2027 Mercedes-benz Vle Finally Brings The Luxury Van To America With 31-inch Rear Screen, Remote-control Seats

Mercedes-Benz

At agelong last, we Americans are getting the Mercedes-Benz VLE. For years, if we wanted a Mercedes van, we could prime betwixt nan Sprinter aliases nan Metris, neither of which was precisely a luxurious action contempt nan three-pointed prima connected nan grille. Now, folks who looked connected pinch envy arsenic nan remainder of nan world sewage to bask luxury vans from Mercedes and different automakers tin subordinate successful connected nan nosy pinch the all-electric VLE, which takes nan spot of nan aged V-Class successful nan lineup (itself nan luxury type of nan Metris).

Built connected an all-new, scalable 800-volt electrical architecture developed specifically for vans, nan VLE is looking to elevate nan humble group mover into a existent luxury group mover. Of course, there's still an action to jam arsenic galore seats wrong for arsenic galore butts arsenic possible, but buyers will besides beryllium capable to customize their vans to make them existent luxury limos pinch things for illustration 31.3-inch 8K-resolution screens, remote-controlled massage seats, a "cinema experience" and a hellhole of a batch more. It's moreover sewage plentifulness of power, scope and drive-wheel options to boot. In galore ways, this is nan van to extremity each vans.

Full Disclosure: Mercedes-Benz flew maine retired to Germany, paid for my edifice and fed maine each truthful I could return a look astatine nan caller VLE.

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While it mightiness look a spot unusual to U.S. buyers, the VLE is very overmuch meant for families. Pop unfastened nan 2 sliding doors, which tin beryllium opened pinch an optional hands-free footwear entree system, and you're greeted by beautiful overmuch immoderate you tin travel up with. The VLE is each astir modularity, which is why location are dozens of seating combinations that tin beryllium arranged pinch its manual Roll & Go seating system. If maximum load is what you're about, nan VLE will happily return up to 8 passengers.

Mercedes-Benz

Those Roll & Go seats — which person a built-in seatbelt for amended interior elasticity — tin move guardant and backward manually arsenic needed. Like successful nan aged V-Class, these redesigned seats tin besides pivot each nan measurement astir truthful nan 2 rear rows tin look each other. When you get them precisely wherever you want, each you request to do is fastener them down astatine immoderate constituent connected nan tracks successful nan VLE's floor. If you find that you don't request seating for 8 people, simply region nan seats for much cargo room. Mercedes wouldn't show maine precisely really overmuch they weighed but assured maine a comparatively able-bodied personification could return them retired by themselves without overmuch issue. At nan very least, they've sewage 4 wheels truthful you tin rotation them erstwhile they're retired of nan van.

There are 3 different spot types to take from: Comfort (manual), Premium Comfort (electric), and Grand Comfort (also electric), nan past of which we'll get to successful a bit. There are besides 2 three-seat benches to take from, pinch either electrical aliases manual adjustment. You tin presume that nan electrical motors will adhd weight to those seats. However, those electrical seats besides springiness you nan action of conducting your ain "seat ballet," arsenic Mercedes calls it, via distant control. The seats tin beryllium remotely configured pinch nan infotainment system, nan spot power buttons wrong nan van aliases via nan Mercedes-Benz App. The 4 configurations are Baggage, which moves each nan seats guardant arsenic acold arsenic imaginable to maximize cargo space; Executive, which moves nan seats backmost to summation legroom arsenic overmuch arsenic possible; People & Baggage, which moves nan seats into a happy-medium position that'll springiness some rear rows astir arsenic overmuch legroom arsenic nan rear-seat occupants of an E-Class; and Standard, which moves each of nan seats move backmost to their modular position, wherever that is.

That rear cargo area tin spell from 28.1 cubic feet to 144 cubic feet of abstraction successful nan short-wheelbase van, depending connected whether you're successful Cargo Mode aliases person removed nan rear seats completely. It's accessed done either nan powerfulness liftgate aliases a separately opening rear model that'll person entree to its ain cargo shelf. That will thief retired successful nan cargo area if nan rear-most seats are pushed backmost each nan way, particularly since nan VLE doesn't person a frunk.

Mercedes-Benz

Up front, nan driver is treated to a Mercedes-Benz dashboard anyone would beryllium instantly acquainted pinch if they've seen nan caller CLA and GLB. All VLEs will characteristic nan Superscreen, pinch a 10.25-inch integer gauge cluster and a 14-inch center-mounted infotainment touchscreen. A 2nd 14-inch rider show tin beryllium added to complete nan Superscreen triumvirate, and, for illustration successful Mercedes' different caller models, it's based connected nan caller MB.OS operating strategy moving nan latest MBUX software. There's besides an optional 23.1-inch augmented reality head-up show to thief pinch navigation and different conveyance functions.

Other than those screens, nan remainder of nan driver and beforehand rider area is beautiful emblematic Mercedes, conscionable a spot much upright than successful astir rider vehicles. The steering instrumentality and switchgear are each nan same, arsenic are astir of nan different touchpoints, including nan beingness buttons. It decidedly feels nicer than nan Metris you've been successful before, and nicer still than nan aged V-Class, which had its ain unsocial dashboard creation compared to nan commercialized vans. One of my favourite parts of this full area has gotta beryllium nan aerial vents, which look for illustration futuristic robot ears.

Mercedes-Benz

Depending connected your trim choices, location are plentifulness of finishing touch options to beryllium made erstwhile it comes to materials. Rest assured, there's plentifulness of leather, microfiber, metal, c fiber, wood and conscionable astir everything other nether nan sun to take from here.

Even nan halfway console is customizable successful nan VLE. Mercedes offers 3 different layouts depending connected your plans for nan van. The compact modular console offers 1 (or optionally two) wireless charging pads arsenic good arsenic a mates of cup holders, and it's perfect for drivers who request easy entree to nan rear. There's besides a longer halfway console that offers a akin layout up beforehand but adds a retention compartment nether a butterfly doorway armrest and an unfastened retention support for larger items for illustration a purse. The 3rd is moreover fancier, offering things america plebs tin only dream of.

Mercedes-Benz

All of that shuttle and family worldly is good and good, but nan existent victor erstwhile it comes to nan VLE's interior is vans equipped pinch nan Grand Comfort Seats and everything other that tin travel pinch them, which move this van into a bona fide luxury limo. Two passengers successful nan mediate statement are treated to a mates of monolithic reclining seats pinch pillows, lumbar support, a massaging usability and calf support. They besides person built-in folding tables and wireless chargers. If you get these fancy seats, there's still a 3rd statement down them.

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They besides get to acquisition nan centerpiece of nan VLE's rear cabin: its 31.3-inch 8K-resolution panoramic screen, which tin beryllium divided down nan mediate to create 2 abstracted 4K screens, some of which tin beryllium individually controlled by 2 rear-mounted remotes. It's awesome for some kids who want to watch immoderate benignant of weird crap it is they want to watch (Minecraft YouTube walkthroughs, I assume) and for businesspeople who tin return advantage of nan 8-megapixel built-in camera and usage nan surface for video conferencing connected nan spell utilizing Teams. I wouldn't want to walk clip pinch nan type of personification who would do that, but it's neat that it's offered. Cooler cats tin moreover bring on their gaming console of prime and hook it up to nan built-in HDMI ports.

Look up, and you'll find a monolithic Sky View panoramic fixed tile that stretches from nan B-pillar to nan rear of nan car — sorry, beforehand seaters. While it tin beryllium near uncovered, Mercedes-Benz does besides springiness it an electrical sun blind, thing not each EV has for immoderate reason. With that closed, on pinch nan sunshades connected each nan rear windows, it creates what Mercedes is calling a "cinema experience" for watching immoderate nan hellhole it is you want to watch. It'll sound beautiful damn good, too, acknowledgment to nan optional 22-speaker Bumester 3D Surround Sound audio strategy pinch Dolby Atmos.

Mercedes-Benz

Of course, there's besides plentifulness of ambient lighting to beryllium had, overmuch for illustration each different Mercedes worthy its salt. As I said before, you tin moreover get a fancy halfway console successful nan VLE. It offers 2 retention compartments that tin beryllium heated aliases cooled, a UV disinfection system, an Air-Balance fragrance generator, 2 wireless charging options, ambient lighting and much upscale trim elements. Of course, it's besides sewage cup holders. You don't request to interest astir that.

Mercedes-Benz

At first location are going to beryllium 2 VLEs connected offer, nan VLE300 and VLE400 4Matic. The front-wheel-drive VLE300 will travel pinch astir 268 horsepower, according to Mercedes, whereas nan all-wheel-drive VLE400 will get 409 hp and a 6.4-second 0-60 clip to play with. Because some models person nan aforesaid 115-kWh usable battery, nan VLE300 is nan 1 to spell for if you're really into nan biggest-possible scope numbers. There are 2 different models pinch 80-kWh batteries coming adjacent year, but Mercedes isn't spilling connected what those vans will beryllium for illustration conscionable yet.

Mercedes-Benz

In immoderate case, nan VLE300 travels astir 435 miles connected nan WLTP cycle, according to Mercedes, which'll astir apt put its EPA scope astir 380 miles. That's mighty awesome from a large van for illustration this, and its 0.25 coefficient of resistance plays a domiciled successful nan achievement. There's nary connection connected scope numbers for nan VLE400 4Matic conscionable yet. Regardless, some cars tin DC accelerated complaint astatine complete 400 kW, meaning nan VLE tin adhd up to 220 miles of WLTP scope successful conscionable 15 minutes, and they've sewage bidirectional charging if you request to powerfulness thing extracurricular nan VLE.

To support things comfy and efficient, nan VLE tin recreation connected optional Airmatic aerial suspension. It uses Google Maps information to cognize erstwhile to suck nan van down arsenic debased to nan crushed arsenic imaginable to support it adjacent to that 0.25 resistance coefficient. Overall, nan thrust tallness tin alteration up to 1.6 inches.

Mercedes-Benz

While nan VLE is undoubtedly a large vehicle, its turning radius surely isn't. Thanks to 7 degrees of rear-axle steering, nan VLE has a turning circle of conscionable 35.8 feet — akin to nan caller CLA. That's not excessively shabby for a 209-inch vehicle. Also aiding successful maneuverability and easiness of drivability are things for illustration parking assist, adaptive cruise control, lane alteration assist, collision prevention maneuvering and a suite of 10 cameras, 5 radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors — each meant to make driving nan VLE safer and easier. It tin beryllium had pinch optional driver assistance systems for illustration MB.Drive Assist Plus and MB.Drive Assist Pro, which are some really fantabulous Level 2 programs.

Mercedes-Benz

Whether you for illustration it aliases not, Mercedes' caller lit-up grille design, which we first saw connected nan electric GLC, is very overmuch present to stay. Depending connected what trim buyers spell for, nan VLE's beforehand fascia either has a three-pointed prima hood aliases an integrated prima successful nan grille.

Mercedes-Benz

The modular VLE gets nan grille pinch black-painted panels and a hood ornament. The AMG Line gets grey dots connected those achromatic panels (that tin beryllium illuminated), an illuminated chrome frame, an integrated Mercedes prima and a much fierce AMG beforehand bumper. Finally, nan VLE Exclusive gets a grille pinch metallic matte-painted panels and achromatic dots, arsenic good arsenic nan illuminated framework and hood ornament.

Mercedes-Benz

Flanking either broadside of nan grille are headlights, each pinch 2 three-pointed stars successful it. I cognize immoderate of you won't for illustration them, but I don't really care. Above that is simply a alternatively short hood that features a mates of powerfulness bulges to fto group cognize that you and your van mean business.

The champion measurement I tin picture nan broadside of nan VLE is solid. It's sewage nan uncommon look of a car that was chopped from a azygous portion of stone pinch its flowing silhouette and short overhangs. Its flush-mounted doorway handles will surely assistance successful its aerodynamics, arsenic will nan various wheels that travel successful a slew of designs betwixt 19 and 22 inches, depending connected what trim package buyers spell with. Obviously, you should spell for nan monoblocks.

Mercedes-Benz

That being said, nan rear extremity has sewage to beryllium my favourite portion of nan VLE — particularly nan wrap-around taillights. They shape an upside-down U shape, which, successful nan U.S., will afloat illuminate erstwhile nan brakes are engaged. That's conscionable sick. The unbroken 3rd brake ray besides wraps nicely into a rear spoiler, which looks very neat. I cognize it's a van, but this is 1 earnestly cool portion of design.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes hasn't said precisely erstwhile nan VLE will show up present successful nan U.S., but likelihood are it'll apt beryllium successful nan second half of this year. When it does, it'll travel short- and long-wheelbase flavors. The shortie, which is nan car we've been discussing and nan only 1 we've sewage specs for, comes successful astatine 209 inches. The longboi (above) adds half a twelve inches to nan van, mostly down nan beforehand doors, for a full magnitude of 215 inches. Keep successful mind, it's not expected to beryllium disposable astatine launch, and neither is nan 80-kWh artillery version. And if that isn't agelong aliases luxurious enough, a stretched VLS range-topper is besides connected nan way.

We besides don't person pricing for nan VLE conscionable yet. The existent base-model EQV250 starts astatine conscionable nether €50,000 successful Germany (about $58,000), truthful nan VLE will astir apt beryllium location a spot northbound of there. Once nicer options get added on, though, expect those prices to summation steadily.

Of course, nan VLE is immoderate car you make it. It tin beryllium thing from a humble airdrome shuttle to an all-out in-house S-Class rival. Somehow, some versions consciousness wholly due for nan car. At nary constituent erstwhile sitting successful nan decked-out van pinch its 31-inch surface and Lay-Z-Boy recliners did I deliberation this was thing little than an out-and-out luxury car. That's awesome work.