2019 Mercedes V-Class Review
Car Tested: 2019 Mercedes V220d; Road Test No. 1087; Test Location: Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 85.94 lakhs – 1.03 crores
With flexible seating options & outstanding ride quality, the V-Class takes practicality, comfort & space to a whole new level
Mercedes-Benz is a brand known for its elegant sedans, polished SUVs and angry AMGs. The brand has consistently managed to strike a chord amongst the luxury car buyers in India with its product diversity. With more people travelling than ever before, with the demand for big and premium cars increasing at an astonishing rate, Mercedes-Benz has launched its luxury MPV, the V-Class in the Indian market. Can the V-Class be an ideal vehicle for people looking to travel in groups in luxury or can it be an answer to the question that no one asked? Here’s what we think.
Motor Quest: It is not the first time Mercedes-Benz has entered the luxury MPV segment. Mercedes first cracked the segment in 1999 with the SsangYong built MB100 and MB140 vans which were imported from Korea. Although these vans had space and the durability expected from the segment, they felt a little crude for the three-pointed star. Mercedes made the second attempt in 2011 with the launch of the R-Class. The R-Class was sadly considered a misfit in the Mercedes line-up and with fuel-guzzling V6 petrol as its only engine option, it was a flop show from the start. With the V-Class, Mercedes hopes to have a successful third attempt.
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Though the styling is a little bland, the V-Class looks very premium & upmarket
Exteriors – The V-Class is a massive car and there are no two ways about it. The standard version of the V-Class which we had here is 5140 mm long making it only a little shorter than the Mercedes’ very own S-Class. The V-Class has a staggering height which means it towers over everything on the roads, even decent sized SUVs. Add in the slab-sided rear profile, the V-Class has an unmistakably van-like silhouette.
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Mercedes has done a great job of making the V-Class feel more car-like
At over 5-meters long and 1.8-meters high, the V-Class is absolutely gigantic
As vans normally come with commercial vehicle connotations, Mercedes has done an incredible job at making the V-Class look thoroughly premium and in tandem with the rest of the company’s line-up. The front has sharp headlights which look similar to the last generation Mercedes GLE SUV and there is a large grille with a bold three-pointed star. The rounded bumpers and the sloping bonnet also make it look more car-like.
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The sliding rear doors can be opened electronically via the key fob and also get a footstep
The side is characterised by extra-large windows and equally dominating rear-sliding doors. This only heightens the van-credentials of the V-Class’ design. Nonetheless, Mercedes has created a few creases across the body and given in smarter looking alloys meaning a side profile that does look van-like but not completely bland. The rear, again, reminds you of a large cargo van but the nicely executed design of the taillights and the wide glass area tries to hide the fact that it is an MPV. Overall, we think the V-Class is a very cool looking van whose sheer dimensions are its biggest design asset.
