1 May 2015
The V-Class – the first Benz model to use this moniker – arrived in May 2015 with first deliveries starting in July, taking over from the soon to be discontinued Viano as the German car-maker's flagship MPV.
With room for up to eight people, the V-Class featured luxuries including driver and front passenger leather seats with four-way lumbar support and ventilation, and Thermotronic automatic climate control offering three individualised modes – Focus, Medium and Diffuse.
Lugano leather upholstery was standard throughout the cabin, as was ambient lighting in three colours, a free-standing central display dominating the top of the centre stack, a multi-function steering wheel and paddle shifters.
Under the bonnet, Benz downsized from the Viano's 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine to a Euro 6 compliant 2.1-litre BlueTec four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit producing 140kW and 440Nm, matched with a seven-speed 7G Distronic Plus dual-clutch transmission.
Power dropped by 25kW and torque remained the same, but the V-Class featured an 'overtorque' function for more brisk acceleration, which added 10kW and 40Nm for a maximum output of 150kW/480Nm.
As a result of the downsizing, fuel consumption was down from 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres to 6.3L/100km, while the V-Class emitted 166 grams of carbon dioxide per 100 kilometres.
