Verdict
We’re confident the updated Mercedes V-Class will be just as popular as before, but that’s more a comment on its lack of competition than anything else. Mercedes won’t have the premium MPV market to itself for much longer, so the intriguing mild-hybrid petrol version could be crucial.
Perhaps no other car signifies the power of the Mercedes badge like the V-Class. You might think a van-based people carrier would dilute the prestige of the three-pointed star, but with the V-Class, it reinforces Mercedes’ premium appeal.
You would hope so too, considering the V-Class costs near enough £75,000 in entry-level form. With this mid-life facelift we’ve seen the entry-level AMG Line become a £3,950 optional extra, replaced by the ‘Premium’ version complying with Mercedes’ goal to drive its brand even further upmarket. With this in mind, we a go in the range-topping ‘Exclusive’ to really find out if Mercedes is still the champion of the luxury people carrier.
We say ‘people carrier’ in the loosest possible sense, because instead of the usual eight-seat or seven-seat configuration, the car we’re driving here has the suitably-named ‘VIP luxury seat’ layout in the rear. This means you get two lounge seats in the middle row, with space for two ‘regular’ seats behind, creating a six-seater. With room for fewer passengers, Mercedes says this isn’t going to be the most popular model, but with a focus on opulence it could be the only competitor to the new Lexus LM and upcoming (not yet for UK sale) Volvo EM90.
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