Mercedes-Benz unveiled the redesign of their V-Class this week, and it’s clear that the automaker is challenging the definitions of what constitutes a luxury vehicle. Typically the V-Class, sold in countries other than the U.S., has been a commercial vehicle that emphasized functionality over comfort and style. Mercedes-Benz head Dieter Zetsche says this is still the case, only now comfort and style have been integrated into the vehicle’s design.
Calling it an “eight-passenger” saloon, Mercedes-Benz will actually offer a variety of seating configurations though the base model will come with four individual luxury seats, leaving plenty of storage room where an optional third row could be placed. One of the most curious options is a two-seat, one-bed design which allows the rear seats to fold into a bed up to 80 inches long. We suppose that if you truly are wearied with the world after your luncheon, it could be agreeable to take a nap on the way to your next engagement.
The V-Class will offer a choice of two wheelbase lengths, and therein lies the crux of the vehicle’s redesign: space. The van has the matte-finish wood trim and napa leather upholstery of the brand’s top-of-the-line S-Class. It has all the audio, navigation and Internet capabilities of a C-Class or GLA. And it has the various collision avoiding, traffic-protecting assist systems that you can find on any Mercedes-Benz, from a scooter to an E-Class.
What the V-Class offers is the ability to ferry people or goods as a small business owner, or pick-up your division heads for a regional conference without suffering the indignity of crushed Cheerios underfoot or gaudy entertainment screens strapped onto seatbacks. It’s a refined vehicle, inside and out, because that is what Mercedes-Benz does, and a larger passenger-carrier will be well-received.
The four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine comes in three variations, depending on how much power you feel you’ll need. We suspect that this will be quickly ascertained by trying the different levels for yourself, or just choosing the largest size for peace of mind.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz V-Class will go on sale abroad this very fall, and while executives have said that sales of Sprinter vans in the U.S. make a V-Class American release possible, nothing is definite. So what do you think? Could the V-Class occupy a space in your world? Let us know your opinions, or stop by to test out one of our Sprinter vans. It could be that by this time next year we’ll have our very own V-Class to offer you.