| From autumn 1996 onwards Mercedes-Benz is also present in the market-segment of the high-capacity limousines and also serves as a new model in this class in terms of variability, space, and safety. The V-class offers space for up to seven adults on comfortable individual seats whose luggage can be stored comfortably in the rear of the vehicle.
In the rear the seats can be positioned or taken out according to individual wishes. The standard equipment of all individual seats with integrated three-point automatic seat belts, belt straps and head rests makes for a secure face-to-face arrangement of the rear-passenger seats even during the journey. With special clips locked in the reception points of the seats in the floor, the secure transport of bicycles, skis, or other leisure devices is guaranteed.
The technical equipment of all models of the V-class ensures a maximum amount of safety and comfort. Concerning these points we should mention among other things the ALS, disc brakes at all four wheels, .safety bodywork, air suspension at the rear axle with integrated level control system, electronic traction control, servo steering as well as airbag for the driver and front passenger.
For the market launch a Turbo-Diesel with charge air cooling and a petrol-vehicle with 2.3-litre displacement respectively are available. The V 200 with 2.0-litre-injection-engine not available at home is produced for Italy, Greece, and Portugal instead of the V 230.
In September 1997, the V_280 type, which was presented at the International Automobile Fair in Frankfurt, completed the sales programme. The target-group for the new top model of the V=class are customers, who want to enjoy the functional features and the versatility which come with a saloon coach, but who do not want to forego the power afforded by the six-cylinder engine.
The spacial concept of the V=class, which was to have a short front part and a transversely mounted engine, demanded a special solution, as the existing six-cylinder engines of the Daimler-Benz engine-programme were out of the question because of their size. Instead, a 2,8_litre-VR6-unit was used, which had been developed by Volkswagen and had been profoundly modified by Daimler-Benz so that it fulfilled the high demands of the V=class. Thanks to a narrow cylinder angle of 15ř, the 128_kW (174_bhp) engine is particularly compact.
Standard equipment of the V_280 included an electronic 4=speed automatic gear box with gliding shift point regulator, another feature that had been developed by Volkswagen. Intelligent electronics automatically adjust the shift point to the driving style of a particular driver. However, the V_280 boasts not only increased engine power; it also comes with comprehensive standard equipment, which, apart from broad tyres on light alloy wheel rims, also includes Tempomat, the recovery of residual engine heat and a thermometer to register the temperature of the outside surroundings.
|