Mercedes-Benz V-Class has been competing in the domestic market for many years, and it is a representative MPV model among luxury brands. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz V-Class was launched at last year's Beijing Auto Show, with a slight improvement in overall product strength. This week, the editor had a test drive experience with it. The test drive car version obtained this time is the 2020 V 260 Exclusive Edition, with a guide price of 594,800 yuan. Below is my personal test drive summary, and I hope it can provide a reference for everyone.
Let's first interpret the power system of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. The car is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine, with a maximum power output of 155 kW and a maximum torque of 350 N·m. As for the transmission system, the entire series is equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission. In addition, the new Mercedes-Benz V-Class also offers a four-wheel air suspension system that supports adjustable softness, hardness, and height, which helps improve the driving experience.
The calm and unhurried power output makes the Mercedes-Benz V-Class very easy to handle, and even those new to the car can quickly become familiar with driving it. The throttle response at the initial stage is slightly sluggish, making starting not very easy, which is partly due to the heavy body weight of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. After the turbo engages, the power output becomes much stronger. When wanting to overtake on the road, the 2.0T engine can release enough acceleration power. Overall, the driving characteristics of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class are conservative. Although it does not provide particularly enthusiastic power feedback, the driving smoothness is quite good.
After upgrading to a 9AT transmission, the overall driving quality of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class has improved significantly. What impressed me is that this transmission is very smart. It can detect the driver's intentions and provide corresponding feedback. For example, when suddenly stepping on the accelerator pedal, the transmission can immediately make downshift responses without hesitation throughout the process.
When the vehicle travels on bumpy roads, the value of air suspension is revealed. It can adjust the suspension's firmness according to different road conditions, similar to how the suspension's rebound vibration has little to do with the body, effectively isolating residual shocks. Of course, the comfort-oriented chassis tuning provides slightly insufficient support during cornering. At the same time, the overall center of gravity of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is relatively high, so when cornering or changing lanes, the vehicle speed should be controlled to ensure a good body posture.
After discussing the dynamic feel, let's look at the riding experience of this car. It can be said without reservation that the most comfortable area of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is arranged in the second row. The completely flat floor below allows free movement of the feet without constraints, and the longer leg support provides sufficient support for the legs. On long rides, it is recommended to recline the seat back and match it with leg support to achieve a high level of body relaxation. The riding experience in the third row is relatively average, with a significant drop in comfort compared to the first two rows.
In terms of riding space, benefiting from a 3200mm wheelbase, the seating space of all three rows in the car is very spacious. Referring to the editor's height of 179 cm, when the front seat is adjusted to the lowest, there is about a fist's distance left for headroom. The legroom in the second row exceeds two fists, allowing one to easily cross their legs, and the third-row space performance is also very good. In addition, there are many small storage compartments in the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, such as the dual-layer glove box, center armrest box, storage compartment under the dashboard, and more, offering high space utilization.
Finally, I will make a brief comment on the exterior of the new Mercedes-Benz V-Class. First of all, the overall contour and main style of the body have not changed much compared to the old model, but there are many optimizations in detail areas. The starry front grille feels more upscale, and a radar is hidden inside the car logo. The shape of the headlight group remains stylish, and the light source configuration includes full LED headlights and adaptive high and low beams. The side clearly displays the standard MPV appearance, with a square outline mainly to improve interior space. The rear design is very simple, slightly lacking a sense of layers.
After this test drive experience and a short day with the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, the editor gained some new insights about it. Firstly, the car offers a very comfortable and spacious riding environment, making it difficult to feel fatigue during long-distance travel. The driving style is steady, not giving aggressive power feedback. Overall, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class has reached the level expected of a luxury MPV, making it suitable for both business travel and daily use.
