What is small and how big can be compact? Mercedes-Benz has found a new answer to this: the T-Class, which will be launched on the market next year, belongs to the “small vans” segment according to the Stuttgart definition and is primarily intended to “appeal to families and leisure-oriented private customers”.
Expressed in figures: the high-roof station wagon is a proud 4.95 meters long and is therefore on par with the E-Class, which nobody would say is in the “Small Limousines” segment.
The new model series, of which the near-series Concept EQT study has now been presented, is the successor to the Citan and, like its predecessor, will be based on the Renault Kangoo. The differences should be bigger this time. Both are being built together in Maubeuge in northern France. Compared to its predecessor, the family transporter has improved significantly. In contrast to the Citan previously offered, the T-Class should come with all the features that customers expect from a model with a star.
Matching longboard on board
Even if not all the details from the Concept EQT are included in the series, the new van will be of a significantly higher quality than the Citan previously offered. The elegant but sensitive white leather in the interior will probably give way to a more family-friendly solution, as will the electric longboard fitted in the rear, with which individual electromobility is taken one step further – at least for people with a pronounced sense of balance.
The three Isofix connections for child seats in the second row and the two fully-fledged seats in the third row, which mutate the T-Class into a comfortable seven-seater, will remain. Thanks to the two wide-opening sliding side doors, the rear is easy to reach, and the headroom of the 1.82 meter high van is also sufficient for adults. The luggage space alone is then reduced considerably.
There is also an electric version
In addition to the variants with internal combustion engines (Mercedes-Benz is still silent about the engine range), the T-Class is also being launched on the market as a fully electric variant with the typical EQ face and rear as an EQT. However, ranges and technical details are not yet discussed. Thanks to the fast charging option, the time at the charging station should be short and family-friendly.
In the interior, the T-Class adopts the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system, which, like the EQS, is capable of learning thanks to artificial intelligence. The system registers the habits of the people behind the steering wheel and suggests stops, for example, if the journey there has been regularly interrupted in the past. The other MBUX services such as real-time traffic information and updates via remote data transmission have also been adopted.
In the Concept EQT, a large glass panorama roof with a lasered starry sky extends over the interior, which will probably not reach series production either. What will remain, however, is the ambient light on the center console, doors and footwell, which is not yet available in this segment, and the practical shelf for important documents above the instrument cluster. The Concept EQT has numerous USB ports for an individual program so that the youngsters in particular can be adequately entertained while driving.
For customers who define “small and compact” differently than the developers and designers at Mercedes-Benz, the T-Class will later be launched in a shortened version that is around 4.60 meters long and how the larger version can also be ordered as a fully electric EQT model.
ampnet