Volkswagen Kombi Beach 2006 Review

For those who saw the world between London and Morocco through a split windscreen or headed north to the rainforests of Queensland with a reassuring chuddah-chuddah emerging from under the mattress in the back, Volkswagen is hoping you are ready to do it all again in 21st century comfort and style.

There was something quite primal and cave-like living out of a baker's discarded VW Kombi at the first Sunbury pop festival that eluded me on Volkswagen's recent Kombi Beach launch. This was despite the presence of a superb original split windscreen 1965 Microbus and multiple images linking the two.

The purchase price of the old Kombi that I lived in at Sunbury wouldn't pay for a single night in a five -star hotel these days. The fact that it got us there and provided an oasis from the dust and heat was enough to leave its occupants grinning from ear to ear.

When the new one starts at $54,990 for the manual, expectations change quickly. At that price, I couldn't imagine inviting rock idols to add their graffiti to our scribble on the cargo area walls. As always, this is the challenge when you start to juxtapose a defining moment in culture or history onto a new landscape.

For someone with almost $60,000 to spend on a new vehicle, is it still cool to pull up at the side of the road in a shiny new VW Kombi Beach, enjoy a feed on its dinky foldaway table then set up its clever bedding arrangements before retiring for the night in relative comfort? If that image is seductive and I must admit it is when I still do exactly that in my old van, then the Kombi Beach is the only factory choice ready to drive away now.

It's also a very good one even if it is a long way short of a camper. It's something in between for those who want to travel light. If you regularly cover big distances to pursue a hobby or sport and need a place to call home while on the road, then take a look at the Kombi Beach. If you need a mobile work station with the facility to prepare reports on the spot then catch some kip before you move on, the Kombi Beach could also fill the bill.

FEATURES
It is only the factory features built into the Beach with their German precision and quality that separate it from an empty van. As they transform the fundamental focus of the Transporter as a people or cargo carrier into something that is no longer either of these, it needs to match your intended usage. The seat runners remain and theoretically you could empty it out and turn it back into a van, but that is not the point.

The key to the Beach is its generous rear seat with seat belts for two that allow it to be turned into a bedroom/lounge/dining room in an instant with some really clever storage areas to keep it free of clutter. The two front seats with their headrests and armrests are separated by a walk-through area and can swivel 180 degrees to face the rear of the vehicle. The standard table which clips into the side door when not in use can be locked into place inside between the two rows of seats or it can be used as a free-standing table outside. The Beach comes with two separate folding seats for outdoor use.

A flat platform across the back replicates the engine room of the original Kombi except now that the engine is in the front, it can generate a huge amount of storage space underneath -- perfect for a car fridge, tent, water containers and other accessories such as a folding shower or portable loo.

Moulded rails that run above and below the rear side windows support a soft luggage bag on either side. These sturdy fabric bags feature carry straps so they can double as day packs. They lift storage for clothes and personal effects away from the living area but still allow easy access. These rails also support an overhead cargo net in the same area intended for doonas, pillows and other bed items. An optional 'Good Night Package' adds curtains and elastic covers.

The really clever part is the way the rear seat folds up to match the level of the rear platform then extends it into a generous double bed of 2.3 metres long and 1.7 metres wide (more of that shortly). Between the rear seat and the sliding side door is a padded console that forms part of the bed while providing sliding drawer storage for food or tools. Because this seat has to fold perfectly flat to become part of the bed, it might be too flat for some as a passenger seat over longer distances. Under the rear seat is a wide storage drawer, perfect for sheets, table cloths, towels and other wide, flat objects. Some thought has gone into maximizing the space.

There is good lighting spread throughout the cabin including reading lights for two in the sleeping area. The integrated air-conditioning system feeds cool and filtered air into the living area as required. The same dual ventilation system will also heat it. The side windows slide open. A twin battery installation with power sockets allows you to run a wide choice of entertainment and convenience accessories when the engine is not running.

In the cockpit, it is standard Transporter fare including a basic single-CD sound system, rubber floor covering, height and reach adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel, lots of storage including overhead space in the headlining, colourful blue highlights in the cloth trim, cruise control, trip computer and full instruments.

The exterior of the Beach is distinguished by several two-tone options which are no more than heavy-handed applications of differently coloured self-adhesive plastic wrap over a sombre grey. These wraps which VW describes as stripes are supposed to recall the sharp two-tone colour combinations of old and come in Sundown orange, Lime or Stone blue.

Instead, these colour stick-ons can leave the Beach looking like a delivery van dressed-up by a supplier of trendy orange juice or greens. They have the authenticity of a business man pulling a Hawaian shirt over his suit to go on holiday. The whole effect is a far cry from what Kombi fans were expecting from the Microbus prototype of 2001.

After Australians have experienced such wild and creative factory efforts like the Sandman, Sundowner and Drifter, it all seems a bit sad. If VW was serious, there would be a choice of white over several period pastel colours. When silver or industrial yellow are the only alternatives, the inability to create a light-hearted period Kombi look could be a major turn-off.

COMFORT
It's business as usual up front with the Transporter's well-shaped seats, clever cabin layout and plenty of storage. There is no better view of the road through the windscreen and side glass. There is the usual complement of grab-and-entry handles and good lighting.

As mentioned above, the rear seat is for occasional use only when its flat cushions make better mattress sections than seats. However, rear stretching room and ease of entry are outstanding. For children, there is plenty of storage and space to store amusements.

The real issue is whether the commercial suspension and noise levels work for what should be a soothing getaway vehicle. One of the reasons why old Kombis were so loved for epic journeys is that they leveled the worst roads with the gentle gait of a rocking horse.

While never quite qualifying as rough, the Beach's ride can be quite busy and sharp over broken rural road surfaces. Road noise and comfort are no better than you would expect for a 2006 commercial vehicle of German origins, which means it's fine on smooth roads and some way short of what it needs to be if the roads are anything less. It can't hide its origins once on the move.

The heavily reinforced body with side-impact barriers front and rear has a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty which is a huge plus for a recreational vehicle that will face more aggressive environments than most. It's guaranteed to retain its structural integrity; an important consideration given its high-speed cruising role.

There is ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist working on big 308mm ventilated disc brakes at the front and 294mm discs at the rear. There is also anti-slip regulation or traction control standard but the ESP function is an optional extra. For tougher conditions, there is also an advanced 4Motion all-wheel-drive system option as a manual only.

Head restraints and three-point seatbelts are fitted for all seat positions and there is a child seat mounting fixture. For this type of forward control vehicle, VW since the 1980s has always set out to match the better passenger cars in crash protection.

It features several lightweight long-life internals including plasma-coated cylinder liners, trapezoidal conrod gudgeon ends for extra strength, helical gearset for camshaft and ancillaries which eliminates belts and chains, warp anchor cylinder head fixing that protects the bores and head from distortion and an integrated vibration damper for the crankshaft.

Transmissions include a high 400Nm torque capacity AISIN-Warner six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic or the OA5 six-speed manual transmission with 500Nm capacity. This unusually short and compact manual transmission features four short shafts to contain the gear wheels which also deliver extra strength.

The optional 4Motion system features a Haldex coupling located ahead of the rear axle and comes with the six-speed manual only.

Standard wheels are 16-inch steel with a full-size spare. Suspension is independent all round. Claimed fuel economy is 8.5-litres/100km for the manual, 9.3 for the auto and 9.4 for the 4Motion.

COMPETITORS
As stated earlier, the Kombi Beach has no direct rival but that doesn't mean there are not good alternatives. Again, it's all about expectations. Those who spend $60,000 ($54,990 for the manual, $57,990 auto, $58,990 4Motion) in one hit will expect something approaching a luxury parlour coach but what they get is a cleverly fitted-out delivery van.

Unlike earlier passenger car variations of Japanese vans, VW has not reworked the ride and overall refinement over the Transporter. The VW Transporter might be one of the best working vans but something like today's Tarago for example is in another league as a passenger vehicle.

This means you could virtually pick any van on the market to fit your budget and engage a camper conversion company or competent cabinet maker to custom-build exactly what you want for a lot less than the Beach. Apart from the factory provenance of the Beach and the flexibility of its rear seat, it's not enough when the charmless exterior doesn't even include a set of alloy wheels.

The upper levels of rear-engined VW Kombis right until the end were works of art with their striking two-tone colour combinations and beautiful detailing. People chose them over old Transits and Bedford vans for good reason. In terms of looks and ambience, the Beach is more like a descendant of a 1960s Transit than an old Kombi.

If you started with the latest Toyota HiAce diesel from $34,400 for example, you get a more compact rear-drive package with modern styling more in keeping with the original Kombi in feel and looks. With tinted windows, classy alloys, subtle body detailing and a nudge bar, the latest HiAce could look and work a treat. The Mercedes-Benz Vito is another prime candidate.

Because the Beach 4Motion doesn't offer extra clearance, you would need to consider a Toyota LandCruiser Troopcarrier which is particularly popular for this type of conversion when it delivers serious offroad ability starting at $54,300.

It takes up so much road that you can't avoid broken surfaces on most Australian rural roads while staying on your side of the road. Even if the Beach feels rugged enough to take it, you become conscious of the left side suspension working all the time which over a day's travel can be irritating for the passenger even if it impacts less on the driver. The height also means you need to keep an eye out overhead even without anything on the roof.

The roof is also too high for bikes both for loading and clearance. Because you can't hang them off a tow bar when it kills access to vital storage areas, the Kombi Beach despite its huge size doesn't yet offer a solution. A pushbike has now become as fundamental to recreation as a set of golf clubs or a surfboard and their safe transport needs to be part of any recreational package.

Stay on the open road and there really isn't a much better way of seeing the countryside. You can focus on the surroundings when the wide track and wheel at each corner provide a stable footprint that virtually eliminates any fore and aft pitching or sideways rocking. The diesel is quiet and neither transmission is ever caught on the wrong foot with such a good spread of ratios. Regardless of whether you chose an auto or manual, they are both very good.

Despite the front-drive weight bias, the handling is quite neutral no doubt helped by the latest weight reduction measures in the drivetrain and the better spread of weight that the Beach additions generate. It sticks like glue to a chosen cornering line even when the surface is uneven: never a strong point of an old Kombi. You need to watch dips and rises away from the bitumen as the long wheelbase can cause the centre of the vehicle to make contact. Performance is adequate with overtaking limited more by the width of available road than grunt.

While it must have seemed like a good idea to promote the Kombi Beach as a revival of the original, the new one doesn't have its soul, ride, ground clearance, go-anywhere ability and compact size. Get past that and it is an astonishingly roomy, stable and safe getaway vehicle within a tight band of requirements.