Mercedes-Benz T-Class Review 2023

If you're looking for van-based practicality and want something a little posher than alternatives like the Vauxhall Combo-e Life, the Mercedes T-Class could be a great choice. The fact that many rivals have gone electric-only and the T-Class is strictly petrol or diesel (for now) might influence your decision either way.

We're yet to see confirmed prices and specifications for the new Mercedes T-Class but it's likely that you won't have a great deal of choice in terms of engines and trim levels. All Mercedes-Benz T-Class models are likely to be pretty well-equipped, while the higher-powered diesel is probably the one to go for – it might be worth waiting for the electric Mercedes EQT if you cover a lot of short journeys or rarely venture outside of the city centre.

The obvious competitor for the Mercedes-Benz T-Class is the Volkswagen Caddy MPV – another versatile van-based people carrier with a classy image and frugal diesel engines. A new Ford Tourneo Connect is also on its way, while you may also want to consider the Citroen e-Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo-e Life – although they're now electric-only, which may or may not suit your needs.

Left-field alternatives include the budget Dacia Jogger seven-seat MPV, while you might also want to look at family SUVs like the Skoda Karoq and Kia Sportage.

Again, the finish of the interior in the Mercedes T-Class comes down a little to your expectations. It's not quite as plush as you'd get in a Mercedes GLB, for example, but it does feel a bit more luxurious than a Vauxhall Combo-e Life.

That passenger car steering wheel we touched on above adds to the classy vibe, while we quite like the colourful inserts fitted to our European-spec test car (time will tell whether they make it across to the UK). Start poking about low down in the cabin and you will find a few harder finishes but, in a car that'd designed to carry everything from children to Labradors and mountain bikes, that's probably preferable to deep-pile carpet.

The Mercedes T-Class comes with a seven-inch version of the MBUX navigation system, which features phone integration (in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), as well as the brand's own 'hey Mercedes' intelligent voice assistant.

As we touched on above, it's quite a small screen, but it's intuitive to operate and at least you get the same slick graphics as you'd find in much more expensive Mercedes models. Its positioning, perched high up on the dashboard as per the current trend, might make it look a little aftermarket – but it is safer to look at on the move than glancing down unnecessarily.

For now, you can only get the Mercedes T-Class in one length and with space for five passengers. A longer seven-seat version is on its way, but we're unlikely to see that before 2023.

Still, unless you really need a long-wheelbase Mercedes T-Class, the five-seat model is more spacious than a lot of conventional family SUVs. For a start, the 520-litre boot is easily accessed with a low load lip (ideal for Fido jumping in and out of the car – although you'll need to leave a fair amount of room to actually open the rather large boot lid).

That 520-litre figure is up to the parcel shelf... whip that out and you can squeeze a huge amount of luggage into the back of the T-Class. Drop the rear seats flat and it's like a van back there (funny that) with space for dog cages, mountain bikes, mobility scooters... whatever you want to carry, the T-Class will take it in its stride.

When you're not making the most of its van origins, the Mercedes T-Class feels like a very spacious family car. There's a huge amount of headroom (even the tallest of teenagers won't be upsetting their 'Meet Me at McDonald's' haircuts) and an acceptable amount of legroom for rear-seat passengers.

There are Isofix points on the outer rear seats while even the middle rear seat is wide enough for an older (or a child on a booster seat).

There's plenty of space in the front, too, including plenty of areas for accumulating detritus from family life – a cubby under the central armrest, for example, as well as reasonably large door bins and even an overhead shelf.

There are a total of four engines available in the T-Class: two petrols and two diesels. The diesel engine is a four-cylinder 1.5-litre unit, available with 95PS and 260Nm torque (badged the Mercedes T160d) or 116PS and 270Nm of torque (the Mercedes T180d).

So far, we've driven the more powerful T180d with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It feels moderately more urgent than its 13.2-second 0-62mph second time suggests, although speed freaks should probably look elsewhere. The T160d takes more than 15.0 seconds to reach 62mph – while you might not think you want hot hatch performance, wait until you're attempting to join a motorway with a T-Class full of people and luggage and you might wish you'd gone for one of the more powerful variants.

Although we're yet to try the Mercedes T-Class with a manual transmission, the automatic gearbox suits its relaxed, slightly upmarket vibe. It responds quickly, changes gears fairly seamlessly and allows you to rest your left leg after a hard day mountain biking, dog walking or chasing kids around the park.

You might expect a van-based people carrier like the Mercedes T-Class to be a little lacking in high-speed refinement, but it's actually pretty good. You can tell that the brand's engineers have been tasked with making the T-Class as car-like as possible; extra sound deadening and a relatively civilised engine to begin with means things actually feel pretty relaxed in the cabin.

The Mercedes T-Class is available with a host of driver-assistance technology you'd ordinarily expect to find in pricier models. This includes Active Brake Assist (which can automatically apply the brakes if required to avoid a collision) and the same Crosswind Assist we've seen on Mercedes vans, on hand to help you keep on the straight and narrow in gusty weather.

The optional Driving Assistance Package adds features like Active Distance Assist Distronic (which can match your speed with the vehicle in front in traffic) as well as Active Steering Assist (which can nudge your steering to keep you in your lane on the motorway).

There are seven airbags, including a central airbag which can be deployed to prevent a collision between the driver and front-seat passenger. iSize child seat fixings are provided as well as Isofix anchor points.

While the Mercedes T-Class is a very new model, the engines are proven Renault-sourced units that are already widely used elsewhere in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range (including the Mercedes A-Class, B-Class and CLA).

That should be a good thing for reliability. And, while the Mercedes T-Class is likely to be cheaper than posh SUVs like the Mercedes GLC, don't think that the brand's scrimped on the development budget. Van drivers are perhaps the most demanding of customers, after all, so you can bet a pretty penny that both the Citan and T-Class have been thoroughly put through their paces before hitting the market.

Insurance groups for the Mercedes-Benz T-Class are yet to be confirmed.

The Mercedes T-Class is taxed the same as any conventional petrol or diesel car. That means you'll pay a CO2-based figure for the first payment (included in the on-the-road price when it's first registered) followed by a flat fee of £165/year (provided it doesn't have a list price of more than £40,000).

If you're looking for a people carrier with free road tax, you'll need to look at electric alternatives like the Citroen e-Berlingo or Vauxhall Combo-e Life (or wait for the upcoming Mercedes EQT).

UK trim levels and standard equipment are yet to be confirmed.