Mercedes currently makes the Sprinter and the Metris vans. The two vans have been doing a lot of commercial fleet, and passenger van business for Mercedes for several years. Apparently, however, the company has decided two vans are not enough. It needs a smaller van to join the Sprinter and Metris. This new, smaller Mercedes minivan will be geared specifically for the private consumer. 

A collaboration with other manuracturers

In a press release Tuesday, Mercedes announced that it is going to have a new T-Class. The minivan is part of a collaboration with Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi. In other words, The T-Class is built upon a platform shared with other manufacturers. According to the press release, 

“The private-customer market is the focus of the completely newly developed Mercedes-Benz T-Class. The T-Class will meet the needs of families and leisure-oriented people at an attractive price-value ratio.”

The Mercedes T-Class silhouette

There was only one picture attached to the press release of the new Mercedes T-Class. It does not shed much light on the design of the minivan. The picture only showed a silhouette of a normal minivan shape. So, it is just a teaser. But we can speculate that it looks like a cross between a small Ford Transit Connect, and a Chevrolet HHR. Take a look below.

The T-Class minivan is touted as perfect for “active leisure enthusiasts.” That seems a bit vague. But, the release does at least offer that there will be sliding doors on both sides. But, does the “active” part mean it will have all-wheel drive to handle the rigors of vanlife, and overlanding? Does that mean it will have different racks available to mount trail bikes or surfboards? So many questions.

The Mercedes Citan minivan

Overseas, Mercedes already makes a Citan minivan. The T-Class is expected to be similar but geared exclusively to the non-commercial consumer. So, in addition to being geared for active leisure enthusiasts, the new T-Class could also be more upscale than the Citan. The minivan could be a step up in technology and luxury. If that is the case, then expect more equipment available to make it on par with the larger Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. A full suite of safety features is expected in today’s minivans. So, the same will be expected in the T-Class as well, and a vacuum to clean up the sand after being on the trail. 

There is no indication on the release of all-wheel drive capability, nor of any rack systems. No mention is made of luxury interior appointments either. So, the debut will be the only way to tell what the public will actually receive unless some information leaks out prior. 

Mercedes T-Class arrival in 2022

Speaking of the debut, the expectancy is that T-Class minivans will arrive early in 2022. At the debut, Mercedes will have a variety of powerplants available for it, including a fully electric option. What the other powerplants will be have not been disclosed yet. 

A lot of this is speculation. What we do know for sure is that the T-Class minivan is coming. It will be here in 2022, and the shape will be boxy. The rest is up in the air as the press release only provided a silhouette, and no specifics other than an electric powertrain will be coming too. Between now and then, what we expect, and what will actually debut could be very different. Will it be some adventure like vehicle? Or, will it be a luxed-up minivan? Time will tell. 

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