New Citroen Holidays 2025 review: a cheaper and cheerful VW California campervan rival

Verdict

The Citroen Holidays is a welcome new entrant into the manufacturer-converted compact-camper market, even if it does appear more like a third-party conversion than its closest rivals. The hard plastics and cheap-feeling trim are reflective of its lower price, but that may mean it stands up to the rigours of vanlife better than the more premium-feeling Volkswagen California. We’ll get the two side-by-side in a few weeks to reveal all.

This is the new Citroen Holidays, and it wants a slice of the lucrative and largely unexploited manufacturer-converted compact campervan market. Based on the M-length Dispatch van, it’s had its roof lopped off and its innards filled with everything you might need for a weekend away – including the kitchen sink.

For what feels like forever, one van maker has had this market segment cornered; the Volkswagen California has been the go-to home-away-from-home for over two decades. But more recently, we’ve seen rivals encroach on this otherwise untapped class: Mercedes was first with the luxurious Marco Polo, before Ford’s Transit Custom-based Nugget arrived more recently. Now, it’s Citroen’s turn.

The Holidays trades on value. It is – by some way – the cheapest camper you can buy direct from a manufacturer, with an on-the-road price of £55,395. There’s just one trim to choose from, so every version can seat and sleep up to four adults, with a big enough boot for all the necessary outdoor paraphernalia. For context, you’ll pay almost £10k more for the VW (note: without a kitchen), while both the Ford and Mercedes start at more than £80,000 depending on specification.

28

Inside the Citroen, you’ll find two seats up front, which can swivel (with great difficulty) up to 180 degrees to face the rear when stationary. There are a pair of additional seats in the rear alongside a simple kitchen set-up with two gas hobs and a sink. There’s also a neat fridge hidden under a removable panel, which is deep enough to hold precious items such as milk and eggs.

Used - available now

2022 Renault

Captur

8,796 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash £18,180

View Captur

2021 Vauxhall

Mokka Electric

28,958 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £12,600

View Mokka Electric

2025 SEAT

Ateca

35,512 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £14,600

View Ateca

2022 Mercedes

GLA

14,327 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L

Cash £27,300

View GLA

If you’ve ever experienced even a previous-generation California, let alone a new one, you’ll notice immediately how van-like the Citroen feels. The lofty driving position, the swathes of hard, scratchy plastics and the flat-bottomed fabric seats justify the van’s position in the market; every one of its rivals feels considerably more premium both to look at and touch. And yet, for a vehicle you can quite literally live in, perhaps that doesn’t matter – if anything, the solid surfaces may better stand the test of being knocked and scuffed on a repeated basis.

If you’re prepared to sacrifice that upmarket feel, then you’ll be perfectly pleased with the van’s functionality. While the kit might not be all that slick – that removable lid for the fridge is a bit awkward, and some of the switches in the rear look like an afterthought – there’s little that its competitors offer that the Citroen doesn’t.

There’s plenty of storage, with various cupboards and drawers down the side of the van, plus a roller shutter running to the roof towards the rear, plus an airline-style bin at the back. You again can’t escape that feeling of some parts being a bit of afterthought – the third rear seatbelt remains in place on the left C-pillar, despite it being mostly hidden behind the kitchenette, and the interior table is a faff to install.

28

The side windows don’t open, either, yet the additional sliding side door still allows for ventilation when cooking. That’s about all it’s useful for, though; you won’t be squeezing adults through the gap in between the sink and the front seat.

While they’re a bit fiddly, the rear seats drop to create a reasonable-sized double bed. The roof lifts manually – no electrically operated, touchscreen-controlled roof here – by unlatching a couple of clips, before a pair of gas struts take over and raise it into place. There’s another, slightly larger bed up top, with space for a couple of adults to get comfortable, plus a trio of zippered windows that can be opened for some fresh air.

Lowering the roof is a little more complicated; whereas higher-spec Californias and Marco Polos will fold the canvas neatly at the flick of a switch, shutting up the Citroen requires a bit more patience. There’s a big metal bar located directly above the driver and front passenger seats, but ensuring the locating pins meet first time is an art; it’d get easier the more familiar you become, but the process isn’t particularly intuitive to begin with.

On the road, the Holidays is much like any other Citroen van to drive. The 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine is a peppy performer, and feels more than torquey enough for a vehicle such as this. The steering is light and a little vague, but take things easy and it’s perfectly responsive; you’re not likely to be hustling the Holidays along a winding back road, meaning its mediocre handling shouldn’t pose any problems.

28

On the upside, while the Citroen Holidays is a little floaty on the move, it’s genuinely comfortable at higher speeds, making long motorway journeys a cinch. The occasionally rattly diesel engine settles down well and the eight-speed automatic gearbox does the job just fine. The standard-fit heated seats and steering wheel are a nice touch, too.

In fact, the equipment list is pretty generous given the price, with the single MAX trim featuring keyless entry and start, a 180-degree parking camera, wireless phone charging, LED lights and 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. There are five paint colours to pick from, but just one interior trim.

The dashboard is the usual Citroen dual-screen layout, with an easy-to-read digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a climate-control panel underneath with proper physical buttons; the temperature in the rear is controlled via individual rotary-style dials alongside the fridge.

Yet for many, their choice of camper will come down to image. Nothing in this market can compete with the Volkswagen in this regard – whether you’re road-tripping across Europe, traversing the North Coast 500 or surfing in Devon and Cornwall. Discerning vanlifers will decide whether the cheap-ish and cheerful Citroen even gets a look-in.