Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes is planning to expand its MPV line-up into the compact segment from 2022, with the introduction of an all-new model called the T-Class.
It is believed that the new T-Class will be paired with the next-generation Citan panel van, which as with the current model, will share its platform with the Renault Kangoo through an extended partnership with the Renault-Nissan alliance.
Mercedes-Benz says that the new T-Class will be tailored to the needs of families, while also being a suitable companion for active leisure pursuits. Think of it as a baby V-Class.
There will be an electric version too, Mercedes says, although there is currently no official word on what engines will power the conventional combustion versions. However, likely candidates include the Alliance-sourced 1.3 turbopetrol and 1.5 dCi turbodiesel.
The German carmaker is promising a “spacious cabin, suited to a range of different uses” while ease of access will be ensured by wide-opening sliding doors on both sides of the vehicle.
"With the new Mercedes-Benz T-Class, we will offer a vehicle which makes it possible for families and those with active pastimes to step into the Mercedes-Benz world,” said Mercedes-Benz Vans head Marcus Breitschwerdt.
“These customers seek attractive and practical compact vehicles – and it is precisely these demands which the new T-Class fulfils".
Despite its ties to the Alliance vehicles, Mercedes says the T-Class will be “clearly discernible at first glance as a member of the Mercedes-Benz family and will feature unmistakeably typical characteristics of the brand with the three-pointed star.
“Especially in terms of design, value, safety and connectivity, the new vehicle will bear the DNA of Mercedes-Benz,” the carmaker added.
Although, isn’t that what they said about the X-Class?