The Volkswagen California may remain the world’s icon of compact, space-saving van living, but there are a number of other stylish pop-top mini-campers that offer a similar, if not better, experience. Increasingly, these vans are being developed and marketed by the car manufacturers themselves. The latest addition to this market is Citroën’s Holidays. The new mini-camper offers some amenities that the California lacks, including a removable indoor/outdoor kitchen and toilet.
Much like Nissan (and its ally Renault), Stellantis’ French brands Citroën and Peugeot have been paying attention to the RV market in recent years. Peugeot has been content to showcase third-party conversions and concept RVs at major RV shows across Europe, but Citroën has taken things more seriously, launching its Holidays RV range in 2023 with the Type H, a fully retro-looking van that brings a much-needed injection of brand quirkiness to the often stuffy RV segment.
However, not everyone needs the age-old retro character, so with its latest offering, Citroën leaves the corrugated H-skin behind and transforms the mid-size SpaceTourer van into a small, efficient camper better suited to the modest modern masses.
Thanks to Citroën’s ongoing partnership with Slovenian conversion company Bravia Mobil, the new Holidays Camper looks almost identical inside to the Holidays Type H. The 498cm long, two-level van comes with a pop-up sleeping roof as standard, providing overnight accommodation for four people and complementing the four belted seats underneath. The double bed in the roof area measures 120 x 195cm, while the lower double bed is only slightly smaller at 115 x 190cm.
This standard pop-top roof serves as the basis for the Holidays’ flexible design, as the folding second-row bench seat/bed is attached to floor rails and can be removed to empty the rear cabin for transporting bikes, skis, surfboards or whatever else you want to bring along. The Holidays becomes a two-person campervan in this case, but those two still have a comfortable place to sleep once the roof is opened.
Citroën/Maison Vignaux @ Continental Productions
Based on the ever-flexible Multivan, the latest Volkswagen California can also slide its two rear seats out of the tailgate, offering equal capability as an adventure camper and everyday MPV/transporter. Where the Holidays beats the latest Volkswagen is the removable kitchen block, which can be used indoors or outdoors when camping, or stored in the garage to create more space for everyday driving/loading cargo. Volkswagen announced a fixed kitchen with additional indoor/outdoor features on its 2023 Multivan California concept, but ultimately opted for a simpler design.
Citroën’s removable kitchen block includes a two-burner gas stove, sink, 10-litre fresh and waste water tanks and storage space. A small 16-litre cool box is located behind the removable block, stays in place and is connected to the built-in 95Ah 12V leisure battery. The attachable dining table can be used inside the van, outside the kitchen through the sliding door or as part of the exterior fit-out with the kitchen removed.
As is usual in this class of motorhome, the Holidays does not have an indoor bathroom. However, Citroën offers both an outdoor shower with its own 25-litre fresh water tank and a portable toilet.
Citroën takes onboard power to a level beyond Californian levels by connecting a roof-mounted solar panel to the passenger battery to keep it charged even when it’s not plugged into the mains. The van has two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports and a wireless smartphone charger. A 230V socket is available when the van is connected to shore power. A programmable Webasto heater keeps you comfortable when camping even in colder weather. It’s easy to adjust via an integrated control panel that also controls the interior lighting.
Behind the wheel, the Holidays benefits from the latest SpaceTourer features, including a next-generation infotainment system with 10-inch colour touchscreen and connected 3D navigation, Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and a range of 17 driver assistance systems including adaptive cruise control with stop & go, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assist and hill start assist. Power comes from a 174bhp 2.0-litre BlueHDi turbodiesel and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
To celebrate the holidays even more, the camper is currently available in Germany at a special introductory price of €48,990 (incl. VAT, about $53,850). That’s significantly less than the €62,689 ($68,925) starting price for the most basic Volkswagen California Beach Sleeper van, and almost 40% less than the more comparable California Coast at €77,832 ($85,575). If indoor and outdoor cooking facilities, a toilet and a solar panel don’t convince you, that price difference could certainly convince you.
Citroën
On Tuesday, Citroën announced a UK starting price of £56,590 (including VAT, around $72,800). Order books will open in the coming weeks, with first deliveries planned for later this year. Volkswagen has not yet announced UK pricing for the T7 California, so we cannot offer a comparison for that market.
The Holidays first debuted at CMT 2024 earlier this year and will be on display at the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf this month.
Source: Citroën
