The exact van we’re looking at for this review is the Volkswagen California Beach TDI340 4Motion.
This means it’s the middle of three variants in the California Beach range, which kicks off from $90,990, before on-road costs, for the base front-wheel drive, $94,990 for this all-wheel drive version we’re testing, or $100,990 for the more powerful TDI450 version.
Our mid-spec also had a long list of attached options, including the Kombi-style two-tone paint ($4050), upgraded interior package which includes microfleece seat trim, heated front seats, and the improved digital dash suite ($3690), an electric pop-up roof ($3050), LED headlights ($2050), adaptive chassis control ($2010), the 'Off-Road Pack' (includes a rear diff lock and downhill assist - $1720), power sliding doors (both sides, $1640), fog lights with cornering function ($770), 'Park Assist' ($460), 'Light Assist' ($320), and the no-cost option of a silver-coloured awning.
The list of extras (valued at a total of $19,760) brought the price as-tested (and still before on-roads) to a substantial $114,750.
In concept then we’re left with a van which has pretty much all the creature comforts of a Volkswagen passenger car with two beds (one in the pop-up roof, the other consisting of the fold-out rear seats).
In isolation, this may seem reasonable for such a custom camping solution, but the issue arrives when you consider competitors.
Trakka’s most direct rival, the Trakkadu, can be had from $137,422 and offers such luxuries not even optionally available on the California Beach, like an improved power system (to support 240V outlets), a kitchenette, fridge, plenty of additional storage, and a water supply.
Your $94,990 California Beach in base form then is essentially a Multivan with an awning, interior shades and lighting, a rear fold-out bed and bench, and a set of two chairs and a table.
While it’s very nice to have custom fit blinds on every window and fully adjustable built-in interior lighting, you’ll then need to go and spend more on a power system and possibly plumbing if you want it to be a truly luxurious long-distance tourer. It’s too bad we miss out on higher-spec vehicles available overseas.