Mercedes-Benz India has started 2019 with launch of the V-Class which marks the Stuttgart based carmaker's re-entry in the luxury MPV segment in our market. The segment is not a lucrative one in India and the German carmaker is neither expecting large volumes from the V-Class. So the purpose to have the V-Class in our market could be to cater a bunch of well-to-do people whose work structure requires several things to be done on the go. Moreover, the Mercedes-Benz R-Class which was on sale in 2008 for a brief period has been sticking around in Embassies and the V-Class is the true upgrade for it. In turn, Luxury MPVs have also been in demand in the tourism industry to serve foreign tourists.
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has a typical Van-like body type which has boxy proportions.The new Mercedes-Benz V-Class MPV is offered in India two options - Expression Line and Exclusive line. The former is the extra-long wheelbase version that measures 5370 mm and gets an extended wheelbase of 3430 mm, the latter is the standard long-wheelbase version that measures 5140 mm, and a wheelbase 3200 mm. Globally, you also get a standard version that measures 4895 mm in length.
It is being sold in India as a CBU and will be manufactured in Spain.The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has a typical Van-like body type which has boxy proportions. However, Mercedes has added some characters to it by drawing subtle creases on its face. The V-Class in terms of positioning is equivalent to the E-Class sedan. The headlamps are quite similar to what we see on the E-Class, with LED lights and integrated dual motif LED daytime running lamps. The grille too is in typical Mercedes-Benz E-Class style with twin horizontal slats with the three-pointed star at the centre. Other exterior elements include a set of stylish alloy wheels, roof rails, a larger rear windshield and small vertically stacked LED taillamps.
The seats can be rotated to 180-degrees and the passengers can sit facing each other.The V-Class is offered in two seating configurations- a seven-seater variant where both second and third row get executive seats and a seven-seat version where the second row gets two executive seats and the third row gets three. Interestingly, the second-row seats can also be rotated towards the door which adds to the comfort as it makes ingress and egress easy. Moreover, the seats can also be rotated to 180-degrees and the passengers can sit facing each other, thus making it an apt MPV where interactions and meetings can be held on the go. There is also a slidable and retractable table in the passenger compartment which has cup holders and a parcel table.
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has a well-equipped cabin.The new V-Class looks premium and well-equipped and gets the stick-out display for the COMAND infotainment system. The MPV gets a new multi-functional steering wheel and a large twin-pod instrument cluster with a MID unit at the centre. It also comes loaded with safety tech such as attention assist, crosswind assist, headlight assist, tyre pressure monitoring systems, active parking assist, 360-degree cameras and six-airbags as standard.
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine which is BSVI complaint. The engine is turned to churn out 161 bhp and 380 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox.
The new 2019 Mercedes-Benz V-Class MPV has been launched in India as a Complete Built Unit (CBU) with prices starting at Rs. 68.40 lakh for the base Expression Line variant going up to Rs. 81.90 lakh for the top-end Exclusive Line variant, all prices ex-showroom, India.
