What do you call a Renault Kangoo with an upscale badge and a shoddy interior? The answer comes from Mercedes-Benz AG in the guise of the T-Class, a leisure activity vehicle twinned with the Citan panel van.
Essentially a small van with side windows and sliding doors for easier access to the rear seats, the T-Class is essentially a compact based on the footprint of the five-seat variant. A seven-seat model will follow at some point in the future according to the Stuttgart-based German manufacturer.
4,498 millimeters (177 inches) long, the T-Class doesn’t look half bad on the outside. But once you hop in the driver’s seat, you’ll immediately understand why this Renault Kangoo-based van isn’t worthy of the three-pointed star. For starters, where is the fully digital instrument cluster of the A-Class? The tiny screen of the infotainment system also leaves much to be desired, but worst of all, the plastic is unacceptable even by Mercedes-Benz Vans standards. In spite of how much Photoshop the automaker used for the press photos, there’s no denying the interior material quality is pretty poor.
Fitted with seven airbags right off the bat, the T-Class will start at less than 30,000 euros back home in Germany. That’s 32,025 freedom eagles at current exchange rates, but more importantly, the Renault Kangoo would like to highlight that its base specification is 25,350 euros or 27,060 bucks.
No fewer than four power levels will be offered in the first instance. A couple of turbo diesels open the list, the T 160 d and T 180 d, both displacing 1,461 cubic centimeters. Customers who prefer turbo gasoline mills will have to make do with 1,332 cc in the T 160 and T 180. The most potent engine is the T 180 with merely 131 metric ponies while the torquiest is the T 180 d with 270 Nm (199 pound-feet) at 1,750 rpm.
“With the new T-Class, we are extending our portfolio with a true premium small van that combines roominess and functionality with style and comfort like no other vehicle in this segment,” declared Mathias Geisen, the head honcho of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “T-Class is perfect for everyone who needs plenty of space – from active families to sports enthusiasts. With it, we are steadily pursuing our strategic course of growth in the premium segments.”
Later on, the all-electric EQT will join the lineup.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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