“It should be larger and longer, comfortable for business meetings while spending time in traffic jams or for having a nap”… Enough! Mercedes-Benz got tired of requests of this sort and created a V-Class Marco Polo minivan. This vehicle, or should we better call it an upscale caravan, was revealed at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf. It was named after the great traveller Marco Polo. I dare say, if Marco Polo had had a minivan like that seven centuries ago, he could have made a lot more discoveries. But let’s get back to present day.
The Marco Polo is available with three diesel-powered 2.2-litre engines delivering 136 (330 Nm), 163 (380 Nm), and 190 (440 Nm) hp. The car is fitted with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. When talking about its size, minivan’s length is 5.14 m, while its height is 1.98 m. All fine and dandy, but it has a turning circle of 11.8 m.
As for the rest, it is truly a house with complete renovation. It features wood flooring, LED-interior lighting, a folding table, a small wardrobe, seats, which can be rotated by 180 degrees, and a kitchenette. The latter includes a gas stove, a sink, and a refrigerator. The minivan is fitted with a double bed and has two additional sleeping facilities, available when elevating the roof made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic with the help of electro pneumatic actuators.
A driver can take advantage of a rear-view camera, LED headlights, surround view video system, blind-spot detection, and (pay attention to that!) lane-keeping assist. Well, one has to reckon with its size.
So, those who need more comfort might spend their days in traffic jams inside the Marco Polo. The car will go on sale in Germany in the end of July. There is no word regarding its price yet.
