Typical British weather for this one — rain on cue — but it was the perfect chance to take the brand new Hillside MVX out for a proper first look and see what it’s really like. And just to be clear from the start: this is NOT a VW California. It’s built on the VW T7 Multivan (this one’s the 1.5 eHybrid 4Motion), using the California roof as the donor, but the conversion is Hillside’s. What surprised me straight away was how car-like it feels. The MQB platform really shows — it’s smooth, quiet, and when I put my foot down it was way more responsive than I expected from a camper. Once we stopped, I walked you around the outside: twin sliding doors, awning rails on both sides (very welcome in this weather), IQ lights, pop-top channels for light kit like boards, and the practical bits like 22L fresh and 22L waste water, hookup point, and even a scuff plate (more vans need those). Inside is where it gets interesting: a RIB 104 bed on rails (something you don’t get in a California), a single-burner gas hob, 35L front-loading Dometic fridge, Savvy Van control panel, 105Ah lithium battery and a 400W inverter. The big takeaway for me is the MVX is aimed at that “luxury daily driver with camper features” buyer — fits under height barriers, parks like a car, but still gives you a proper weekend setup. And the big thing it has that the factory California doesn’t? Insulation.