At an event in Chennai, Mercedes Benz India launched a new, top of the line ‘Elite’ trim of the V Class luxury MPV in the country today. The Elite trim will be retailed via all Mercedes Benz dealerships in India at a sticker price of Rs 1.1 crore (ex-showroom).
Mercedes had brought in the V-Class MPV earlier this year in January’19. Up until now, Mercedes was selling the V Class MPV in two trims, namely ‘Expression’ and ‘Exclusive’. The entry-level ‘Expression’ was priced at INR 68.4 lakhs while the current mid-spec ‘Exclusive’ trim was priced at INR 81.9 lakhs (ex-showroom).
The Elite trim is based upon the 2020 facelift of the V-Class, which was launched a few weeks ago. It gets an updated front, a new front bumper (which has a large air intake and chrome highlights) and redesigned headlamps. The grille also looks different, thanks to the updated horizontal slats on the grille.
To enhance luxury, middle row seats comes with reclining, massaging, heating and cooling functions. A sliding sunroof with panoramic sunroof option is designed for a roomier looking cabin. Colour choices include Steel Blue, Selenite Grey, Graphite grey, Brilliant Silver, Osidian Black, Cavansite Blue, and Rock Crystal White.
Overall, the design and profile remains similar to the V-Class which was currently on sale in India. On the inside too, while the seating configuration hasn’t changed, there are new upholstery and interior trim options on offer. Wheel options include – 17-inch 5-twin spoke light alloy wheels as standard with the option of 18-inch 5 twin spoke light alloy wheels.
Powering the V-Class Elite is a new 2 liter diesel BS6 engine. This 1950 cc 4 cylinder engine is 17% lighter than the older engine. It delivers 163 hp power and 380 Nm torque. This engine is mated to a 9 speed auto gearbox. Engine on board the other V Class trims is a 2,143 cc diesel motor which dishes out 164 PS & 380 Nm of max torque. Power is transmitted via a 7-speed automatic transmission.
On the safety front, the Mercedes V Class had earlier achieved a perfect 5-star safety rating, thanks to its long list of safety features (including 8 airbags, ESP, ABS, EBD, active parking, cross wind assist, attention assist, traction control, hill start assist and much more).
The V Class Elite shall ideally see demand coming in from corporate clients like luxury hotels/spas/golf-courses and various cine-industry professionals. It will also be on the lookout for people who want a luxury mobile office, thanks to the unmatched space and luxury which the V-Class provides in the rear seat.
Practically, there has been no competition to the V-Class in the country till now. However, speculation suggests that Toyota intends to launch the Velfire in the country soon and it will end up becoming a potent competitor to the V-Class.
