In just over a year, Mercedes-Benz has more than doubled the V-Class portfolio in India. The MPV’s journey started in two variants, and the third one joined the range in November last year. Now, at the Auto Expo 2020, the Indian arm of the German carmaker has launched the fourth and fifth derivatives – the Marco Polo and the Marco Polo Horizon. The former gets a price tag of Rs 1.46 crore whereas the latter costs Rs 1.38 crore, before taxes. Both arrive in the long-wheelbase form just as the rest of the range.

Unsurprisingly, the duo gets the same engine-transmission combination that does duty in other V-Class derivatives in India. The 2.15-litre, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel mill, with 161bhp/380Nm, comes coupled to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. As a result, the V-Class can hit 100kmph from a standstill in 11.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 195kmph.

So, the difference in prices is courtesy of what they pack as standard. The Marco Polo Horizon offers features such as a five-seater layout with the option of a seven-seat configuration, electric sliding doors, manual pop-up roof, extendable awning and room for up to five people to sleep on the three-seater bench and in the roof canopy bed. The Marco Polo, on the other hand, has a four-seater layout with the option of a six-seat configuration, electric pop-up roof, space for four people to sleep, fresh and wastewater tanks, camping table along with two chairs and a kitchenette with a refrigerator box, gas hob with two burners and a sink.

Before you wonder, other creature comforts are also part of the package. The MPV offers stuff like three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, leather upholstery, a 10.25-inch MBUX infotainment system, auto headlamps and wipers, and heated and electrically-adjustable seats. As you’d expect, the list of safety and assistance systems is quite impressive too, with features like adaptive brake lights, active parking assist with reversing camera, cruise control with variable speed limiter, electric parking brake, hill start assist and a powered tailgate.

If you want something that can take you to a scenic spot somewhere and doesn’t have to tread on harsh, uneven terrains on the way (a bit might be okay), then the V-Class Marco Polo range fits the bill quite well. The ability to offer accommodation for a night or two is its party piece. And there’s nothing out there which comes off a production line and slots under a personal vehicle space that can match the Marco Polo’s package.