Discontinued in 2022, the previous generation Mercedes-Benz V-Class was one of the largest luxury MPVs on sale in India. Current Gen V-Class was unveiled in 2023 and it has made its way to India now as it was launched yesterday in Mumbai. This is now the largest luxury MPVs on sale in India and it directly takes on the Japanese offerings like the Toyota Vellfire and Lexus LM.
The company is launching 2026 V-Class in just one Extra Long Wheelbase configuration. To strike a compelling price tag, Mercedes-Benz is locally assembling it at their cutting-edge facility in Pune. Hence the price tag is rather attractive at Rs 1.4 Crore (Ex-sh, Introductory). Here’s how it fares against its immediate rivals on paper.
2026 Mercedes V-Class vs Rivals
We have to start with the prices as 2026 Mercedes V-Class starts from Rs 1.4 Crore (Ex-sh, Introductory). In comparison, Vellfire is priced between Rs 1.2 – 1.2 Crores (Ex-sh), while Lexus LM can go till a whopping Rs 2.7 Crore (Ex-sh). Dimensionally, V-Class dwarfs both Vellfire and LM as it is longer and wider, while packing a significantly larger wheelbase.
The Japs are taller, though and they pack larger 19-inch alloys, something we wished Merc did as well. But V-Class offers fatter tyres. Where powertrains are concerned, there’s no beating the V-Class. It offers a 2.0L Diesel engine on top of its Petrol Mild Hybrid unit, something that buyers outside of Delhi NCR are likely to love.
Vellfire and LM only offer Strong Hybrid options, but they’re not of plug-in types. Only the Lexus LM offers AWD layout, while Merc is only RWD and Toyota is only FWD. Both V300 (Petrol) and V300d (Diesel) get air suspension as standard and a 9GTronic torque converter automatic unit, while Vellfire and LM get an eCVT.
Features & Creature Comforts
All three of these luxury MPVs offer genre-specific common features like sliding power rear doors, powered tailgate, three-row seatings, leather seats, ADAS, 360-cameras, large infotainment and instrumentation screens and other features. However, differences lie in the details and execution.
Mercedes offers 6-seats as standard where 2nd row gets lounge seats and third row get bucket seats. These are on railings and they can be configured according to user’s taste, which is a big plus. Vellfire and LM offer third row bench seats. Merc is the only one to offer ventilation in third row bucket seats too. Lexus is the only one to offer a HUD.
Lexus offers a 23-speaker audio system by Mark Levinson, while Merc has a 15-speaker Burmester and Vellfire has a 15-speaker JBL audio system. Lounge seats of all three luxury MPVs offer an ottoman calf support, ventilated seats, massaging seats and other features. Only the Lexus offers a private cabin that brings next-level sophistication.
Merc lags behind in 2nd row entertainment, while Lexus leads with a 48-inch wide screen. Vellfire gets 14-inch units. Vellfire’s ambient lighting only has 14 colours, whereas Lexus and Merc gets 64 colours. Lexus gets up to 14 airbags, while it is 7 with V-Class and 6 with Vellfire. V-Class and LM also get driver monitoring cameras, which Vellfire does not.
