Genuinely one in every of my favourite issues about touring to Europe is attending to experience 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 critically luxurious. Some variations have a rear-facing second row of seats that makes conversing with your pals straightforward whereas others have fancy captain’s chairs, and the V-Class has all the luxurious options you’d count on from a Benz. They’re method higher to experience in than one thing like an Escalade or a typical luxurious sedan, particularly should you’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 seemingly 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 big and massively widespread Sprinter fashions, too. Each front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive can be supplied.
Mercedes launched a handful of pictures of a camouflaged V-Class prototype, and it seems like, effectively, a van, albeit a sleeker and more energizing one. The window glazing seems extra flush than the present V-Class, and it has different options like an built-in spoiler, pop-out door handles and easy underbody to eke out essentially the most vary. We will see that the V-Class may have an enormous grille like the just 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 “enable for a transparent distinction between privately positioned vans within the luxurious section and industrial vans throughout the premium section,” based on 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 car, however Mercedes will lastly be making a Maybach mannequin from the manufacturing unit.
Aftermarket fake Maybach conversions for Metrises and V-Lessons have changing into more and more widespread lately, particularly within the U.S., and Mercedes is trying 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 stated the objective isn’t to take advantage of luxurious van doable, however essentially the most luxurious car, interval. The van form will enable designers and engineers to essentially maximize the quantity of lounge area, much more so than what you get in a Maybach S-Class or GLS. Such ultra-luxury vans have turn out to be mega widespread in China, the place some even have partitions with large TV screens and lodging that rival the very best 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 street testing is specializing in “the interplay of all parts throughout the car,” and subsequent up can be winter testing in Sweden. Mercedes hasn’t stated precisely when the V-Class will debut, solely that it will likely be popping out in 2026, so a reveal might occur sooner or later subsequent yr.
