Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is teasing a new plug-in hybrid California concept camper based on the long variant of the Multivan and featuring a pop-up roof that adds two meters of height when deployed. The concept will be officially revealed at the Caravan Salon show in Düsseldorf, Germany, on August 25, 2023.

A teaser image shows an extending awning on both sides of the camper. The teaser also provides a glimpse of the cabin, featuring a control panel for the thermostat, lights, and cooling box.

The Multivan is available with an eHybrid PHEV powertrain. It uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and electric motor making a total of 215 horsepower (160 kilowatts). The 10.4-kilowatt-hour battery provides up to 48 kilometers (30 miles) of electric range. However, it's not clear whether this is the powertrain the new California would use.

"We want to expand the range around the business with our camping models – and thus offer our customers that special California feeling. These include digital services for the Cali Community, completely new services to complement the purchase of a vehicle... but also the show car presentation of the new California based on the Multivan," VW Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra said during the division's annual press conference in March.

The California name for the motorhome version of the VW Transporter premiered at the Caravan Salon 35 years ago. Since then, VW Commercial Vehicles has made over 260,000 of them. There have been four generations since then.

Source: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

Tags: Volkswagen
Евгений Ушаков
Evgenii Ushakov
15 years driving