At Mercedes-Benz they present theirs Classe T as a “city of“, Thanks to its silhouette and the versatility offered by the interior. And in fact we are dealing with a minivan designed for families, which in some respects recalls the well-known van Mercedes Citan.
nomenclature aside, the new Mercedes T-Class focuses on a large interior space and boasts extensive equipment options for any use. A formula that seems to be winning, but which already sees some fierce competitors on the market such as Volkswagen Caddy.
Stylish design and lots of space for the Mercedes T-Class
Outwardly, the design of the T-Class is unmistakably Mercedes, thanks to the brand’s inevitable grille. Later a long wheelbase version will be proposed, which will allow three rows of seats for a total of seven seats. For now, the “short” version will be on sale, with five seats and a length of 4.50 meters. The width is 1.86 meters, with a height that reaches 1.81 meters, the characteristic that most identifies its “commercial” origin. As details to associate it more with a car we find the chrome grille, the mirrors, the door handles and the bumper in body color.
The double sliding side door, a very common feature in this type of vehicle, guarantees easy access to the rear seats. At the same time, the large tailgate is hinged to the roof and allows access to a huge trunk. This offers a very low load threshold (just 561mm), and offers rear seats that fold down to achieve a completely flat surface. The capacity of the trunk it can range from 520 liters to over 2,100 litersdepending on how the seats are configured. As an option, Mercedes offers a two-part tailgate.
As for the interiors, theMBUX interface of the brand for the infotainment system. The touch screen of the multimedia system is 7 inch, and is placed in a floating position, between the two central air vents. A second 5.5-inch screen complete information in the instrumentation of the analog indicators. Particular attention was paid not only to the sensation and quality of the materials used, but also to the possibilities of customization. Let’s talk two-tone finishes through inserts in some elements of the dashboard in the same color as the bodywork, or an ambient lighting system with eight tones. The steering wheel is also what we can find in other cars of the brand, with the Touch Control buttons.
There are two lines of personalization, called Style e Progressive. The first much more casual and the second more focused on refinement and luxury. And there is no shortage of the latest news in terms of connectivity or driving assistants. Among these functions such as voice control, Mercedes Me digital services connect, the active braking assistant, the active driving assistant Distronic e i fari a LED.
Gasoline and diesel engines only
The range of engines of the Mercedes T-Class includes a 1.5 turbodiesel and a 1.3 petrol four-cylinder. The turbodiesel is divided into two variants, the T 160 d, with 95 HP and a maximum torque of 270 Nm, and the T 180 d, with 116 HP and 270 Nm of torque.. In the case of the 1.3 petrol there are also in this case two possibilities to choose from. The first is the T 160 with 102 HP and 200 Nm of torque, or the T 180 with 131 HP and 240 Nm of torque. Everyone has a six-speed manual gearbox. Optionally, with the exception of the T 160, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission can be equipped.
None of the available versions (diesel and petrol) are announced with light hybridization, which would grant DGT’s ECO label. An electric version is however in the pipeline and should arrive on the market over the next year. Mercedes has not revealed the prices of its new T-Class, but according to rumors it should start at around 30 thousand euros.