Genuinely one in every of my favourite issues about touring to Europe is attending to trip in Mercedes-Benz V-Class vans. The V-Class is the passenger model of the Metris industrial van we get within the U.S., and they’re significantly luxurious. Some variations have a rear-facing second row of seats that makes conversing with your folks straightforward whereas others have fancy captain’s chairs, and the V-Class has all the posh options you’d count on from a Benz. They’re method higher to trip in than one thing like an Escalade or a typical luxurious sedan, particularly for those who’re with a gaggle of individuals. Fortunately, the U.S. will lastly get the V-Class with the totally electrical next-generation mannequin, which Mercedes is now teasing for the primary time.
The subsequent V-Class will use Mercedes’ new VAN.EA platform, a modular electrical structure that can underpin each new Mercedes van, each industrial and passenger fashions. The V-Class would be the first one to debut in 2026, although its Metris (or Vito in Europe) sibling will possible be revealed alongside it or observe quickly after. Because the VAN.EA platform is “versatile and scalable,” it’ll be used for the smaller Citan and T-Class and the massive and massively common Sprinter fashions, too. Each front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive might be supplied.
Mercedes launched a handful of images of a camouflaged V-Class prototype, and it appears to be like like, properly, a van, albeit a sleeker and brisker one. The window glazing appears to be like extra flush than the present V-Class, and it has different options like an built-in spoiler, pop-out door handles and clean underbody to eke out probably the most vary. We are able to see that the V-Class may have an enormous grille like the lately facelifted V-Class and EQV, and hopefully it’ll be supplied with Mercedes’ standing star hood decoration like these fashions too.
The VAN.EA platform will “permit for a transparent distinction between privately positioned vans within the luxurious section and industrial vans inside the premium section,” in keeping with Mercedes, with the previous class together with “VIP shuttles to luxurious and spacious limousines tailor-made for patrons with the very best calls for.” Not solely will there nonetheless be an opulent V-Class mannequin that’s completely suited to be a high-end taxi, lodge shuttle or household automobile, however Mercedes will lastly be making a Maybach mannequin from the manufacturing facility.
Aftermarket fake Maybach conversions for Metrises and V-Lessons have turning into more and more common in recent times, particularly within the U.S., and Mercedes is seeking to money in on that demand. Hell, Kim Kardashian owns one! Earlier this yr on the eSprinter drive occasion I chatted with an exec from Benz’s vans division who mentioned the purpose isn’t to take advantage of luxurious van doable, however probably the most luxurious automobile, interval. The van form will permit designers and engineers to actually maximize the quantity of lounge house, much more so than what you get in a Maybach S-Class or GLS. Such ultra-luxury vans have turn out to be mega common in China, the place some even have partitions with large TV screens and lodging that rival the most effective personal jets.
Earlier this summer time Mercedes took a specifically constructed prototype from Stuttgart to the North Cape to check the VAN.EA’s battery, chassis and powertrain. Present highway testing is specializing in “the interplay of all elements inside the automobile,” and subsequent up might be winter testing in Sweden. Mercedes hasn’t mentioned precisely when the V-Class will debut, solely that it will likely be popping out in 2026, so a reveal may occur sooner or later subsequent yr.
