http://www.autonews.com/article/20131111/OEM03/311119951#axzz2l1CBu4z5

In the United States, the V class would compete with the Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna. It would be the only rear-wheel-drive offering in the segment and would be slightly larger than its U.S. competitors.

Possible 2015 Refresh Concept

Wow....if its an actual MB (designed AND built within MB confines) and is offered with a diesel (should be for economy needs), I'd buy one!

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Except that the last time they tried to sell a mini-van like car.....

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

Those R class are pretty nice.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

No disagreement there

It was definitely a failure of placement and marketing.

So they're a failure by what measure?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I don't think they sold very many.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I see R's around here fairly regularly. I think they sold a fair number, just not enough to cover actually producing them. They are huge and great for families....I've found our TDI sportwagen is more of a "TDI cramped wagon", it has less interior space than my W126 or a W210 sedan and the door openings are low and small and make it a pain with kids in carseats. Looking to get rid of it next year for something more family useful like a W210 or W211 wagon, or an R-class. W210/211 sedan is even an option. MPG is a non issue because we drive it mostly in the city and get about 34mpg, which is nothing spectacular considering how overly complex it is.

This summer when packing our VW for camping we could not fit all of our stuff....so I said, I bet I could fit it all in my W126 with room to spare. Wife did not believe me....so I did it, and it ALL fit no problem.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Not bad looking, for a van. I can see where better-to-do folks would want more than a comparatively plebian, maxed-out Odyssey/Sienna/Grand Caravan that someone like...well...my family drives. There's little to discern a loaded Odyssey from a baseline model.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

The R class is a very enjoyable people mover. I considered buying one primarily for towing but it isn’t rated for enough weight to suit my needs. Around here, at least the in-town part of around here, there are a number of them seen daily. They are fabulous in crappy road conditions and the platform puts the driver well above most oncoming lights. Iirc the diesel version gets pretty good mpg. They appear to be mostly very reliable.

A MB van would open doors to the vast world of soccer moms and small businesses who need to transport stuff. Folks who would like a Sprinter platform but consider it too big, would be drawn to it. If options included diesel/awd it would be a major winner.

Daimler was hoping to sell 20,000 a year. They came close, 18,000 in one year, but then sales fell off a cliff to under 3,000 units per year. Even the AMG version R63 got snickered at.

Obviously there's no announcement for the US, but it appears that the rest of the world will get to choose between a four cylinder turbo diesel, like the GLK250 has, and also V6 diesel and gas engines.

^ plus according to the article awd is an option.

Being a MB, a diesel option is logically there as well. Of course the other side of that is being a MB, they probably wont offer it in the USA, at least initially......

I'd rock one mightily.. a RWD minivan ? Ship me one, I'll write whatever glowing reviews MBusa wants

One with diesel fuel economy - even better.

Given than a maxxed out Odyssey or Sienna go for $40k, MB does have some pricing room to bring them here and sit in an existing MB showroom.

I'd just love to have a 'european' option in the minivan world. Not even VW dared bring a minivan to this country as of late (they just rebranded the Chrysler product...)

Either a V250 CDI or a V63 AMG please

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Or? Don't you mean one of each? The diesel should be in the mid 30s mpg, while the 6.3 V8 could muster . . . 12?