Review - Mercedes-Benz V-Class

Last year, Mercedes gave its people mover a significant refresh, adding more comfort and luxurious features, as well as more entertainment and safety kit to the mix. It’s no doubt one of the most striking people-movers on the market, but these features and looks do come with a pretty steep asking price. 

The major question to answer, then, is how well does the V-Class justify its lofty price tag, and how convincingly does it out-perform its key rivals like the Toyota Granvia, Volkswagen Multivan and the Kia Carnival when it comes to providing families and transport fleets with an all-round package? 

Let’s find out. 

Starting Price: $84,100

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Mercedes-Benz V (220d MWB) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Mercedes-Benz V car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class lineup kicks off from $84,100 for the V220 d fitted with an automatic transmission and medium wheelbase. Moving up to the V250 d Avantgarde brings the price tag to $98,860. Keep in mind that these prices do not include on-road costs, or optional extra packages offered by Mercedes Benz. 

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What Features Does the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Have?

The entry-level Mercedes-Benz V-Class, the V220 d comes riding on a set of 17-inch alloys, and is packed with a 7-inch infotainment system packed with Mercedes’ MBUX user interface, offering voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio paired with an eight-speaker sound system. Also included on the entry-level V220 d is climate control, leather upholstery and leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddles for gear shifts, heated seats, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera, automatic headlights with heated, folding mirrors, sports pedals, electric-sliding doors, powered boot lift and a heap of safety equipment that we’ll cover later in this review. 

Stepping up to the top of the range V250 d adds a more powerful engine, as well as a larger set of 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome highlights on the exterior, a CD/DVD player, ambient lighting package, adaptive LED head and tail lights as well as LED daytime running lamps, a cargo shelf, surround-view camera, tri-zone climate control, black Lugano leather upholstery, black tinted windows and an upgraded 15-speaker Burmester audio system. 

Range Features: 

• 17-inch alloys 

• 7-inch MBUX infotainment system with DAB+, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto support 

• Leather upholstery

• Cruise control

• Heated seats

• Electric sliding doors 

• Cargo shelf 

• Rear-view camera with front and rear parking sensors 

• 18-inch alloys (V250 d) 

• LED lights (V250 d) 

• Surround-view camera (V250 d) 

• Lugano leather upholstery (V250 d) 

• 15-speaker Burmester sound system (V250 d) 

Mercedes-Benz V Colours

Is the Mercedes V-Class Comfortable to Drive? 

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is by far the leader of the pack when it comes to overall driving confidence and passenger comfort. The engines on offer provide a heap of power and torque to get you up to speed effortlessly, which are paired with a smooth seven-speed automatic transmission that makes light work of shifts at all speeds. Even the entry-level V220 d feels like a significantly more premium vehicle than any of its rivals, offering a relaxed driving dynamic that makes commuting through the city a pleasure, and long-distance trips uber-comfortable for everyone in the cabin. At speed, the V-Class is every bit as relaxing and comfortable as some of Mercedes’ smaller and significantly more premium vehicles, which is a huge compliment for something like a van. 

While it’s not a small vehicle, Mercedes has designed the steering to be feather-weight at low speeds, which makes navigating a car park or performing a U-turn a simple task, which is more than can be said about other people-movers in this category. On the road in the city, the suspension eats up smaller bumps without a problem, although larger bumps on country B-roads still make their way through the cabin. As an all-round package, though, the V-Class clearly separates itself from its rivals in terms of its driving performance and comfort levels, and performs remarkably well for such a large van. 

Is it Practical and Spacious? 

Mercedes has designed the V-Class with passenger comfort and real-life practicality as a key priority, and this shows in the overall packaging and design of the interior. The cabin offers extremely comfortable seats, with a host of cup holders and storage spots for loose items, which will prove a welcome addition for anyone with young children. The front of the cabin has been given an ergonomic, practical design, with the small infotainment system mounted atop the dash, with air conditioning and rotary controls for the MBUX infotainment system sitting below. This allows for a massive centre console separating the driver and front passenger which can eat up loose items for some added practicality in the front of the cabin. 

Moving to the rear seats, you’ll find two rows of extremely comfortable leather-wrapped seats, with higher-spec models receiving a Lugano leather finish. Mercedes allows buyers to configure their V-Class with either six or eight-seat configurations, which have been designed to be flexible, allowing you to adjust the seats and squeeze more cargo in the rear of the cabin, depending on your needs. There’s a huge amount of legroom for passengers in the rear of the V-Class’ cabin, although the seats are quite narrow which can cause some rubbing of shoulders, but overall, there’s a heap of space for rear passengers. 

In the boot, you’ll find a cargo shelf that separates your items and shopping bags from the rear of the cabin, with a window at the rear of the car that allows easy access to the boot, eliminating the need to open up the whole boot. Even more impressive is the fact that there is 1,030L of storage on offer in the boot of the V-Class, making it an extremely practical offering for whatever your family or business can throw at it. This figure extends to a remarkable 4,630L with the seats folded down, if you ever need to transport large objects. On that note, if you’re looking to ferry cargo around, the V-Class has a payload capacity of 750kg, and a braked towing capacity of 2,500kg. 

If you’ve got kids, you’ll be glad to know there are four separate ISOFIX points and six top tether mounting spots for child seats which, in the huge cabin, are easy to install and remove. 

Is the Mercedes V-Class Safe? 

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has been awarded ANCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating, scoring 93% for adult occupant protection and 87% for child occupant protection. As standard, the entry-level V220 d comes packaged with autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning and steering assist, six airbags including curtain airbags stretching to the rear-most of the cabin, driver attention alerts and a parking assistance feature. Moving to the higher-spec V250 d adds a surround-view camera to the mix. 

Is it Fuel Efficient?

Both V-Class variants are rated at 6.7L per 100km on a combined cycle, which is remarkably efficient for a vehicle of this size. Real-world driving conditions with passengers and their belongings will likely see this figure jump closer to the double-digit mark, but overall, the engine powering the V-Class is one of the most efficient for the segment. 

Our Verdict: Is the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Worth it? 

If you’re looking for a luxurious people-mover, the Mercedes V-Class is one of the most compelling options currently on the market. Admittedly, starting prices are higher than its rivals, although few buyers will be left disappointed with how it drives, and how many features you’ll receive on even the entry-level V220 d variant. As a complete package, the V-Class is difficult to fault, and will serve both large families and any VIPs you might be transporting to an extremely high level of quality. On that note, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925 

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year, unlimited KM Warranty 

2. Flexible seating; choice of six and eight-seat configurations 

3. 6.7L per 100km economy figure 

4. 1,030L of cargo storage in the boot 

5. Braked towing capacity of 2,500kg

Pros 

• Spacious, luxurious and flexible seat design

• Large boot, even with three-rows of passengers 

• Unparalleled driving comfort for the segment 

Cons

• Expensive options

• No USBs in rear of the cabin 

• Lack of push-button start 

OnlineAuto Rating: 7.5/10

Mercedes-Benz V Competition