Volkswagen Adds a Wet Bathroom to the 2025 Grand California Camper Van

The Volkswagen California camper van was updated last year, and intended to have a little for everyone. Now, Volkswagen has updated its sibling as well, unveiling a new Grand California this month that adds more tech to VW’s biggest camper van.

The Grand California has a new “digital cockpit” and a 10-inch screen is now standard, which can be upgraded to 12.9 inches and includes navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. There is a new five-inch screen in the back, too, to control heat and lighting, something first introduced in the new California. Meanwhile, an app from VW allows you to connect to the car and look at water and battery levels, which might be helpful if you’ve parked it for an excursion.

Under the hood is a 2.0-liter diesel making 161 horsepower and 302 lb ft of torque, which VW says complies with the latest European emission standards and can be had in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations. That should also give you a hint as to what this car is for: definitely not for speed rather for having just enough power to climb the Alps and, more generally, cruise across the European continent at pleasure speeds.

The Volkswagen Grand California is also not for looking at screens, which is perhaps why the ones it has are so tiny and intended for functional uses. Inside the Grand California, travelers should be, ideally, appreciating the view outside of the window.

Or they should be sleeping and enjoying the interior, which is the star of the show. The Grand California has a wet bathroom, which the smaller California lacks. It also offers a four-seat dinette, two burners, hot and cold water tap, a 70-liter refrigerator, and a two-person rear bed that sits under a skylight. A convertible space up front provides sleeping space for two more people, for a total of four. There is a second 12-volt battery for more power, and large windows throughout. The living area is “fully insulated,” Volkswagen says, including the floor, roof, and walls.

The Grand California wants you to see the great outdoors while emerging fresh in the morning with some dignity, and while it’s unlikely that the Grand California or California ever make it to the U.S., the new model updates a legacy for the camper van that VW has established over at least two decades in Europe. It starts at £84,046, or about $109,130.

Click here for more photos of the 2025 Volkswagen Grand California.

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