Forget Kombi trips around Europe, this campervan will have you travelling in style during your staycation in New Zealand.

As we start 2021 is seems like staycations will remain for a while for Kiwis, and if we can’t fly first class we can drive it thanks to Volkswagen’s Grand Californian campervan.

Volkswagen Commercial New Zealand has just launched two variations of the Grand California; the four-berth 600 and the two-berth 680. The 600 costs $159,000 and the 680 is $4000 more.

The Grand California is based on the Crafter van, and both models have a 2-litre, four cylinder turbo diesel engine producing 130kW of power and 410Nm of torque.

The 600 is 6.00 metres long and the 6.80 is, you guessed it, 6,80m in length. The 600 is taller at up to 3.094m as it has a bedroom space above the front of the cabin.

“Everybody has a Kombi story,” says Kevin Richards, general manager of VW NZ Commercial vehicles.

“Having a model as iconic as the Kombi in our stable certainly allows us to leverage that heritage. But while this [the Grand California] is the ‘grown-up Kombi’, it’s not a natural successor. The Transporter California is still an integral part of the range, so this really is just the Kombi evolved. It’s designed to have more of the feel of a yacht than a campervan.”

AutoMuse had the 680 for a long weekend away for my son Henry’s birthday, first heading to Parihoa for a photoshoot and overnight stay, then stop off at Matakana farmers’ market to fill up the Grand Cali’s fridge, then a literally trip to memory lane for a visit to Whangarei Head’s Pataua South, the destination of many family holidays at a friend’s bach.

Having been lucky enough during my motoring career to be upgraded to first-class a few times heading to and from Europe for car launches, the first time I stepped into the Grand Cali 680 it reminded me of some of the luxury suites I’ve flown in.

From the mini-fridge, to the bathroom with a shower then the huge double bed while was the ‘overhead’ lockers sealed the deal. The standard of the fittings in the Grand Cali superb and the amount of storage was outstanding. 

As we were only away for a long weekend, we just needed to store some food for a bbq (and some wine for me) in the fridge, and our bedding and overnight bags went into the huge storage compartment under the double bed. Next to that space were lockers that held the gas bottles for the cooker, plus charging cables for mains powered sites.

The bed could fold up and be held secure with straps so you could store such items as a mountain bike or kayak for trips away. 

For off-the-grid trips, there was also a solar panel on the roof to supply you with three days worth of power, albeit that doesn’t include 230v sockets plugs, so if you want to charge your laptop you have to be attached to a power source.

A touchscreen panel mounted beside the bathroom door controls all the camping mode features, such as whether the automatic step that slides out whenever you open the side door should function when you’re parked up, and the temperature of the heating and the water.

An air conditioner unit for the rear is extra and if you were a frequent camper you’d probably add that to the specs of your Grand Cali. 

The bathroom is less than a metre on each side, yet VW’s still managed to cram a shower, a sink, a toilet and storage in there – the sink folding up when not in use, and the faucet doubling as the showerhead.

The all-important toilet roll tucks away into a cupboard to keep it dry (which mostly works), while the lighting is operated by a motion detector. Heating the 110-litre water tank takes 10-15 minutes. VW NZ had removed the toilet’s canister so we had to be parked near facilities. 

The Grand California also came equipped with an outdoor shower – which just plugs into a fitting at the back.

Our first night was off the grid parked by Parihoa’s shearing shed, so we powered up our laptops in the shed. 

But before we parked up for the night, we explored the farm and the VW’s 4Motion ability. Its permanent four-wheel-drive is one of the major bonuses of the Grand Californian over standard campervans as you get to some amazing areas and in our case, it was the southernmost paddock with views to the Kaipara from one side, and Bethells Beach on the other side. Then it was down the gravel then clay track by the wetlands. Unfortunately, the width of the Grand Cali is 2427 mm and the track to the maimai (our original destination for the night) was too narrow and we didn’t want to scratch the VW.

So instead, we opted for site two, the shearing shed that would prove a farm experience for us city slickers, plus provide shelter from the wind. It also gave us a change to extend the awning on the side of the Grand Cali. It’s a two-person job as one person has to wind out the awning, and the other person has to grab the legs and extend them.

After cooking sausages on the mini element in the van, we watched a film on the laptop (again, it was like watching a film on a plane) before making up the beds.

As Henry was too tall for the VW Grand Cali 600 with a bed above the cab, we brought a single blow-up mattress so he could sleep on the narrow corridor of the 680. 

Except Henry thought the mattress had a foot pump included but no, he was wrong! So, to continue the flying analogy, he leaned back the front passenger seat like he was in economy, and slept there. While, up in ‘first class’, I was loving the big bed that was wide enough for me to sleep longwise, unlike the 600 that had the occupants lying widthwise.

For the bed, an 80mm mattress is combined with a technical-looking sprung metal base, and even with the mattress being in three sections you can get a fine night’s sleep.

The next morning, we headed to Matakana via SH16 and its winding roads. Having reviewed campervans that had the body on top of a chassis, I was wary of sway when driving at speed. But with the Grand Californian it’s one unit ie the Crafter so basically, I was driving a van. A posh van, but a van. This made maneuvering easy and I was at ease taking on the winding country back roads as I headed to Warkworth then onto Matakana.

Unusually the farmers’ market wasn’t too busy so I found a perpendicular park next rather than attempt parallel parking. 

To help though with tough spots, the Grand Cali comes with parking sensors, rear camera, and as the two rear doors had windows in them, your vision is on point.

Loaded with goodies from the market, we headed to Pataua South via the back road to Wellsford then onto Whangarei.

The electrically assisted power-steering is effortless and although obviously something this tall is going to roll in the corners, the movement is controlled rather than lurching. It is also comfortable, even over broken surfaces. 

The power produced by the 2-litre, four cylinder turbo diesel was impressive; campervan etiquette says that you are holding up traffic then pull over when you can and let them pass. Nope, with me, I was one doing the overtaking.

Heading up the Brynderwyn Hill’s overtaking lane, I put the Grand Cali into sport mode, with the gears knocking down from eight gear to fifth, giving me more ratio to work with when overtaking.

And once I realised the power of the engine, overtake I did, much to the surprise of other motorists. Then again, apart from the awning rolled up on the driver’s side, there are no clues that this isn’t ‘just’ a Crafter van.

I also appreciated the Grand Cali’s blind-spot monitoring system that alerted me of speedsters overtaking me, or if I had completed an overtaking maneuver.

At Pataua South’s campground, Treasure Island, we were given a premium spot, at the highest point of the area with the closest neighbour down the hill from us. 

Plugging the Grand Cali into the mains gave us three-point power back into the cabin to regard laptops, and when the wind came up we retreated to the camper, swivelling around the front seats so we faced the table as we ate out farmers’ market goodies.

Henry managed to attach the ‘curtains’ that are placed on the front windows to block out the light, while I had the option of opening a number of windows or ceiling vents in the rear bed area to let in air but keep the blind closed.

Unfortunately, the foot pump purchased in Whangarei didn’t help Henry’s sleeping arrangement, because, as most campers know, cheap blow up beds deflate. So it was economy class sleeping a second night for him. 

Heading back to Auckland the next day, I was happy to engage the adaptive cruise control, setting the speed at 100km/h and three car lengths, making it effortless driving.

And that’s the highlight of the ’first class cabin on wheels’, it’s all effortless. Great little kitchenette, a wonderful bed but more importantly a superb drive without the faults of large campervans that we all get stuck behind on our Kiwi road trips.