Volkswagen Caddy California 2022 Review

Volkswagen’s fascination with van life certainly isn’t a new phenomenon, but it has truly kicked up a gear over the past two years. Fuelled by Australians’ renewed appetite for exploring our wide, brown land, the German car-maker is getting serious about its in-house camper business.

The Volkswagen Caddy California marks the newest entry to the range...

Romanticising about the open road certainly isn’t a new phenomenon, but we can safely say it has been brought squarely into focus over the past two-and-a-bit years.

And what better way to whet our travel appetites again than a camper: in this case, the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California.

On one hand a five-seat, family-friendly van with commercial origins, the Caddy California brings versatility that few vehicles can match – with a fold-out bed, table and chairs and innovative storage at every corner.

Amid surging demand for domestic travel, the California also asks a hefty premium for the privilege. Is it worth the investment? Let’s pack the bags and take a trip…

Using the fifth-generation Volkswagen Caddy Maxi as its base, the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California campervan starts at $59,690 plus on-road costs.

That price marks a circa-$18,000 premium on the Volkswagen Caddy Beach camper that launched locally in 2019, and is almost $5K more than the price announced for the latest model when orders opened last year.

That said, the California costs about $20,000 less than the forthcoming (larger) Volkswagen T6.1 Beach, and about half the price of the Volkswagen/Jayco-developed Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan also on the horizon.

The huge pricing gulf between Caddy camper generations is partly justified by all the extra equipment plus the option of petrol and diesel power for its latest incarnation.

The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California lifts VW’s newest dashboard and instrument cluster design from popular passenger car models including the Volkswagen Golf Mk8.

The 8.25-inch colour touch-screen display teams with a digital instrument cluster and minimal fascia design. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and VW’s AppConnect Suite are standard, together with digital radio, two USB-C ports up front, two more in the rear and a 12-volt outlet near the tailgate.

Elsewhere, the Caddy California gets 17-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights, keyless start (though no keyless entry), fabric seats with four-way lumbar adjustment, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, tinted rear windows, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and two-zone climate control.

There are some additional features hidden in Volkswagen’s optional extras catalogue which actually balloon price of our test vehicle to a sizeable $67,145 plus ORCs.

They include $1115 for metallic paint, $1420 for a panoramic sunroof, $630 for soft-closing sliding doors, $2020 for LED headlights and $1625 for hard-wired satellite navigation.

On the safety front, the Caddy California mirrors the ANCAP five-star-rated Caddy commercial van to great effect, with front, side, curtain and centre airbags for the driver and front passengers and curtain airbags for the outbound rear seats.

The second-row seats offer ISOFIX attachment points on the outboard pews and top tether strap points across all three.

There’s also many of the latest driver assist systems fitted standard, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), side assist with rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist with blind spot monitoring and electronic stability control.

The Caddy California is backed by Volkswagen’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Servicing intervals are spaced every 12 months/15,000km. Volkswagen offers a five-year servicing ‘Care Plan’ priced at $1500.

The Caddy California’s towing capacity is rated at 1500kg braked.

Arguably the biggest change brought with the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California camper resides in the engine bay.

Volkswagen has introduced the option of the TDI320 engine, a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder outputting 90kW and 320Nm – hooked standard to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The oiler imposes a $1900 premium over the carryover 84kW/220Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder also offered, codenamed TSI220.

Both engines drive the front wheels, with the diesel offering a claimed fuel consumption of just 4.9L/100km – versus 6.2L/100km for the petrol.

Elsewhere, the Caddy California uses the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi five-seat trade van as its base, combining a MacPherson strut front-end with a rigid Panhard rod rear. More on that next.

They say nothing really explores a car’s positives and negatives than living with it, but we reckon you can go a step further again by living in it.

That’s exactly what we did over the course of two nights recently with the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California, a two-night adventure in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast.

At just 4.85 metres long and 1.85 metres wide, we were initially dubious as to how the California would fare with two people on board, their luggage, a set of golf clubs and a pushbike.

And yet, the vehicle’s relatively high roofline offers strong interior proportions together with a 460-litre boot area – ample space for two people and their bits and pieces.

Moreover, the seats are comfortable, there is excellent incidental storage and vision is generous for a trade van thanks to the huge front windscreen and open glasshouse.

We particularly like the open storage cubby above the instrument cluster and the deep door pockets.

Dig a little deeper and the plastics adorning the doors and dashboard are clearly premised around durability. That said, some marginal padding at contact points does enough to ensure sound long-journey amenity.

There’s also plenty of charging points – two USB-C ports in the first and second rows respectively – and great incidental storage in the dashboard, under the seats and in the doors.

Volkswagen’s newest infotainment operating system offers easy passage through the 8.25-inch touch-screen’s native menus, together with harmonious Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Further back, the California’s roof is lined front to rear, promising additional insulation over a garden-variety trade van, which is akin to sleeping in a tin can at night (trust us, we’ve done it!).

Rear seat passengers are provided with a similarly open glasshouse and comfortable seats, plus air vent access and power outlets.

Sliding rear doors offer commodious ingress and egress, however the rear windows are fixed, limiting ventilation options.

Our trip from Sydney to the NSW South Coast is a cinch. The Caddy’s compact footprint translates to a nimble 12.1-metre turning circle and car-like handling properties; namely, light low-speed steering, easy road placement and predictable body control during changes in direction.

Likewise, the diesel engine offers strong low-speed passage: taking off is telegraphed by a signature hesitation from the dual-clutch automatic, but from that point on the engine/gearbox tie-up is a harmonious one, with peak torque materialising from 1500rpm and the seven-speed transmission offering well-timed shifts.

The biggest drawback from the Caddy’s trade van origins is probably the rigid-axle rear suspension, which is prone to some thudding over harsher obstacles plus consistent rumbling over coarse-chip bluestone. Certainly not a deal breaker, but a consideration nonetheless.

In any case, we made comfortable passage south to Batemans Bay. The engine was barely idling at highway speed, ensuring a fuel consumption figure of about 5.3L/100km on the open road, while the body feels settled and stable on mixed surfaces.

That brings us to the campsite…

We’ve decided to split on-road impressions from campervan impressions in this review because that’s the way it translates in practice.

The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California requires a bit of reshuffling in order accommodate sleeping: the front seats have to be manually slid and reclined all the way forward and the rear bench seat likewise needs to be stowed.

In other words, this isn’t a van you can simply nip down to the shops in once it’s set up for camping. You’ll need to pack the bed away first.

Upon setting up camp, there’s a couple of immediate imbalances in VW’s baby camper.

Most obviously, although it offers seating for five, the bedding is better suited to one or two.

Volkswagen does offer an extendable tent option for overseas markets to increase sleeping capacity, but there is currently no stock available to Australia.

Secondly (and of more note to solo adventurers), you’ll probably need two adults to set the bed up.

The mattress frame unfurls easily enough, but extendable arms needs to be unfolded simultaneously and slotted into grooves in the B-pillar to make the entire set-up secure.

Your correspondent managed to hastily complete the process individually, but it isn’t particularly easy.

Once laid out, the mattress measures 1980mm long and 1070mm wide, with a 250kg capacity, and is relatively comfortable and well-sprung.

There’s about 700mm worth of overhead room, equating to ample space to shuffle in and out.

Door pockets integrated into the rear window line offer handy storage for phones, wallets and torches, and there are individual light switches at the back of the cabin to ensure minimal fumbling around in the dark.

We must say, once set up the Caddy California makes a willing travel accomplice and certainly feels a step above sleeping in a tent.

There’s enough space behind the bed to secure your items inside overnight, as well as ample charging points to keep devices replenished for the morning.

Sound deadening and insulation to the rooftop mean the Caddy California doesn’t turn into a chilly bin immediately overnight – though camping on the NSW South Coast in the middle of winter required several layers. So much so that we’d look into a portable heater for ongoing trips.

Magnetic shades for all the windows do a great job of blocking out morning sunlight, and the table and chairs (stowed underneath the bed) feel sturdy and offer a great seating option during the day.

Criticisms? It would be nice to have an internal switch to open the rear tailgate, and it’s a shame Australian customers aren’t offered the factory-fit slide-out stove top or extendable tent as found in other markets.

Otherwise, the Caddy is sound and sufficient in its execution as an entry camper.

The 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California successfully plays on VW’s campervan past, together with some nifty modern conveniences and innovations.

Ultimately, its compact size means it’s better versed at solo surf trips than month-long family adventures, but buyers will soon realise that upon seeing one in the dealer forecourt.

Probably the bigger bugbear with the California is that it costs as much as it does.

Savvy buyers could purchase the Transporter 6.1 trade van the next size up (from $41,990 plus ORCs) and have it professionally fit out as a camper for a similar price.

Then again, the Caddy California offers turn-key convenience and a five-year factory warranty. Not to mention a world of possibility and adventure before it.

How much does the 2022 Volkswagen Caddy California Maxi cost?
Price: $59,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 90kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 129g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)