New Mercedes VLE 2026 review: more like an S-Class than a van

Verdict

The fact that the Mercedes VLE can be a sumptuous place to be a passenger (depending on vehicle specification and where you’re sitting) should come as no surprise. The company doesn’t refer to the VLE as a van, nor even an MPV – instead coining the term Grand Limousine. While that is initially easy to scoff at, the reality is that the VLE drives far less like a van and much more like an S-Class in terms of comfort and refinement. Simply put, it sets a new standard for this class.

Typically painted black and shuttling businesspeople and celebrities from point to point, the Mercedes V-Class had become something of a symbol of stealth wealth, more subtle than a Range Rover, more spacious than an S-Class. Now the maker has created the VLE: an all-new electric car and one that, despite its silhouette, is a far cry from the Vito van the outgoing model is based on.

Stretching to 5,309mm, the VLE is longer than its EQV predecessor. And while it maintains a boxy shape, it has much softer lines, contributing to how easily it glides through the air – onto a range of more than 435 miles.

The design stands out and is more in keeping with Merc’s latest passenger cars. Though on the VLE, the gaudy new grille doesn’t look so out of proportion. We say grille, but with an electric powertrain, it is more about decoration than cooling, and Mercedes offers several variants depending on the grade. These will include familiar names, including AMG Line and Exclusive; wheel sizes will vary between 19 and 22 inches.

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Topping out at almost two metres tall, the VLE does a respectable job of fitting everything in, particularly its 115kWh NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery. A smaller 80kWh LFP battery will join the range in 2027 and bring the price down accordingly. 

The beltline of the car appears taller than before, but a contrasting rocker panel on the sides prevents the Mercedes from appearing too slab-sided. A curved rear window serves to break slightly from the van image, and there are some stylish paint and wheel combinations too. Flush-fitting door handles are present and correct, requiring only a gentle touch for them to eject. The rear doors are electrically operated, and even with the large battery housed within the floor, ingress and egress are easy.

Multiple seating arrangements are available in the VLE, making it a vehicle capable of serving a multitude of purposes. Five to eight-seat layouts are offered, and these also range in luxury from simple-but-comfortable individual seats in fabric upholstery, to luxuriously appointed leather captains' chairs with heated, cooling and massaging functions.

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The former may be more practical, as the manually adjustable seats form a new ‘Roll & Go’ concept that allows for easy movement and removal of individual seats from the built-in floor rails. Weighing 27kg, the seats, which include ISOFIX anchor points, are just about manageable and include a small green light on the base that indicates when they have been locked securely into place. Mercedes will also offer electrically adjustable seats, and these can be moved either via an app or through the car’s head unit.

Luggage space in the VLE varies depending on the seating configuration, but when equipped with three rows of seats, it can carry 795 litres, and as much as 4,078 litres when the chairs are removed.

For those seeking luxury, the aptly named Grand Comfort Seat looks like something lifted straight from a private jet, complete with high side bolsters to hold its occupant comfortably in place. A seemingly endless level of adjustment can be done via a panel on the door or by the smartphone-like controller that can be released from the back of the front seats, which also include built-in ambient lighting.

A full recline mode lifts the ottoman as the seat slides back to create more space, and the headrest, complete with what feels like an impossibly soft pillow, can be angled up to provide just the right amount of support. Once comfortable, the passenger can choose to activate the cinema mode, which closes the sunblind and covers the large glass roof, raises the privacy curtains on the side windows and quickly deploys a 31.3-inch widescreen display. This can stream movies in 8K or be connected to a games console.

It’s not only about those sitting in the rear of the VLE, though, as up front, there is the MBUX Superscreen – a digital dashboard that spans the full width of the cabin, containing a 10.25-inch instrument display and a 14-inch touchscreen, with the option of an additional 14-inch screen for the front-seat passenger.

Other details in the front include a choice of different centre consoles, including one with two wireless phone chargers or a more lavish design that incorporates two small fridge units – one for those in the front and one for rear passengers.

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Luxuries aside, there’s plenty under the skin of the VLE to ensure it drives well. Built on an all-new platform, the VLE makes use of air suspension to create an impressively smooth ride. With 40mm of ride-height control, it can drop down to improve access, and do the same at speed to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Around town, the VLE covers ground smoothly, with the hushed electric powertrain adding to a sense of calmness inside. Previously, it was hard to ignore the V-Class’s van-based roots, especially when traversing speed humps and potholes, but that feels distinctly different in the VLE.

Admittedly, as cool as the 22-inch Monobloc style wheels looked on our Exclusive test car, they did result in more road noise and slightly less comfort than the more modestly appointed base model that rode on 20-inch wheels.

With 272bhp going to the front wheels, the drive is smooth with a linear power delivery that gets the VLE up to speed without unsettling its passengers. A more powerful VLE 400 4Matic with 402bhp is also available.

The steering weighting feels positive, but it’s the seven degrees of rear-wheel steering angle that makes more of an impact, giving the Mercedes a turning circle of only 10.9 metres – something drivers will appreciate when manoeuvring the big vehicle. Less positive is the blind spot that the chunky A-pillar can create; good thing there’s an abundance of driver-assistance systems and cameras onboard to help.

The VLE’s other trump card is its driving range. At 435 miles, it should comfortably cope with multiple airport runs, and when it comes to charging, the 800-volt architecture means a peak DC charge rate of more than 300kW, which allows the VLE to add up to 220 miles of range in 15 minutes.

In time, there will also be a long-wheelbase variant of the VLE that will see its length stretch to 5,484mm to offer even more space inside. And for those seeking even greater levels of opulence, a petrol-powered Mercedes-Maybach VLS is in the works as part of an expanded line of luxury models.

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