- The new Mercedes-Benz VLE, likely a 2027 or 2028 model, will seat up to eight in luxurious accommodations.
- The company has only revealed range figures in European terms, which often overestimate ranges compared to American testing.
Mercedes today revealed an all-electric passenger van outfitted like an ultra-luxury limousine, with seats like first-class flight accommodations and a face that looks like it’s going to eat the car in front of it. The Mercedes-Benz VLE will likely appear in the U.S. as a 2027 or 2028 model, though the company hasn’t yet said which.
Prices will be revealed later. But we expect the VLE to be among the company’s more expensive products.
European customers will have smaller options, but America will get only a long-wheelbase version with seating for up to eight.
The company hasn’t detailed trim-level information, but says the VLE will be available in a range of configurations, being suitable “for families and leisure-active customers to exclusive shuttles.”
Mechanical Details Sparse
- The VLE will be all-wheel drive (AWD) with about 470 horsepower and rear-wheel steering.
Few buy an 8-seat luxury shuttle based on performance. So Mercedes, understandably, focused on the VLE’s interior in early press releases. But the company says the van will offer “up to 305 kW,” which equates to about 470 hp, and AWD.
The company revealed range figures only in European units, promising a range of “up to 700 km” (434 miles). European testing cycles, however, produce more generous range estimates than the formula used by America’s EPA. We expect a range closer to 300 miles in American testing.
Rear-axle steering should make it quite maneuverable by full-size van standards. An air-powered suspension offers 1.5 inches of height adjustment.
Many Interior Configurations
- Seating options include everything from traditional benches to massaging seats with wireless device charging at every position.
Seating options will include 3-person benches or captain’s chairs in the second and third rows. All are mounted on a rail system that lets owners adjust their spacing. With the optional electrically adjustable seats, owners can move them through the touchscreen interface or a phone app.
Optional Grand Comfort Seats include pillows, wireless charging, lumbar support, calf support, and massage functions.
The driver faces the Mercedes Superscreen – a three-screen display that takes up nearly the entire dashboard, with a 10.25-inch viewing screen in place of the traditional driver’s instruments, a 14-inch central touchscreen, and a 14-inch screen for the passenger, shielded from the driver’s view.
Rear passengers get their own 31.3-inch panoramic screen that folds down from the roof. From the screen back, virtually the entire roof is panoramic glass, with an electric shade.
An advanced driver assistance system can take over acceleration, braking, and steering on highways as long as the driver stays alert. It can change lanes on its own when the turn signal is activated.
