdoor-access side kitchen with single-burner stove/sink combo, slide-out fridge and attachable dining table. The lower double bed slims down to 42 inches (107 cm) wide to accommodate the kitchen and rear wardrobe.
For reference, UK prices for non-PHEV Volkswagen Californias with turbo engine start at £63,481, £70,681 and £77,581 after VAT, respectively.
We can't yet compare apples to apples on plug-in hybrid pricing, but we do know that the cheapest 148-hp 2.0-liter FWD Ford Nugget comes in at a £77,953 OTR base price, the 168-hp all-wheel-drive at £84,313.
Volkswagen already wins out on powertrains with its eHybrid 4Motion PHEV, and it clearly edges the Nugget out in ICE-model pricing, too. Ignoring the five-seat California Beach since Ford does not offer an equivalent Nugget, the £70,681 four-seat Volkswagen California Coast base camper van prices in considerably lower than the cheapest £77,953 Nugget camper van. Even the VW flagship California Ocean is a little cheaper.
Advantage Volkswagen.
That's not to say the five-seat Ford Nugget won't win over its fair share of customers. The new generation recently picked up a feature that the California has sorely lacked since day 1: a toilet room, which comes in the back of one of two long-wheelbase floor plans. And both long- and short-wheelbase models feature the innovative three-room design with separate rear kitchen, front dining lounge/bed and upstairs main bedroom.
Plus, the Nugget-underpinning Ford Transit Connect van is the United Kingdom's most popular light commercial vehicle. In fact, it often outsells the best-selling passenger cars and SUVs to reign as the nation's most popular vehicle, period. Hard to imagine a midsize van with such a crazy level of popularity from here across the pond in the pickup-crazed US, where midsize ICE vans don't even exist anymore, but clearly they like their Transit Connects over in the UK.
We'll wait for Ford Nugget PHEV pricing to pass any final judgement, but we'd say this week's pricing announcement puts Volkswagen ahead in the UK hybrid camper van battle.
Which one would you choose given what you know so far? Or maybe a different UK camper van all together?
Source: Volkswagen UK