Mercedes Reveals the New V-Class Minivan

By Tim Wu - February 4, 2014

Official photos from Mercedes-Benz

Remember, this won’t quite be for the US market, but here’s something interesting from the press desk of Mercedes-Benz.

I’ll be honest, the headline itself had me wincing. As I clicked TopGear’s coverage, I expected to hate the ever-loving hell out of this thing, but truth be told, I quite like it.

It’s hard to discuss European + minivan without recalling Chrysler’s (oops, I meant VW’s) Routan.

So far, the V-Class is decidedly more genuine of an attempt. Considering the VW Routan is in essence, a rebadged Caravan, it’ll be pretty interesting to see what part of the V-Class is also sharing from Daimler’s insanely huge parts bin. Keep in mind the V-Class has been around for a very long time.

For now, it does look good. Quirky in its narrow stance and boxy rear finish, it’s kind of like a Sprinter fell on top of an R-Class. Engine variants are decidedly geared towards the European market, with a 2.1 liter turbo diesel that pumps out 136hp or 163hp, and a V250 engine that puts out 190hp.

Performance might not be on the top of the V-Class’s list (chuckling at the prospect of an AMG version), but luxury definitely is: nappa leather, ambient lighting, and free-standing central display.

Though unlikely to happen, I’d love to see this hit US soil (especially with a laughably ridiculous AMG variant).