Mercedes Is About to Make Van Life Feel Like First Class

Work continues apace on a new generation of Mercedes-Benz vans, both personal and commercial, electric and hybrid, and they're designed to change everything you thought you knew about van life, Mercedes style.

Set to start rolling out next year, they'll land in Europe first, followed by North America, China, and other parts of the world. There are two types: the Mercedes-Benz VLE and VLS-Class. The VLE is the successor to the V-Class MPV that seats up to eight passengers and is designed to be a family vehicle or a shuttle—think of it as the E-Class of vans.

Then there's the VLS, the one Mercedes refers to as a “Grand Limousine,” which is essentially an S-Class level luxury vehicle. It was teased by the wild Vision V luxury van concept that featured a 62-inch screen that rose from the floor and futuristic reclining seats. With its two-passenger, second-row layout, the VLS is best driven by a chauffeur. It's a type of vehicle that's big in China and is likely to be embraced there, but it could also work as VIP transportation in the U.S. for those rolling up to a red carpet, for instance.

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Potential for a Ultra-Lux Van in U.S.

As for how well a high end luxury minivan along the lines of Vision V concept would be received here in America, Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group, thinks the idea has potential. Mercedes isn't saying yet if there will be a Maybach version of the VLS, which is already encroaching on Maybach territory. But one thing's for sure, there won't be an AMG version, says Michael Schiebe, head of Mercedes-AMG as well as Mercedes-Maybach. While the new vans will delve into higher luxury space, Mercedes sees no need or market for a performance version. The loyal AMG customer would question that, he says.

But first things first, namely the rollout of the VLE and VLS in North America. Källenius says we'll get personal as well as commercial versions of each, but not all decisions on every detail have been finalized yet. The exact timeline for the U.S. rollout is still under discussion as well, Mathias Geisen, Mercedes-Benz board member for Marketing and Sales, tells MotorTrend.

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New Bones for New Vans

The first models will ride on the new VAN.EA architecture for medium- and large-size electric vans and multipurpose vehicles. Mercedes added a variant, VAN.CA (Van Combustion Architecture), for hybrid models with an internal combustion engine. The electric vans will arrive first, followed by ICE-powered models. They share about 70 percent of components so that they can all be built on the same assembly line.

The EVs have the primary motor on the front axle to better enable a flat floor for passengers and gear. A smaller motor on the rear will be added for the 4Matic models, which is primarily what we expect to get for North America. They have an 800-volt architecture for fast charging.

On the commercial vehicle side, there's also the matter of the successful Sprinter van produced in South Carolina. Although the personal vans are the more intriguing vehicles, the commercial vans are where most of the action is at for Mercedes, with those models expected to account for about 80 percent of sales. “Certainly we want to write the next chapter on that, so count on that,” says Källenius of the Sprinter's future. The VAN.CA platform will underpin the next generation Sprinter vans as well as the Vito/V-Class in Europe.