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Marton Pettendy22 Jul 2015
REVIEW

Mercedes-Benz V 250 2015 Review

Goodbye Viano, hello V-Class. Mercedes ushers in a new luxury people-mover and it's all class

Mercedes-Benz V 250
Local Launch Review
Bathurst, NSW

At $85,500 plus on-road costs, Mercedes-Benz's new V-Class is easily Australia's most expensive people-mover.

It's positioned at least $5000 upstream from the Viano it succeeds, more than $7500 higher than the top-shelf version of its most direct rival, Volkswagen's Multivan, and $8000 above the priciest Chrysler Grand Voyager – the only other luxury ($60,000-plus) people-mover available in Australia.

So let's not even speak in the same breath of flagship versions of top-selling MPVs like the Kia Carnival, which costs as much as $59,990, Honda Odyssey ($46,090) or Toyota Tarago ($67,990), let alone the Hyundai iMax ($41,490).

But as luxury people-movers go, they don't come much more upmarket than the V 250 d AVANTGARDE – the only version of the V-Class sold Down Under.

In Europe, the V-Class is available in both rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations and comes in three body lengths, three seating layouts, two wheelbases and a choice of four petrol and diesel engines coupled to both manual and automatic transmissions.

In Australia's standard-wheelbase seven-seat diesel version, a six-seat layout including twin captain's chairs in the second and third rows is a no-cost option, while eight seats including three-position second and third rows costs an extra $1750.

An AVANTGARDE Interior Design Package is available for $6500, comprising the likes of ventilated front seats, Nappa leather trim, matching headlining, brushed stainless steel pedals, Artico upper dash trim and woodgrain trim.

Other options include digital radio ($500), 360-degree Surround View Camera ($750), two 19-inch alloy wheel designs ($1250), black fabric headlining ($1050) and anti-theft protection ($1550).

Oh, and unless you want your V 250 in Arctic White, you'll need to shell out a hefty $2100 for metallic paint, which also comes in white, plus black, brown, silver, blue and two greys.

Yes, a fully optioned V-Class will cost you more than $100,000 before on-road costs.

Tick no boxes though, and the standard V 250 comes pretty well equipped, with a standard AVANTGARDE exterior package including 18-inch five twin-spoke alloy wheels and AGILITY CONTROL suspension, while lowered sports suspension is a no-cost option.

In addition to a 640-Watt, 16-speaker Burmester surround sound system, standard features include the same 8.5-inch COMAND infotainment system as the latest C-Class, comprising Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming and SMS/email read/write function, LINGUATRONIC voice control, touchpad controller, 3D navigation mapping, WLAN hotspot, DVD/CD/USM interface and 10GB of music and video storage.

The list continues with interior ambient lighting, cruise control with speed-limiter, powered/heated/memory front seats, power steering wheel adjustment, multifunction steering wheel, illuminated exits, automatic front climate-control, semi-auto rear air-conditioning, roof rails and tinted rear windows.

There's also two no-cost leather upholstery choices as standard (black or black/beige Lugarno), three no-cost woodgrain trim options and velour front floor mats.

Likewise, safety is also well catered for and Australia's version comes with every safety feature offered in Europe, excluding traffic sign recognition.

That means six airbags including twin front and thorax/pelvis sidebags and full-length side curtain airbags, (but no rear side airbags), plus ESP stability control, ASR traction control, ABS anti-skid brakes, ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection, Cross-wind Assist, LED headlights, indicators, foglights and daytime running lights, PRE-SAFE collision preparation, Hill Start Assist, adaptive flashing LED brake lights, automatic wipers, auto-dimming mirrors and tyre pressure monitoring.

Also standard in Australia is a Driving Assistance package comprising DISTRONIC PLUS radar cruise, Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist, a Parking package with Active Parking Assist, PARKTRONIC and a reversing camera, and a Mirror package including folding exterior mirrors, headlight assist and ambient wing mirror lighting.

In short, the V 250 is fully loaded and a nice place to ride in the front or rear, with great outward vision in all directions, soft-touch surfaces everywhere up front and a cool dashboard design that looks more like a car's than a van's.

But its reason for being is to move people, and that it does in fine style. All seats in the six-seater we drove were equally comfortable, thanks to generous base and back bolstering plus armrests in the rear captain's chairs, which are easy to access via the large door apertures and standard electric sliding doors on both sides on both sides (one more than is standard in Europe).

Luggage space behind the rear seats is adequate for a few large suitcases or plenty of oddments (made easier to stow by the handy opening rear window), thanks to the extra-long 1045mm of rear overhang – 245mm longer than the standard version.

Riding on a standard 3200mm wheelbase, that makes Australia's version a rangy 5140mm long – 245m longer than Europe's standard V-Class (4895mm) but 230mm shorter than the extra-long (5370mm) version not sold here, which rides on an extended (3430mm) wheelbase.

Still, with a nominal height of 1880mm, Mercedes-Benz claims it can be driven into multi-storey car parks, car washes and standard sized garages, and folding the third-row seats down liberates a massive open space for up to 905kg of cargo if need be.

It's similarly commodious up front, where a column-mounted gearshifter, steering wheel shift paddles and electric parking brake does away with a centre console to liberate a huge amount of leg and foot room.

That said, there's no sign of the 'luxury sleeper option' available in Europe, in which the rear-most seat folds flat to form a bed measuring either 1930mm long in the standard-wheelbase version or 2030mm long in extended-wheelbase form.

Under the V 250's stout bonnet is Merc's lusty 140kW/440Nm 2.1-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel powering the real wheels via a 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission.

Idle-stop technology and a reasonable drag coefficient of 0.31Cd help reduce fuel consumption to just 6.3L/100km, which when combined with a 70-litre fuel tank translates to a total theoretical driving range of more than 1100km.

It's not the most efficient engine available in Europe, but it's certainly the most powerful. With an 'overtorque' function that can boost power and torque by an additional 10kW and 40Nm to a respective 150kW and 480Nm, Mercedes' claim that this diminutive four-cylinder diesel offers similar performance to a V6 oil-burner is pretty accurate.

Indeed, while claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 9.1 seconds is nothing to crow about, it's not too shabby for a vehicle weighing 2145kg and the V 250's in-gear acceleration both around town and on the highway is outstanding, making it a relaxed, flexible grand tourer.

Befitting its station as the nation's most upmarket people-mover is a whisper-quiet cabin with commendably low levels of levels of noise, vibration and harshness, and plush ride quality on all manner of road surfaces.

But there's no escaping the V 250's commercial roots when it comes to dynamics, with its sheer size and bulk working against it in corners.

Body roll is kept fairly well in check, but with a relatively slow and lifeless electromechanical power steering and a sizeable 11.8-metre turning circle, it pays to anticipate turns both on the open road and in tight spaces.

While the V 250 can be hustled with surprising swiftness, its forte is carting up to eight people and their luggage in comfort and luxury. If you're prepared to pay for the privilege, it does that better than any other people-mover.

2015 Mercedes-Benz V 250 pricing and specifications:
Price: $85,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/440Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 166g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

What we liked:
>> Luxury specification
>> Interior design and space
>> Refinement and outward vision

Not so much:
>> Price
>> Metallic paint adds $2100
>> Cumbersome dynamics

Also consider:
>> Volkswagen Multivan Highline TDI400 ($73,990 plus ORCs)
>> Chrysler Grand Voyager Limited CRD ($77,500 plus ORCs)

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
77/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
16/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind the Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
13/20
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