- Mercedes is testing what looks like a hybrid version of its new VLE.
- Luxury van prototype has both a gas flap and a charging port flap.
- EV’s interior, including optional 31-inch, 8K display, won’t change.
We already got a good look at the new Mercedes VLE luxury minivan in March, but it turns out there’s far more to the VLE story. So far the focus has all been on electric power, but a new round of spy shots prove Mercedes isn’t prepared to put all its minivan eggs in one powertrain basket.
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The images shot in Europe appear to show a prototype of a VLE in hybrid form. Although the van in the snaps has the same basic shape and sheetmetal as the one we covered in detail months ago, there are some major telltales that this one is only partly electric.
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Biggest of those giveaways is the conventional grille. Where the EV has no radiator and a blanked grille, this white van has a giant opening to let air through to cool a combustion engine. Want more proof? How about the fact that it has two filler flaps, one on either rear quarter panel. The EV has a flap on the passenger side, so the other flap on this prototype must be for gas.
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Looking at the close-up shots of the rear end also seem to show a hint of exhaust muffler underneath the rear floor, although the tailpipes themselves are very well hidden. Mercedes has given no indication what kind of engine might be exhaling through that exhaust, but there’s a strong chance it’s the 1.5-liter inline-4 already available in the new CLA sedan. The CLA combines that combustion motor with an electric motor inside an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and makes up to 187 hp (190 PS) in all-wheel drive form.
For Speed, Choose Electric
That kind of output would make a hybrid VLE much less punchy than the electric versions already available. The VLE300 kicks out 272 hp (203 kW / 276 PS), while the VLE400 ups the ante to 409 hp (305 kW / 415 PS), giving it enough urge to hit 60 mph (97 kmh) in 6.4 seconds.
But even if the hybrid does lose out to its EV brother from the stoplight, it should be every bit as roomy and opulent inside. The 120.9-inch (3,071 mm) wheelbase is carried over, giving space for between six and eight people, split over three rows. Tick the right option boxes and you’ll fill the dashboard with Mercedes’ MBUX Superscreen infotainment setup, and the rear compartment with a spectacular 31.3 inch, 8K display that swings down from the roof (pictures below).
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