Sweden's Teknikens Varld reports that Mercedes is upgrading its delivery van Viano to create a newish MPV: the X-Clusive. After failing with their hearse-themed R-Class, after winning few hearts and minds with the panel-van based Vito (including the Brabus-wheeled "Sport-X" variant), Mercedes is hoping its bigger, blingier luxo-box– complete with that's-so-Chrysler rear facing middle seats– will catch both the executive taxi and desperate football Mom crowd. The X-Clusive will offer customers' a choice of 15.5 or 16.5 foot long bodies and blend luxury, "excessive comfort" and, uh, performance. X-Clusive buyers can have any color they like as long as its silver or black, and any engine they desire as long as it's a six (including a 204-horse 3.0-liter V6 CDI). No word on plans to import the X-Clusive stateside. Nor is any expected.
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The bigger, the uglier, and the more expensive, the more they will sell in my neighborhood.
Cool, but it’s still a Mercedes van. Which is a van.
I’ve been wondering for a long time when Volvo, Mercedes and BMW would build really upscale minivans. Marketwise they should have done it 15 years ago before the expensive SUV craze took off.
A van architecture makes a whole lot more sense for carrying 4-7 people in luxury than does an SUV.
@jthorner:
I’ve thought about that too. My guess is that in the U.S. the minivan image is so damaged that they want to steer clear of it. Volvo seems like the natural fit since they are a “family car” kind of company. Mercedes of course bought, err merged with, Chrysler to get to Jeep and the minivans. Toyota has hedged the problem by building a Lexus minivan (at a Lexus price) and calling it a Toyota Sienna Limited.
One more thing: It’s RWD. Tuners have done V8 versions of it.
http://www.mercedes-v-club.de/web/Presse/viano-blackpower_ams01_2005.pdf
How is a rear-facing middle seat a Chryslerism? I had rear-facing middle seats in my German-built VW Vanagon back in the 1980s, before there was a “Town & Country”.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
It’s an airport shuttle – “X-Clusive” or not…
Got a nice little airport ride in a Viano in Rome this summer. Sort of comfortable. Sort of. Really huge. Definitely un-Mercedes like.
I had a rental Vito (cargo version of the Viano) last week. It did a pretty good work of hauling my furniture, me and a friend in comfort. I liked it.
there is somthing distinctly wrong with Mercedes making a van (mini or not). it has no place in the world. minivans are supposed to be economical. well suited to transporting kids to and from football practice, ballet, and the beach. hauling “stuff” to and from costco. can you picture the plastic surgery ridden, bleach blonde, diamond studded “soccer mom” telling her son to wipe off his cleats before getting in? can you see her yelling at the kids to get their shoes off the leather seats? we need luxury minivans like we need V8 “hybrid” sportscars. (listening Lexus?)