Mercedes-Benz wants a more affordable small van, and they'll call it T-Class

When someone says words Mercedes-Benz, one would typically think of a luxury sedan or a very posh SUV. A van isn't the first thing on their minds but they've been building them for as long as they've been making luxury vehicles. Now they've added another one in the form of the T-Class, but with a little help from Renault.

Mercedes-Benz themselves said that the T-Class will be based on a Renault minivan, just like the Citan that's mainly being used as a compact delivery vehicle in Europe. Of course, we're not expecting it to be a Renault with a Mercedes-Benz badge slapped on the grille. After all, they still have an upmarket reputation to uphold.

But instead of going for luxury, Mercedes-Benz says the T-Class will be aimed at the “active family lifestyle” crowd. Also, the German automaker says it won't be that expensive because it caters to people looking for an “attractive price-value ratio”; their words, not ours. Perhaps the Renault underpinnings helped drive down that price. That said, we're not expecting it to be something like a Mercedes-Benz for the masses, but it should be more affordable than most models.

As for the rest of the van, the most Mercedes-Benz is saying is that it has dual sliding doors. They also said that it will have a lot of space inside, which is what you expect from any van, big or small. Another thing they mentioned is the powertrain options, which will consist of gas-fed, turbodiesel, and even electric.

Mercedes-Benz has not mentioned the launch date for the T-Class for now. Since they teased the minivan, we might see the first photos of it before the year ends. Should it be sold here, it might just be the most affordable Mercedes-Benz you can buy, and it's all thanks to Renault.