Would you hesitate between a Mercedes S Class and a van? Besides the price difference, not necessarily as big as expected, the iconic limousine and this new VLE have very distinct arguments, but also points in common, including luxury and on-board technology.
Thus, on board this van, which is welcoming to say the least, a perfectly hidden 8K screen unfolds and transforms the rear part of the passenger compartment in a cinema room.
The blinds for the side windows and the panoramic roof unroll to create a pleasant ambiance: all you have to do is tilt the heated electric seats, place your forearms on the armrests containing an articulated tablet, adjust the volume then select a film. Or two, thanks to the possibility of divide the 31 inch screen into two partsso that each of the passengers in the second row chooses their program and puts on their headphones. And there, we promise, adults or children, no one will ask you if there are still many kilometers left. We could even imagine a family taking refuge on board, in the evening, when stopped, to take advantage of this projection room.
Luxurious, but sometimes simple, even pragmatic
Without detailing all the equipment available on board, we quickly understand the extent of the offer proposed for this XXL space, which benefits fromfour-zone air conditioning and will benefit from even more luxurious VLS versions in the future.
But the VLE can also be satisfied with more classic manual individual seats (28 kg), which benefit from casters so that, once dismantled, they can be easily moved into a garage. The German van, produced in Spaincan also accommodate practical but more modest three-seater rear benches, which the two sliding side doors make easily accessible. And now, these doors have a window that goes down into the door (entirely), which the V-Class, the predecessor, could not take advantage of.
The VLE extends to 5.31 meters, the elongated version culminates in 5.48 meters.
A utilitarian variation? Not exactly…
Can we still talk about a van? Not really. Available for order at the start of the 2026 school year, the VLE will not share its bodywork with the utility version, expected in 2027 to replace the Vito.
But he will lend him his VAN.EA platform (for Van Electric Architecture), capable of receiving thermal engines or, as here, 100% electric. And the latter has arguments: the 353 km of WLTP autonomy displayed by an EQV arriving at the end of its career, on passe ici à 700 kmthanks to the 115 kWh capacity battery, at the heart of an 800 V architecture.
Cubic in appearance but very elaborate in terms of aerodynamics, the VLE displays a Cd of 0.25.
The VLE recharges quickly, up to 300 kW, increasing its energy level from 10 to 80% in twenty-five minutes. Available in 2027 with a more modest 80 kWh accumulator, the German novelty has in version 300 front-wheel drive driven by a 276 hp engine.
In 400 4MATIC, it has one electric motor per axle, for a cumulative power of 415 hp. The difference between the two versions remains noticeable but, in each case, Mercedes favors comfort.
This business mini-bus, which we were only able to test with the pneumatic controlled suspension, travels without dynamic pretensions; it still remains healthy but is not made to be “piloted”. Above all, it takes care of the well-being of its occupants, s’abaissant par example of 4 cm à l’arrêtto facilitate access on board, or by 1.5 cm above 110 km/h, in order to reduce its consumption, which we found difficult to contain below 20 kWh/100 km.
As an option, the rear window can be opened independently of the tailgate
The VLE takes care of its master on board, the driver, by trying to pass itself off as smaller than it is: under 60 km/h, its rear directional wheels turn in the opposite direction front wheels, up to 7° (!), offering a turning diameter similar to that of a CLA sedan. Not bad, for a model 5.31 meters long.
The VLE also includes, as in many BMWs for many years, a system capable of reproducing in reverse the last 150 meters traveled in forward gear; very practical for unpleasant surprises in parking lots or narrow streets.
It remains to deal with the poids à vide (2 800 kg) which, once loaded with a few people and luggage, can exceed 3.5 tonnes! No need for a special permit however: in France, we subtract the mass of the electric battery for the calculation, therefore authorizing any B license holder to take the wheel. But in certain markets, such as Germany or Spain, for example, this threshold of 3,500 kg makes the VLE inaccessible to the average driver!
The driver also has to deal with particularly thick windshield pillars, which hamper three-quarter front visibility. And to compensate for the rear vision, which is zero with the three-seater rear seat, Mercedes installs a central screen/mirrors displaying the image from the rear camera, to which the eye has a hard time getting used to.
But apart from that, driving this VLE turns out to be pleasant, quiet and easy, as long as you put up with the two meters of width, excluding the mirrors. And as in all the brand’s recent new products, The “dashboard” is a term taken literally. Perfectly smooth and flat, it consists only of screens; like in an S-Class!
Do you like screens? That’s good: the interior design is full of it…
Mercedes VLE test – our opinion
With a VLE with generous autonomy, Mercedes intends not to be satisfied with the usual professional customers such as taxis, drivers and hotels. Families are also targeted.
We love
- Very luxurious proposals
- Habitability and comfort
- Maneuver assistance
We like less
- There are three “premium” tariffs
- Size and weight!
- 100% digital dashboard
PROPOSED RANGE (Mercedes VLE)
- Electrique, de 80 à 115 kWh, de 276 à 415 ch, prix non déterminés
Technical sheet (Mercedes-Benz VLE 300 electric)
- From €86,000 (estimate)
- Consumption during the test (kWh/100 km): 22.4
- Conso mixed WLTP (kWh/100 km): 18.6 Ã 20.4
- WLTP mixed range (km): 700
- Constated autonomy (km): nc
- CO2 (g/km)/bonus CEE : 0/nc
- Fiscal power: nc
- Country of manufacture: Spain
- Warranty: 2 years/unlimited mileage
- Motor: permanent magnet synchronous
- Transmission: traction, reduction, 1 report
- Maximum power (kW/hp): 203/276
- Couple (Nm) : 378
- Batteries, useful capacity (kWh): NMC, 115
- Charging time:
- borne DC 300 kW : 25 min (10 Ã 80 %)
- Poids à vide (kg) : 2 793
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 5,31×2,00×1,92
- Wheelbase (m): 3.34
- Turning diameter (m): 10.9
- Vitesse maxi (km/h) : 180
- 0 Ã 100 km/h (s) : 9,5
- L’essai tires: 265/40 R 22 – Pirelli Scorpion Elect
- Width at the front/rear/rear2 elbows (cm): 162/166/157
- Espace jambes AR/AR2 (cm) : 83 Ã 101/54 Ã 73
- Coffre à 5/à 2 (l) : nc/4 078
Mercedes VLE: potential competitors
– Lexus LM 350h, hybride essence 250 ch, à partir de 131 000 €
-Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro Long, electric 286 hp, from €60,870
– Volkswagen Multivan Long, hybride rechargeable 245 ch, à partir de 77 660 €
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Mercedes VLE test: the van makes its cinema
The replacement for the Mercedes V Class is him; a high-end van called VLE, launched in an electric version, and which is a real eye-catcher. Here is our opinion on this new model, expected at the start of the 2026 school year, which flirts with 3 tonnes.
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