Full review

In motorhomes no name is better known than Hymer, in campervans that cachet belongs to Westfalia. Here’s a manufacturer with a 65-year history and its split-screen and bay-window classic VWs are still seen as the most collectable. But since Volkswagen took production of its California in-house with the T5 (T4 Calis were built by Westfalia), this iconic brand has not been able to offer a true competitor. It has had the rear kitchen Club Joker, as well as Ford and Merc-based alternatives (the Marco Polo, which Mercedes-Benz now sells through UK car dealers is a Westfalia creation).

For 2018, though, Westfalia launched the Kepler Six – a side kitchen layout Volkswagen, once again, after a 15-year break. Like the California, the Kepler Six aims for the top end of the VW market, and it, too, retains the offside sliding door with right-hand drive. Where it differs significantly from VW’s own camper, however, is in being based on the long-wheelbase T6. And the extra 400mm of bodywork has allowed the German firm to do some clever rethinking of the seating.

In the cab, of course, it’s the usual pair of swivel armchairs from Volkswagen. Behind that you get two more individual seats which look surprisingly similar to those in front – no ‘second class’ seating for Kepler Six passengers! Each of the rear seats is removable and, as they are mounted on floor tracking, the layout can be reconfigured. So, you can have the usual side-by-side rear seats, or one in front of the other, so bikes or surfboards, etc, can be loaded alongside. Or you can buy extra seats (£1,238 each) and turn the Kepler Six into a six-seater (in three rows) – now you get the name!

Dealer, Harbour Creek, has found that versatility is appealing to disabled customers. The seats form no part of the bed, the backrests simply fold forwards and the double berth unfolds over the top. It is supported by a pair of legs at the front and it’s higher off the floor than usual. With the bed made up, there’s still space to use a Porta Potti in the rear boot area. The bed claims dimensions of 2.00m by 1.20m, while a roof bed is also standard.

The side kitchen is more conventional but it has the same high-class styling that makes the Marco Polo stand out from lesser campers. It features a duo-tone finish, soft-close drawers and a top-loading 40-litre fridge, as well as the expected two-burner hob.

The Kepler Six comes as standard with the 102PS motor. You’ll want the 150PS motor (£2,880), plus the Kepler Pack, and a 3,000kg base vehicle (£825) is compulsory if you wish to use yours as a six-seater. Then there are various Westfalia options, including diesel heating and hot water (£3,238), outdoor chairs and table (£282) and flyscreens for the sliding door and tailgate (£171 each).

The duo-tone (metalflake) paint job here is not a factory finish but an after-market job by Harbour Creek, priced at £3k. Even without this, the Westfalia could become £60k with a few extras, but it is a unique – very desirable – addition to the VW world.

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