Mercedes-Benz Viano 2009 News

Meet the Mercedes-Benz of people-movers. It's called the V-Class and seats up to eight people in comfort.

Peoplemovers are viewed as the ungainly end of the passenger vehicle spectrum, but with new V-Class, Mercedes-Benz says it's setting a higher benchmark for those who need to haul up to eight people and their gear.  Replacing the Vito-based Valente passenger hauler and the more upmarket Viano, the V-Class is described by Merc as "a saloon (sedan) for up to eight people”, combining functionality, comfort and style "in a way that no other vehicle in this segment can offer".The V-Class will launch overseas in three lengths: a 4.9m short wheelbase, 5.17m mid-length and 5.37m long wheelbase, although not all may be offered here, where both the Valente and Viano arrive only in the 5m versions -- although the lower-spec Vito is available as a short wheelbase in both van and eight-seat passenger versions.Mercedes says the V-Class offers elegant design and luxe interiors nappa leather options, plus a range of technology more usually associated with prestige sedans, including automatic climate-control airconditioning and the latest COMAND infotainment system with 'scrawlable' touchpad control. And for commercial passenger duties -- or perhaps conversation flow in very large families -- there's a microphone system to let the driver talk to the rear rows more clearly.Those rows can be configured with buckets or benches to accommodate up to eight, with both options offering foldable seatbacks to create more luggage space, while the rear windscreen opens separately to the lower tailgate, giving quick access to toss smaller items into the cargo area.Under the sloping bonnets will be a 2.1-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder, available in two levels of tune: a 120kW/380Nm V220 CDI (promising around 5.7L/100km fuel economy) and a 140kW/440Nm V250 BlueTec (6.1L/100km) Merc says has "as much pulling power and agility as the previous 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel".Australian specification and locked-in timing is yet to be confirmed for the V-Class's arrival, however it's likely to be early in 2015. "We expect it to arrive in the first quarter of next year," Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says.However he stresses that despite the more upmarket focus, there may not be upward move for pricing from the starting points of $54,490 for the Valente model and $78,635 for the Viano. “We think it really depends how we specify the car here – we don't see any great change in where it sits in the market, so don't expect much change in the price point,” McCarthy says. “We've been successful with Valente and Viano because of price and how they’re specified so we’ll be continuing that strategy.”However he says there’s no indication yet of whether the V-Class will also later replace the passenger version of the Vito, which starts with the five-seater at $48,990 and the eight-seater at $49,990 (the delivery van version starts at $38,990). “At this point passenger version of Vito will stay – but it’s really too early to confirm as we haven’t locked down the product yet.”McCarthy says it’s also too early to define all the drivetrain offerings. “Viano will probably have the higher level of tune, but Valente we don’t know yet – as we get closer to the local launch we’ll nail down the specification.”This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

...and could even be dangerous to other drivers — a Volkswagen expert says. But Mercedes-Benz responds that such statements are ‘rubbish’.Prof Horst Oehlschlaeger, head of concept development for Volkwagen’s popular Transporter van, says getting a five-star crash rating for the upgraded model due here next year is ‘not so important’. “I think if you look at the question of injuries, there is very little difference between five-star to four-star,” Prof Oehlschlaeger says. “It’s not a big difference at all.”He says that while it may be a little safer for the occupants, a five-star van can be more dangerous to passenger vehicles it crashes into. “In reality, if you make the van stiffer and stronger for five-star, you will do more damage to the smaller passenger cars they come into contact with in an accident,” he says. “You have to look at crash compatibility with small cars, so as well as crashing Transporter with another Transporter, we crashed it with a Golf and a Polo.”Prof Oehlschlaeger says the Transporter, the current model of which has four stars in Europe’s NCAP ratings, is expected to be ‘borderline’ between four and five stars – but not reach five — when the new model is tested, although there have been no structural changes.He says any extra points will come mainly from the addition of side curtain airbags, while the inclusion of ESP and ABS as standard features — rather than options – will also be attractive safety points for the market.However, Mercedes-Benz, which gets a five-star rating on its Viano and Vito vans in a segment where most get just three, says the highest crash rating is just as crucial for the light commercial segment as for passenger vehicles. “To say it’s not important is – quite frankly – wrong. And you would only say that if you can’t get them,” Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy says. “The difference between four stars and five stars is significant. “Safety in these vehicles needs to be lifted, not reduced or kept the same. Vehicle crash safety is just as important for people who drive commercial vehicles. “To say otherwise is very regrettable, and it’s a generalisation that does not do credit to a brand such as Volkswagen with a very good tradition of safety – a company that makes predominantly five-star passenger vehicles.”McCarthy says the same logic about impact between larger and smaller cars is not applied to Volkswagen’s passenger vehicle ranges. “If Volkswagen is concerned about the damage large, five-star rated vehicles do to smaller ones, can we assume they are going to stop making Touareg, Phaeton and Bentleys, and just stick to making Polos,” he says. “To anybody – anybody — saying that safety is not important in that segment, I would prescribe a couple of reality pills. “And I’m sure Worksafe and the Transport Accident Commission would be happy to supply a glass of water to swallow them with.”