A road-trip in the Mercedes V-Class

By Mxolisi Mhlongo

What’s the first thing that comes to mind if Mercedes Benz South Africa decides to give you their Multi-Purpose Vehicle for a week? Any self-confessed Afropolitan would suggest a road trip and that’s exactly what we did with the V-Class. We took a drive to Ponto do Ouro, Mozambique.

Our test car was a V250d Avantgarde and it would cost you a good R982 196 to own one.

Now that the price is out of the way, let’s talk about the car. You might know it as the Viano but since Mercedes decided to rename their models in 2014, you can safely call it the V-Class.

The V250d Avantgarde is the top of the range in the V-Class segment, sadly for those that prefer manual, it’s only offered in an automatic transmission.

The entry-level V200d costs R695 981 and offer 100 kW and 330 Nm of torque while its big brother V250d Avantgarde boasts 140 kW and 440 Nm of torque.

SO WHY WOULD AN AFROPOLITAN BUY THIS CAR?

Road trips – This is a perfect vehicle for those long trips with your family down to the coast. It offers much-needed boot space, comfort, and legroom.
Business – Say you are running late for a meeting and you need to work whilst rushing there, this car offers comfortable seats and a table to sort out your paperwork or presentation.
Daily use – To be honest with you we wouldn’t recommend it as a day to day car, however, it’s fuel consumption that averages at 11.8 makes it a perfect car if you want to take your kids to school or drive to work.

So on our way to Ponto do Ouro, we passed by Kosi Bay Hippo Lodge and Resort for refreshments and drove a good 5 KM on a gravel road. The car maintained a good balance and comfort and the handling was still as good as we were driving on any other road.

What is AdBlue?

This is basically a chemical that helps to reduce harmful emissions produced by diesel engines. If you travel a lot, you may find yourself in need to refill your AdBlue tank in between services. Our Test car came in with 120 KM to empty on AdBlue and thank goodness we were able to make it back without having to refill. This is important because once you run out of this chemical the car will stop. It is also important to note that it’s only available at selected Engen Garages in South Africa so you don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere without AdBlue.

What is a Multi-Purpose Vehicle?

An MPV (Also know as a people carrier) is a car that is usually favored by families due to a more practical interior than a regular sedan. It offers seats from five to seven seats with so much space and leg-room. This is what they usually refer to as “iBhasi” in townships.

Competitors: Kia Sedona and Volkswagen Caravelle

So what makes this car special:

Its ability to be practical in both work and play drives. Its sophisticated design that politely boasts “I am a Merc” will attract so much attention while driving. The office styling seats provide comfort for both work and leisure and there is no doubt Mercedes have designed what I would consider as one of the best looking and practical Multi-Purpose Vehicle of our generation.

Read more about our Ponto do Ouro adventures here.

Tell us where would you take a trip to with the Mercedes V-Class? Tweet us @kayafm95dot9

Written by: Zuko