Citroen Holidays is a loaded camper that nails fundamentals, has a clever kitchen and is £15k less than VW rival

CORNWALL. Golden sands, cream teas and four days of horizontal rain that would make Noah nervous. Perfect testing ground, then, for Citroen’s first crack at a factory-built campervan – a sector VW has had sewn up since forever. Citroen Holidays makes a compelling, weatherproof case for itself Credit: matt howell You can cook al fresco with the door slid open in the clever kitchen Credit: matt howell We lived in the Holidays for nearly a week. Two adults, one small dog, zero off-grid ambitions – every campsite booked in advance with an electric hook-up (just as well, this isn’t a vehicle made for wild camping in a tempest). Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Based on the Dispatch van, the Holidays is built by Citroen with Slovenian conversion specialist Bravia Mobil. You can’t not notice the plastics are hard and the switch gear is van-grade. But here’s the thing – with the rain hammering down at 3am, you don’t actually care that the door bin isn’t lined with a velvety fabric. What you do care about is staying dry. And the manual pop-up roof, which sleeps two up top, while a further two can bed down below on the folded rear bench, didn’t let a drop in over four filthy nights. The 230V hook-up point fed the leisure battery without fuss and the Webasto heater kept the cabin snug when called upon. But the kitchen is the cleverest bit. Slide the unit out and you can cook al fresco with the door slid open (in better weather than we had, obviously). Tucked under the worktop is a slimline fridge. Most read in Motors On the road the steering is notably light, but while pushing on through Cornwall’s tight, hedge-lined lanes everything does feel reassuringly bolted down. Compared with a mid-spec £71k VW California Coast – also with kitchen and adjustable four-seat layout – it’s a serious price difference. Citroen Holidays is only available with a 2-litre diesel with an eight-speed auto that’s smooth enough for the job. But for the money saved, you get a loaded campervan that nails the fundamentals – sleeping four, dual gas ring cooking, a sink, keeps you warm and dry, even when the British summer hits you like winter. No, it’s not as desirable as a California and won’t turn heads the way a VW badge still does. But for first-timers who want a turn-key camper without remortgaging, the Holidays makes a compelling, weatherproof case for itself. Soggy dog included. KEY FACTS: CITROEN HOLIDAYS Price: £56,590Engine: 2-litre dieselPower: 177hp, 400Nm0-62mph: 12.5 secsTop speed: 109mphEconomy: 34mpgCO2: 216g/kmOut: Now Comment now