If you’ve always wanted a luxury people carrier but never quite liked the level of comfort that big, gas-guzzling SUVs offer, Mercedes-Benz India has landed a practical solution. Aptly dubbed as the V-Class (think of it as “We Class” but as per Mercedes-Benz, V stands for Versatility), it comes to our shores in two trims – Expression and Exclusive. While the former wears a price tag of Rs 68.4 lakh, the latter is priced at Rs 81.9 lakh (introductory ex-showroom India). In international markets, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class has been on sale since 2014 in three wheelbase options – standard, long and extra long. In India, the Expression trim is available only with the extra-long wheelbase and a seven-seat configuration, whereas the Exclusive trim comes in the long wheelbase and a six-seat layout.

All variants of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class are powered by a BS VI-compliant engine. The 2.1-litre, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel mill pumps out 163PS of power and 380Nm of torque. The oomph is fed to the wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz claims that the V-Class can complete the sprint to 100kmph from a standstill in 10.9 seconds. Top speed: 195kmph.

As you’d expect, the three-row MPV comes loaded with features. The list includes Active Parking Assist with reversing camera, LED-powered headlamps, taillamps and fog lamps, panoramic sunroof, automatic headlamps and wipers, powered split tailgate, electric sliding doors and electrically folding ORVMs with the auto-dimming feature. Inside the cabin, the V-Class’ list of gizmos includes ambient lighting, two-zone climate control, a multifunction steering wheel, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with in-built GPS navigation, heated front seats, electric parking brake and cruise control.

Mercedes-Benz has taken care of passenger safety by loading the V-Class with features like adaptive brake system with hold function, multiple airbags, ABS, tyre pressure monitoring system, Hill Start Assist, a seat occupancy sensor for front passenger and service reminder.

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class has no rivals in India. Based on how it is priced, however, it will overlap several premium SUVs which do offer a three-row configuration. Question is that if you were in the market for a comfortable and luxurious people carrier, would you opt for a vehicle that was designed to be one from the start, or opt for something that wasn’t but just looks a bit nicer?