2027 Mercedes-Benz VLE Finally Brings The Luxury Van To America With 31-Inch Rear Screen, Remote-Control Seats

At long last, we Americans are getting the Mercedes-Benz VLE. For years, if we wanted a Mercedes van, we could pick between the Sprinter or the Metris, neither of which was exactly a luxurious option despite the three-pointed star on the grille. Now, folks who looked on with envy as the rest of the world got to enjoy luxury vans from Mercedes and other automakers can join in on the fun with the all-electric VLE, which takes the place of the old V-Class in the lineup (itself the luxury version of the Metris).

Built on an all-new, scalable 800-volt electric architecture developed specifically for vans, the VLE is looking to elevate the humble people mover into a true luxury people mover. Of course, there's still an option to jam as many seats inside for as many butts as possible, but buyers will also be able to customize their vans to make them true luxury limos with things like 31.3-inch 8K-resolution screens, remote-controlled massage seats, a "cinema experience" and a hell of a lot more. It's even got plenty of power, range and drive-wheel options to boot. In many ways, this is the van to end all vans.

Full Disclosure: Mercedes-Benz flew me out to Germany, paid for my hotel and fed me all so I could take a look at the new VLE.

While it might seem a bit strange to U.S. buyers, the VLE is very much meant for families. Pop open the two sliding doors, which can be opened with an optional hands-free kick access system, and you're greeted by pretty much whatever you can come up with. The VLE is all about modularity, which is why there are dozens of seating combinations that can be arranged with its manual Roll & Go seating system. If maximum load is what you're about, the VLE will happily take up to eight passengers.

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Those Roll & Go seats — which have a built-in seatbelt for better interior flexibility — can move forward and backward manually as needed. Like in the old V-Class, these redesigned seats can also pivot all the way around so the two rear rows can face each other. When you get them exactly where you want, all you need to do is lock them down at any point on the tracks in the VLE's floor. If you find that you don't need seating for eight people, simply remove the seats for more cargo room. Mercedes wouldn't tell me exactly how much they weighed but assured me a relatively able-bodied person could take them out by themselves without much issue. At the very least, they've got four wheels so you can roll them once they're out of the van.

There are three different seat types to choose from: Comfort (manual), Premium Comfort (electric), and Grand Comfort (also electric), the last of which we'll get to in a bit. There are also two three-seat benches to choose from, with either electric or manual adjustment. You can assume that the electric motors will add weight to those seats. However, those electric seats also give you the option of conducting your own "seat ballet," as Mercedes calls it, via remote control. The seats can be remotely configured with the infotainment system, the seat control buttons inside the van or via the Mercedes-Benz App. The four configurations are Baggage, which moves all the seats forward as far as possible to maximize cargo space; Executive, which moves the seats back to increase legroom as much as possible; People & Baggage, which moves the seats into a happy-medium position that'll give both rear rows about as much legroom as the rear-seat occupants of an E-Class; and Standard, which moves all of the seats move back to their standard position, wherever that is.

That rear cargo area can go from 28.1 cubic feet to 144 cubic feet of space in the short-wheelbase van, depending on whether you're in Cargo Mode or have removed the rear seats completely. It's accessed through either the power liftgate or a separately opening rear window that'll have access to its own cargo shelf. That will help out in the cargo area if the rear-most seats are pushed back all the way, especially since the VLE doesn't have a frunk.

Up front, the driver is treated to a Mercedes-Benz dashboard anyone would be instantly familiar with if they've seen the new CLA and GLB. All VLEs will feature the Superscreen, with a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14-inch center-mounted infotainment touchscreen. A second 14-inch passenger display can be added to complete the Superscreen triumvirate, and, like in Mercedes' other new models, it's based on the new MB.OS operating system running the latest MBUX software. There's also an optional 23.1-inch augmented reality head-up display to help with navigation and other vehicle functions.

Other than those screens, the rest of the driver and front passenger area is pretty typical Mercedes, just a bit more upright than in most passenger vehicles. The steering wheel and switchgear are all the same, as are most of the other touchpoints, including the physical buttons. It definitely feels nicer than the Metris you've been in before, and nicer still than the old V-Class, which had its own unique dashboard design compared to the commercial vans. One of my favorite parts of this whole area has gotta be the air vents, which look like futuristic robot ears.

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Depending on your trim choices, there are plenty of finishing touch options to be made when it comes to materials. Rest assured, there's plenty of leather, microfiber, metal, carbon fiber, wood and just about everything else under the sun to choose from here.

Even the center console is customizable in the VLE. Mercedes offers three different layouts depending on your plans for the van. The compact standard console offers one (or optionally two) wireless charging pads as well as a couple of cup holders, and it's ideal for drivers who need easy access to the rear. There's also a longer center console that offers a similar layout up front but adds a storage compartment under a butterfly door armrest and an open storage shelf for larger items like a purse. The third is even fancier, offering things us plebs can only dream of.

All of that shuttle and family stuff is well and good, but the real winner when it comes to the VLE's interior is vans equipped with the Grand Comfort Seats and everything else that can come with them, which turn this van into a bona fide luxury limo. Two passengers in the middle row are treated to a couple of massive reclining seats with pillows, lumbar support, a massaging function and calf support. They also have built-in folding tables and wireless chargers. If you get these fancy seats, there's still a third row behind them.

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They also get to experience the centerpiece of the VLE's rear cabin: its 31.3-inch 8K-resolution panoramic screen, which can be split down the middle to create two separate 4K screens, both of which can be individually controlled by two rear-mounted remotes. It's great for both kids who want to watch whatever sort of weird crap it is they want to watch (Minecraft YouTube walkthroughs, I assume) and for businesspeople who can take advantage of the 8-megapixel built-in camera and use the screen for video conferencing on the go using Teams. I wouldn't want to spend time with the type of person who would do that, but it's neat that it's offered. Cooler cats can even bring along their gaming console of choice and hook it up to the built-in HDMI ports.

Look up, and you'll find a massive Sky View panoramic fixed roof that stretches from the B-pillar to the rear of the car — sorry, front seaters. While it can be left uncovered, Mercedes-Benz does also give it an electric sun blind, something not every EV has for whatever reason. With that closed, along with the sunshades on all the rear windows, it creates what Mercedes is calling a "cinema experience" for watching whatever the hell it is you want to watch. It'll sound pretty damn good, too, thanks to the optional 22-speaker Bumester 3D Surround Sound audio system with Dolby Atmos.

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Of course, there's also plenty of ambient lighting to be had, much like every other Mercedes worth its salt. As I said before, you can even get a fancy center console in the VLE. It offers two storage compartments that can be heated or cooled, a UV disinfection system, an Air-Balance fragrance generator, two wireless charging options, ambient lighting and more upscale trim elements. Of course, it's also got cup holders. You don't need to worry about that.

At first there are going to be two VLEs on offer, the VLE300 and VLE400 4Matic. The front-wheel-drive VLE300 will come with about 268 horsepower, according to Mercedes, whereas the all-wheel-drive VLE400 will get 409 hp and a 6.4-second 0-60 time to play with. Because both models have the same 115-kWh usable battery, the VLE300 is the one to go for if you're really into the biggest-possible range numbers. There are two other models with 80-kWh batteries coming next year, but Mercedes isn't spilling on what those vans will be like just yet.

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In any case, the VLE300 travels about 435 miles on the WLTP cycle, according to Mercedes, which'll probably put its EPA range around 380 miles. That's mighty impressive from a big van like this, and its 0.25 coefficient of drag plays a role in the achievement. There's no word on range numbers for the VLE400 4Matic just yet. Regardless, both cars can DC fast charge at over 400 kW, meaning the VLE can add up to 220 miles of WLTP range in just 15 minutes, and they've got bidirectional charging if you need to power something outside the VLE.

To keep things comfy and efficient, the VLE can travel on optional Airmatic air suspension. It uses Google Maps data to know when to suck the van down as low to the ground as possible to keep it close to that 0.25 drag coefficient. Overall, the ride height can change up to 1.6 inches.

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While the VLE is undoubtedly a big vehicle, its turning radius certainly isn't. Thanks to seven degrees of rear-axle steering, the VLE has a turning circle of just 35.8 feet — similar to the new CLA. That's not too shabby for a 209-inch vehicle. Also aiding in maneuverability and ease of drivability are things like parking assist, adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, collision prevention maneuvering and a suite of 10 cameras, five radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors — all meant to make driving the VLE safer and easier. It can be had with optional driver assist systems like MB.Drive Assist Plus and MB.Drive Assist Pro, which are both really excellent Level 2 programs.

Whether you like it or not, Mercedes' new lit-up grille design, which we first saw on the electric GLC, is very much here to stay. Depending on what trim buyers go for, the VLE's front fascia either has a three-pointed star hood or an integrated star in the grille.

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The standard VLE gets the grille with black-painted panels and a hood ornament. The AMG Line gets grey dots on those black panels (that can be illuminated), an illuminated chrome frame, an integrated Mercedes star and a more aggressive AMG front bumper. Finally, the VLE Exclusive gets a grille with silver matte-painted panels and black dots, as well as the illuminated frame and hood ornament.

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Flanking either side of the grille are headlights, each with two three-pointed stars in it. I know some of you won't like them, but I don't really care. Above that is a rather short hood that features a couple of power bulges to let people know that you and your van mean business.

The best way I can describe the side of the VLE is solid. It's got the rare look of a car that was chiseled from a single piece of rock with its flowing silhouette and short overhangs. Its flush-mounted door handles will certainly aid in its aerodynamics, as will the various wheels that come in a slew of designs between 19 and 22 inches, depending on what trim package buyers go with. Obviously, you should go for the monoblocks.

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That being said, the rear end has got to be my favorite part of the VLE — especially the wrap-around taillights. They form an upside-down U shape, which, in the U.S., will fully illuminate when the brakes are engaged. That's just sick. The unbroken third brake light also wraps nicely into a rear spoiler, which looks very neat. I know it's a van, but this is one seriously cool piece of design.

Mercedes hasn't said exactly when the VLE will show up here in the U.S., but odds are it'll likely be in the latter half of this year. When it does, it'll come short- and long-wheelbase flavors. The shortie, which is the car we've been discussing and the only one we've got specs for, comes in at 209 inches. The longboi (above) adds half a dozen inches to the van, mostly behind the front doors, for a total length of 215 inches. Keep in mind, it's not supposed to be available at launch, and neither is the 80-kWh battery version. And if that isn't long or luxurious enough, a stretched VLS range-topper is also on the way.

We also don't have pricing for the VLE just yet. The current base-model EQV250 starts at just under €50,000 in Germany (about $58,000), so the VLE will probably be somewhere a bit north of there. Once nicer options get added on, though, expect those prices to increase steadily.

Of course, the VLE is whatever car you make it. It can be anything from a humble airport shuttle to an all-out in-house S-Class rival. Somehow, both versions feel totally appropriate for the car. At no point when sitting in the decked-out van with its 31-inch screen and Lay-Z-Boy recliners did I think this was anything less than an out-and-out luxury car. That's impressive work.