feature
TEXT BEN CHIA AND JONATHAN TAN PHOTOS AARON HIAT
he straightforward
portion of this article
is that it involves a
Mercedes. Synonymous
with comfort, luxury and performance,
the Stuttgart-based carmaker has long
established its cars as recognisable
symbols of stature. Uniquely in
Singapore, the much-loved three-
pointed star jostles for supremacy at
the top of the sales charts, appealing
to customers with discerning tastes,
and privileged enough to afford it.
The enigmatic portion of this feature
lies with one of its newest multi-purpose
offering—the V-Class. On one hand, its
similarity in shape and size to the Vito
van conveys a more utilitarian vibe,BEN CHIAJONATHAN TANhowever, it’s been marketed as the
largest of Mercedes’ passenger vehicles.
Tricked out to be more passenger
orientated, with sleeker, contoured
lines and an interior trim that’s as good
as any other car with the Mercedes
badge, just how does the V-Class fit
the role of luxury people mover?
We find out with a bit of role playing,
switching between towkay’s guest
in the backseat and driver up front.
JT As I play the boss’ client
and seeing my mate Ben pull up my
driveway in the V-Class, I’m immediately
noticing that this is a really big car. For a
passenger car, it’s plus-sized, chunky and
obviously a lot more van-like than any
other Mercedes I’ve ever encountered.That said, the V-Class here does
come across to me as a car that’s a
little special. Chuck the idea that the
car looks like a Vito van aside and I’m
appreciating how the car’s received a
fresh new look that’s very very sleek for
something so big and tall. That curvy
radiator grille is as imposing as the
new Mercedes cars that ply the road
and it’s even got LED daytime running
lights and front headlights that are
very similar to those on the E-Class.
And as far as impressions go, I
must admit that it was cool to be seen
picked up in a Mercedes. There’s
that air of grandeur that something
similar like a Toyota Alphard won’t
give you. Sure, it wasn’t as statelyLet’s
Talk!
A BRANDED
PROPOSITION
Brands can make an impression, but does the Mercedes V-Class luxe barge
really make a difference in experience and perception for a MPV? Motor-mouths
Ben Chia and Jonathan Tan delve deeper52 // March 2016