THREE
GREAT
SAT NAVSDECEMBER 2021 T3 21Style
TOMTOM GO CAMPER
Designed for camper vans
and caravans, you’ll get
customised navigation and
points of interest with the size
of your vehicle in mind. It’ll
also help find an ideal place to
stay with detailed campsite
information preloaded.
£379.99, tomtom.comGARMIN
DRIVESMART 86
Maybe the most advanced
sat nav around, with a
gorgeous 8-inch display that
can be mounted in either
landscape or portrait mode.
Packed with features such as
environmental zone routing,
hands-free calling and built-
in Garmin voice assist.
£319.99, garmin.comTOMTOM GO
DISCOVER
The TomTom Go Discover is
a straightforward navigation
device without fancy features.
It is ultimately about utility,
not showbiz moves and fancy
tricks, and there’s no doubt
TomTom delivers excellent
usability here.
£229.99, tomtom.comVAN HAILING
T3’S BIG CAMPOUT
Spencer Hart takes Volkswagen’s new van-tastic
California camper for a spin around Scotland2021 is undoubtedly the year of camping
and staycations, so, with that in mind, we
took one of Volkswagen’s recently updated
California campervans up to the Isle of
Skye to see what all the fuss is about.
With new technology, design and an
improved interior, the California 6.1 (from
£56,846, volkswagen.co.uk) aims to
reaffirm its position as the benchmark van
- after all, more than 175,000 California
campers have been built, making it the
most successful vehicle of its kind, ever.
The biggest appeal of the VW California
is how immaculately packaged everything
is – every inch of space is used ingeniously
and built to remarkably high standards. It’s
like the TARDIS, but instead of travelling
through space and time, it’ll travel through
Britain’s motorways and campsites.
The long journey up to Skye was
comfortable – the California drives just like
a car. It’s got all of the modern safety
features, including lane assist, adaptive
cruise control, and even crosswind assist,
which stabilises the camper in the event of
strong winds. It’s not too difficult to park,
either, as it’s about the same size as an
SUV and comes with park assist.
Once we reached our destination (the
very picturesque Glenbrittle Campsite) we
set about turning the MPV into a home.
It’s a surprisingly easy process, with the
pop-up roof creating two sleeping areas,
the seats transforming into a living space,
and the canopy creating exterior shelter.
The California 6.1 is the most
technologically advanced California yet,
with an all-new camper control unit with a
touchscreen above the rear-view mirror.
All of the functions are managed via the
easy-to-use display, including the lights,
fridge, auxiliary heating... the list goes on.
The dash has also been redesigned with a
digital display behind the steering wheel,
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an
integrated eSIM, although, on the remote
Isle of Skye don’t expect to be streaming
Squid Game or your favourite podcasts.
Ultimately, the California 6.1 made our
camping trip as painless as possible- even quite luxurious in some cases.
We found both the upper and lower
mattresses extremely comfortable, there
was enough headroom for someone over
six foot, and plenty of storage space for a
week-long trip. It’s a fantastic lifestyle. As
for the Isle of Skye, we’re already planning
another trip back – its stunning scenery,
amazing wildlife, and historic landmarks
will instantly win over your heart.
IMAGE^SOURCE:^ VOLKSWAGENIMAGE^SOURCE:^ TOMTOMIMAGE^SOURCE:^ GARMINIMAGE^SOURCE:^ TOMTOM