Game-changing Mercedes VLE is a £110k mobile boardroom that parks itself

With only a few weeks until we see the new Mercedes VLE in full, the German company has unveiled a couple of key features early, ones that will make it a lot easier to navigate into tight parking spaces. 

Its finer details are still to be confirmed, but the VLE will be an all-new people-carrier with three rows of seats and lots of high-end tech. Unlike the Mercedes EQV that it’ll effectively replace, the VLE model sits on a bespoke platform, and offers far more technology derived from Merc’s latest passenger cars. 

Some of these are new technologies that should make parking this huge car less taxing, including a fully-autonomous parking assistant, plus rear-wheel steering that will make it more physically manoeuvrable. 

We had a go! 

Auto Express was invited down early to Germany to have a go in a covered prototype, putting its new active parking features to work. If you’ve used any of these systems on other cars, it’s always impressive to see the car twirl the steering wheel without any driver input to perfectly align it to the cars around it. 

However, the bit that generally needs the most improvement is the speed of these systems, and the user interface that initiates them. We found the VLE quickly recognised available parking spaces both ahead and behind the car, negating the need to drive past a spot before selecting it for self-parking. 

The large central display – similar to that seen on the new Mercedes CLA – gave clear instructions, before manoeuvring the the VLE into the space quickly and seamlessly. It also features a reversing assistant that will rewind all steering inputs to get you out of dead ends or out from nose-in car parks.

What else has been confirmed? 

That rear-wheel-steer system is brand new to a V-Class or any van-series model. It has a seven-degree angle. This is quite aggressive as most systems go, but isn’t quite as extreme as you’ll see on some Mercedes saloon cars. 

This reduces the kerb-to-kerb turning radius to just 10.9 meters, which is comparable to the much smaller CLA saloon. Mercedes has also confirmed a usable 115kWh battery energy content, which is 25kWh more than the previous EQV.

All that’s left now is to see it, and we won’t have to wait long because it’s been officially announced for a March 10 debut. When it does arrive, it’ll be inspired by the Vision V concept shown earlier in 2025. 

Like the concept, the VLE production car will come with bold styling cues and brand-new electric architecture to help it succeed in the burgeoning luxury MPV market that includes the Lexus LM, Volvo EM90 and Zeekr 009. It won’t be cheap, though, with a starting price expected to start at around £90,000, rising to more than £100,000 for highly specified models.

Mercedes VLE: design

The design has already revealed a series of teaser images, confirming a similar headlight unit to the ones on the new Mercedes GLC and CLA, with three-pointed-star daytime running lights. We also know there’ll be a large grille taking up much of the VLE’s front end, and that’ll be lit-up too. 

During the VLE’s development, we saw the VLE testing in a wind tunnel, showing off aerodynamics that the German brand says are “outstanding in terms of efficiency”. There are also new pictures of the VLE at the famed Nardo test track in Italy, fine-tuning its high-speed dynamics and rear-axle steering. The proportions don’t look too dissimilar to those of the EQV - which the VLE will essentially replace.

Mercedes VLE: range and technical details

What will be significantly different to the EQV is the technical underpinnings. The VLE will be the first model to sit on Mercedes’ VAN.EA platform. During testing, Mercedes revealed the results of long-distance tests of the VLE. The test car’s route went from Stuttgart in Germany to Rome, Italy, covering 683 miles, requiring “two short charging stops” of 15 minutes each. With the aforementioned 115kWh energy content, this could see a huge increase in potential range compared to the EQV, with an expected range of more than 300 miles expected. 

We already know the VAN.EA platform will have a bespoke construction that’s designed to get the most out of an all-electric platform – Mercedes has even gone as far to say it’ll “usher in a completely new era”. 

This includes a range of cutting-edge technical capability drawn from Merc’s advances in passenger electric cars, including an 800V electrical system (which could allow for up to 320kW fast charging) as well as high-end suspension and chassis technology. 

The new architecture will offer a single-motor layout, plus a dual-motor option with all-wheel drive. The test car was a rear-wheel-drive, single-motor VLE and, according to Mercedes, additional rear-axle steering ensured “easy and agile handling even in tight corners” on the streets of Rome. You can expect to see a similar ability to the EQS SUV, which can turn its rear wheels by up to 10 degrees. The availability of two drivetrains for the VLE will give maximum flexibility when it comes to different applications and requirements.

Mercedes previously said the VAN.EA technology will allow for ‘clear differentiation’ between luxury vans and commercial models. The VAN.EA-P platform (the P standing for ‘premium’) is designed to cater for ‘high-quality family vans’ and everything from ‘exclusive VIP shuttles to spacious limousines’, according to the company. Commercial vans will use the VAN.EA-C set-up – with the C standing for ‘commercial’.

Mercedes has also announced that the VLE will be offered with petrol power later on. Details are scarce because it’ll arrive after the electric model, but the combustion-engined VLE will sit on the VAN.CA platform, which Mercedes calls ‘state-of-the-art’. It’ll roll off the same assembly line as the EV in Vitoria, Spain. 

The VLE will essentially be the mid-size MPV model, akin to an E-Class (hence the ‘E’ part of the name) with seating for up to eight people. A larger VLS will come later and Mercedes claims this will be a “grand limousine” and will “define a unique segment of its own that bestows true greatness to automotive luxury”. 

Mercedes VLE: interior technology and pricing

The line-up of all-electric vans sitting on this new VAN.EA architecture will be “always on”, meaning they are connected to the internet at all times and able to receive updates. Level 2 automated driving will be available, and there are plans to roll out Level 3 automation by the end of the decade. Judging from the latest electric GLC and CLA, we could see a massive, full-width screen in placement of a traditional dash, utilising the latest MB.OS infotainment system. 

We’ve only seen a few prototypes running the new set-up under the skin, but when it does arrive on the market, Mercedes will be able to offer more specialised products for all sorts of applications, whether it be as a family car in Europe or high-end business transport in Japan. We’ll have to wait for pricing to be confirmed, but we expect a starting figure close to £100,000, considering that the current, less spacious EQV starts from £87,035. 

If you can’t wait until next year then why not check out the Auto Express marketplace where you’ll find Mercedes EQVs starting from just over £30,000? There are also great finance deals to be had on all sorts of Mercedes models on the Auto Express Buy a Car service.

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