Volkswagen California Concept Is A Near-Production Camper Van

Volkswagen’s commercial vehicle arm has unveiled the new T7 Multivan-based California Concept, a near-production campervan. Built upon the extended version of the Multivan, the California camper van concept features an all-new interior designed to function as a mini home on wheels. Volkswagen says that the new concept marks the first time that the California gets a sliding door on the driver side with previous iterations only getting a rear door on the passenger side.

The company says it has divided the vehicle into three zones, the two covering the exterior on either side of the vehicle and one comprising of the van’s cabin. Zone 1 refers to the right side of the exterior where the sliding door provides safe curb-side access to passengers and for loading bags into the van. It also gets an extendable sunsail to turn it into an open tent when out camping.

Zone 3 covers the left side exterior of the California concept. VW says that the rear sliding door provides users with access to a whole new area that previously may have gone unused. The sliding door allows users to benefit from an open-air kitchen as well as have a second awning-covered area to act as a dining area. VW says that the kitchen – including the sink, sliding induction hob and refrigerator – is all accessible from outside the vehicle.

Zone 2 or the vehicle’s interior features swivelling driver and front passenger seats. The rear bench seat makes way for individual chairs that can fold flat to form or bed or even be removed entirely to haul cargo. The van also gets a pop-up roof and a roof bed.

Another integration in the show model is a tablet-style control unit that regulates various camper van functions and can be rotated to 90 degrees. The unit allows controls for functions such as the interior lighting, the pop-up roof, water and wastewater levels and more. The functions can also be controlled via the "Cali on Tour" app.

VW says that the California concept is powered by a hybrid powertrain.