Plug-In-Hybrid Mercedes-Benz VLE Spied Looking Just As Good As The EV

One of the best cars I've driven this year — actually, probably the best — is the Mercedes-Benz VLE, the fabulous replacement for the luxurious V-Class van. After decades of missing out on fancy vans in the U.S., Mercedes is actually bringing the VLE to our shores, along with as-yet-unveiled VLS and Maybach VLS models that will be even fancier. Mercedes initially launched the VLE with purely electric powertrains, but we've known gas-powered hybrid models would be coming, and now our spy photographers have gotten the first shots of a hybrid VLE.

Mercedes is following the lead it set with cars like the CLA, GLB and G-Class, where the electric and gas-powered versions look pretty much identical on the outside, save for a few minor tweaks, and that's the case with this hybrid VLE. The only real styling difference is that the large grille has mesh openings for engine cooling, which meant Mercedes probably saved a lot of money on camouflage. That's fine by me, as I think the VLE looks fabulous. It's a shame the hybrids will probably lose the awesome illuminated grille, though.

The automaker has mentioned before that the VLE would get both gas and diesel powertrains in Europe, all of which are likely to be mild-hybrids at the very least, if not full-on parallel hybrids, but the van in these spy photos seems to be a plug-in hybrid. How do I know? Well, it has the same charge port door on the passenger side rear fender as the electric VLE, but there's also a new rectangular fuel filler door further forward on the driver's side rear fender, ostensibly for gasoline. 

There's no word on what sort of engine the hybrid VLEs will use, though it seems like a sure bet it'll be some sort of turbo'd inline-4. The CLA hybrid has a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with a 48-volt system, which could be used for the most basic VLEs. The European version of the recently facelifted C-Class has two different PHEV models using a 2.0-liter turbo four, the more powerful of which offers 258 horsepower, 325 pound-feet of torque and a 62-mile WLTP EV range. Given how much longer the VLE is, there's a chance its battery could be bigger than the C-Class' 19.5-kWh pack, giving it a longer range. I doubt we'll see an inline-6 stuffed under the VLE's stubby hood, but I'd love to be proven wrong, especially because those four-cylinder PHEV numbers are a far cry from the electric VLE400's 416 hp.

We anticipate the hybrid VLEs will be revealed early next year, and if any gas models will be brought to the U.S., they would probably be ready in time for the van's American launch at the end of 2027. Also coming soon will be the VLE's commercial sibling, the replacement for the van sold as the Vito in Europe and the Metris in America. Those vans will ride on a modified version of the same platform, and could have more unique styling.