Picnics have become a symbol of hope for people in certain parts of New Zealand this year. As Covid-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions eased for Auckland on October 6, city dwellers were told they could meet for “picnics”. Picnics being as much a metaphor for away-from-home socialising as anything, but still. We heard picnics.
So what makes a perfect picnic? Sun, scenery, comfort and cooking are a good combination. You need to be fully portable for the first two, but the second two – well, wouldn’t it be awesome if you could bring a holiday house with you? Enjoy the great outdoors, retain a private space for taking a break and a kitchen for making that delicious food that you see in the lifestyle magazines. Which always comes out exactly like the pictures when you do it yourself.
The solution to all of the above is the Volkswagen Grand California, the German maker’s latest and largest factory-designed and built campervan. Using the Crafter van as its starting point, it’s a big brother both to the Transporter-based California Ocean (that’s a Kombi to you and I) and the pint-sized Caddy California. Yes, VW has a real Russian doll thing going on with its California models at the moment.
The four-berth Grand California 600 is nearly six metres long, so it truly is a holiday house (well, maybe beachfront apartment) on wheels. One that can take you to the prime picnic spots, wherever they may be.
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It’s fully self-contained, with kitchen, combined shower/toilet and solar panels on the roof that can harvest enough electricity during the day to power the “house battery” for a couple of nights. You can also charge it using the engine while you drive, or simply plug in at a camping ground.
One of the things that sets the Grand apart from other campervans is that it isn‘t a chore to drive. It has a strong 130kW/410Nm turbo-diesel engine and 4Motion all-wheel drive for a start. It’s three metres tall, so you don’t throw it around, but it’s impressively stable at speed, thanks partly to a plethora of driver aids, including Cross Wind Assist, which uses the electronic power steering and stability control to automatically resist body movements from big gusts.
Picnic time. Or perhaps California surprise-and-delight time. The exterior step folds out automatically as soon as you open the side door, and will stay that way once you enter and press the touchpad setting for Camping Mode. There’s a small dining table with two chairs and the driver/front passenger seats can be swiveled around for a four-place setting, in case you want to eat out of the sun. Or look at your laptop instead of the view (it happens, right?).
The Thule awning can be unrolled in a few minutes and the integrated legs drop down with a simple clip. There’s an outdoor table and folding chairs integrated into the lining of the barn doors at the back.
The kitchen is ultra-compact, but you get a gas cooker and sink all the same, and a decent run of flat benchspace for culinary creation. You can always spill (not literally) the prep onto the outdoor table, or fold the double bed away at the back and set up extra workspace there.
The fridge is located right in the doorway, which isn’t ideal if you’re moving in and out all the time. But it is ideal for equal access both inside and outside the vehicle; for the latter you can simply reach in, grab and run.
All in all, it’s a lot quicker and more convenient than setting up a tent and the barbeque. As it should be for $159,900; but if you’re in this market, the Grand California 600 is still competitively priced in a campervan context.
It’s not all about picnics going forward, of course. From next week Auckland’s borders open and longer-distance travel will be possible, which means recreation and sightseeing well beyond the limits of 24 hours – and camping. The biggest California tackles all that in grand style too.
VOLKSWAGEN GRAND CALIFORNIA 600
ENGINE: 2.0-Litre turbo diesel
POWER: 130kW/410Nm
GEARBOX: 8-speed automatic, AWD
ECONOMY: 9.2l/100km
PRICE: $159,000
