Mercedes-Benz V-Class

Facelift for posh van-based people-carrier brings a new engine and gearbox and more equipment On sale Late summer Price from £49,800.

- Doug Revolta

IF YOU’VE EVER found yourself in a group of VIPs at an airport or race track, chances are you’ve been ferried around in a Mercedes-Benz V-Class. The luxury people-carrier of choice for swanky events companies and a few private buyers has been around in its third-generation form since 2014, and it’s just had a facelift to freshen it up.

The changes are light, but chief among them is a welcome update to its engine and gearbox offerings. The gruff old 2.1-litre diesel has been replaced by Mercedes’ refined new 2.0-litre equivalent, shared with the E-Class, GLE and CLS; it produces 159bhp in the V220d and 233bhp in the V300d. A nine-speed automatic gearbox is now standard.

Meanwhile, there’s a new front-end design, plus some new paint colours and alloy wheels, while the interior gets some new seat upholstery options and automatic emergency braking is now standard.