Mercedes-Benz V250d 2020 Video Review

Whether you're a rideshare driver or the captain of a mum bus it's likely that the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is at the top of your list if you're considering a luxury people-mover.

Lightly updated for a new model year, new safety technology has been added in the form of active brake assist with pedestrian detection and high-beam assist has been added as standard to the V-250d range topper, improving the performance of headlights at night but with no major engineering updates.

The V-Class is still powered by the same 2.1 litre turbo diesel engine matched with a 7-speed automatic transmission and in this 250d model it's tuned to generate a bit more grunt than the more affordable V-220d.

In the V-Class, V stands for versatile. In standard configuration it's available as a seven-seater with a six-seat option available at no cost this 8 seat configuration which is available as a costed option adds a bench seat to the second row ,to the bring extra room for one more passenger without compromising the V-Class's extensive luggage capacity. 

And luggage capacity is huge even with eight-passengers on board the boot space is enormous a Mercedes has included some cleaner storage options when it comes to this large rear space. I love this high level shelf which pops up to reveal two storage crates. Fans of click & collect are going to love how easy this is to pop your groceries in and then grab the crate and pop it on your kitchen bench to unload, fantastic, and if you need more room while the rear seats can be removed altogether to give you the carrying capacity of a van.

Wherever you sit in the V-Class you'll be riding in comfort, the driver and front passenger have heated seats with lumbar adjustment, while the second row passengers have plenty of room to move and unlike in seven seat SUVs which can feel pretty cramped in the third row.

In this people mover there's plenty of room for adult passengers so they're not going to feel short-changed, as for the driver well I'm very happy to be captain of this ship, it's incredibly easy to drive.

In the addition of technology like a 360-degree panoramic camera means that maneouvering in car parks is that much easier, there's a high-tech feel from the infotainment system and only Mercedes aficionados will notice the absence of the brand's very latest ‘Hey Mercedes’ functionality.

Now being a Mercedes, everything's laid out in typical Mercedes fashion, that means the gear shifter is a column stalk and the speed limits and distance control is also on a stalk although in later model Mercedes it's moved to the steering wheel and I must say that's a much preferable place for it to be located, it's just one of the things that's a giveaway that this is a generation behind some of the Mercedes passenger vehicles.

Now it's not a dynamic powerhouse but what the V-Class is is incredibly comfortable and smooth to drive. I've had it this weekend with a whole bunch of passengers on board and they really haven't felt too much movement at all in the body, with a drive away price of over $100,000 the V-Class is definitely the luxury choice when it comes to people movers, but for this price I'd like to see a few extras such as seat back trays and USB charges in the rear, but for its versatility composed driving feel and its fit and finish the Mercedes V-Class is probably worth most of those dollars.