New VW California can beat the summertime blues

New Launches 

Forget about the doom and gloom. Forget about Brexit, and the falling pound. Forget about economic woes and rising prices. Forget about long queues at the airport, and even longer queues trying to get back into your own country. Forget about hours parked in a line waiting for the ferry or the train. Forget about hordes of tourists crammed onto tiny beaches and trying to get a decent table at lunchtime. Forget about going to California and let California come to you.

No, not that California. The brand new VW California 6.1.

We may have been inadvertently channeling Trainspotting but there is a good point buried away underneath the ramblings. For many reasons that we won't go into it is becoming more expensive and increasingly inconvenient to travel abroad at the moment. The pound doesn't buy as much as it used to, and come October delays around Dover and the channel tunnel could significantly increase. By how much seems to be guesswork at the moment.

The last few years has seen an increase in the number of people taking "staycations" instead. We tend to forget sometimes that we live in a country that is packed full of thousands of years of history, has a huge variety of attractions for every taste, and just happens to be stunningly beautiful when you take the time to look around.





And what better way to do just that than by leasing yourself the latest VW camper?

This is the first model of the sixth generation camper range to be revealed and it features lots of new design and technology that are sure to help maintain its position as the camper of choice. Not that it's purely a camper. It's also a practical and economical daily drive that offers a comfortable journey of any length. It's a bit of a cliche but you really can finish work on a Friday, throw a surfboard on the roof, pack the kids in the back, and be camped by the beach before sundown.

For everyday use the VW California obviously isn't short on interior space. School runs, days out, shopping, commuting, taking the entire contents of both the shed and the loft to the tip in one easy journey. You could possibly do them all at once and still have room left for the dog. The efficient 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine offers plenty of power to make longer journeys more relaxing but still meets the latest emissions standards. There's also an optional all-wheel drive system if you think you might be heading a bit further off the beaten track.





VW has also upped the amount of technology and driver aids too. Touchscreen controls, a new digital instrument panel, and wireless connectivity on the inside. Lane assist, park assist, and towing aids are tucked away beneath the surface. There's even a new digital control panel for the camping functions. It boasts a large colour display and can control the lights, heating, the pop-up roof, and even a "level function" to help you make sure you park straight on uneven ground. The interior also features LED lighting, newly designed kitchen units, usb sockets, and clever seating arrangements that can turn a bench seat into a bed or a lounge area.

The new VW California 6.1 will be hitting the market in the autumn. Granted it's a bit too late for this summer but a bit of forward planning could see you heading off on a brilliant staycation in your new camper in the Spring. Or if you get the lease arranged a bit sooner you could be just in time for the start of this year's skiing season.

---

View our latest blog posts