A California holiday beckons – without having to leave Ireland

UNDERSTANDABLY not too many people are planning on taking a holiday abroad this year but some are looking to California as an alternative – the California camper van from Volkswagen that is.

Versions of the famous familyoriented vehicle are being increasingly asked about by people thinking of an alternative ‘staycation’.

The news emerged in the course of a conference on the impact of the current crisis on the van market in particular by Volkswagen Commercials here.

Figures for the damage to the market make for grim reading – for example, 809 customers have had to ask for, and get, payment breaks.

But with a restart campaign now up and running, Volkswagen Commercials is hoping to boost a real return to business activity. It announced a plethora of offers and incentives to lift sales in a sector which relies so heavily on a healthy economy. It will take time but hope springs eternal.

Volkswagen Commercials chief Alan Bateson said it is rolling out a wide tranche of incentives such as threemonth no-repayment periods to get people buying or leasing, with leasing being pushed hard as it removes the risks of ownership.

Significantly, there has been a surge in used-vehicle sales since dealers re-opened last week, according to Mr Bateson.

And there are major new models, many electric, on their way over the coming months and years.

Down the road in 2022 will come the ID Buzz with a 420km range that is being described as a game-changer.

It may be some time off but it’s aptly named for now – there is a bit of a buzz back.