Mercedes-Benz has launched an replace to its mid-size van household to assist hold the automobiles contemporary till the arrival of successor fashions primarily based on a devoted electrical car platform later this decade.
The only real mid-size van Mercedes presently sells within the U.S. is the Metris. In different markets, the Metris is named the Vito and is bought alongside a luxurious model known as the V-Class. The Vito and V-Class additionally are available electrical kind, often called the eVito and EQV respectively.
Whereas the Vito has been up to date, there aren’t any plans to deliver it to the U.S. as an up to date Metris. The present Metris remains to be accessible to U.S. consumers however can be phased out later this 12 months.
The updates to the mid-size van household embrace tweaks to the outside styling highlighted by an enlarged grille and new mild signatures for the headlights. There’s additionally a brand new sprint design that adopts a single panel integrating each a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment display screen within the plush V-Class and EQV. Within the Vito and eVito industrial fashions, the sprint sticks to analog gauges with a 5.5-inch display screen within the middle, plus a ten.3-inch infotainment display screen. Consumers even have 5 new colours to select from, together with varied wheel patterns starting from 17-19 inches in diameter.
Mercedes has additionally added new digital companies and security options, one in every of which is an up to date Energetic Brake Help function that now features in intersections. Energetic Brake Help is a collision warning system that helps the motive force by robotically including further braking strain when obligatory, and activating automated emergency braking if the motive force fails to use the brakes.
No change has been made to the powertrains that means consumers have a sequence of diesels to select from, together with 4- and 6-cylinder choices, plus an electrical powertrain within the eVito and EQV.
Whereas the U.S. will quickly lose the Metris, Mercedes in Could mentioned it’ll deliver a luxurious mid-size van to this market later this decade. It will likely be primarily based on the brand new Van.EA platform. The devoted EV platform will spawn its first mannequin in 2026, although Mercedes hasn’t revealed the mannequin’s id.
Mercedes mentioned it expects electrical vans to account for 50% of its van gross sales by 2030.
