Mercedes-Benz V-Class review

Getting into the front is easy thanks to the large door apertures, and it’s even easier climbing in the rear thanks to the two vast electric-sliding doors, which of course are a real plus point when you need to open them in a tight multistory car park.

Once inside the rear there’s a completely flat floor making it easy for passengers to move around the inside. And it is roomy, but on the standard length car there’s not much more room than in a Ford Galaxy. The second and third row of seats sit on rails that run front to rear, allowing you to position the seats to maximise leg room in either of the two rear rows, or enlarge the boot space. However, sliding them back and forth isn’t as easy as it is in a regular MPV.

The rear seats are arranged with two armchair-style seats in the second row with a storage box in between containing cup holders and two foldout tables. These seats can be turned around to face the three third-row seats. Long and Extra Long versions come with eight seats as standard, with three seats in the middle row as well.

Disappointingly, the boot is relatively small and will struggle to take seven people’s luggage. You’ll find a Ford Galaxy has a far bigger boot with all its seven seats in place, while the other advantage of the Ford and similar regular MPVs, including the Seat Alhambra, is that when you’re not using the third row of seats they fold easily into the floor for more space. In the V-Class they don’t - you only have the option to remove them, and they are cumbersome things to lug about and store. If you go for the longer eight-seat V-Class Long and Extra Long models, the boot is better and big enough to swallow several large suitcases.