Limo, Reimagined: Mercedes Vision V Throws Out the Rulebook

We all know what a limo is. You probably took one to prom, maybe rented one for your buddy’s Vegas bachelor party, right? Now, forget everything you thought you knew about luxury limos and take a look at the Mercedes-Benz Vision V concept.

Mercedes calls this dazzling pill-shaped machine a “Grand Limousine,” and it previews an entirely new type of ultra-luxury vehicle for the North American market. Yes, that’s right. Sources report Mercedes intends to sell its new passenger vans not just in China — where there’s a booming market for these things — but right here in Canada and the U.S. as well. We’ve got our fingers crossed.

“Mercedes‑Benz Vans have been iconic for decades. With the Vision V we take that heritage and transform it into a completely new context.”

Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Mercedes-Benz.

In 2026, what you see here as the Vision V concept will become the Mercedes-Benz VLS. It’ll join the GLS (an SUV) and the S-Class (the legendary flagship sedan) at the pinnacle of the Mercedes lineup. It’ll be a triumvirate of opulence. If you’re shopping for the best Mercedes has to offer, you’ll have to choose: SUV, sedan or… van?

“This show car embodies the perfect harmony between luxury and van design, setting a new benchmark for the future,” said Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz Group’s chief design officer. “The Mercedes‑Benz Vans have been iconic for decades. With the Vision V we take that heritage and transform it into a completely new context of highest luxury transportation.”

Indeed, Mercedes does have a very successful and long-running van division making both cargo and passenger models. But the forthcoming VLS will be in a class of its own. None of Mercedes’ usual luxury rivals offer anything like it — at least not in North America. In fact, if you wanted an ultra-luxury van in this part of the world, you’d have to go to an aftermarket upfitter, most of which seem to have a weird penchant for an aesthetic best described as ‘1990s strip club chic.’ Mercedes is upping the standards significantly.

It’s Not A Minivan

Mercedes VLS / Vision V, photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Or, at least, Mercedes doesn’t call it a minivan. The word does not appear once in a nearly 2,000-word press release that accompanied the launch of the Vision V concept. Yes, it has a sliding door and a rectangular silhouette, but apparently in the eyes of Mercedes those facts alone do not qualify this as a “minivan.” Those things are pedestrian, practical, family-friendly machines for hockey dads and soccer moms. They’re built to get Cheerios in between the seat cushions.

Mercedes’s Grand Limousine, however, is not the sort of place anyone would be caught eating Cheerios. It’s not even really meant for families or sports practice. Where minivans have eight seats, this Mercedes has only four: two up front, two in the back.

Underpinning the concept is the brand’s new modular, flexible and scalable Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA).

A Private Lounge on Wheels

As the name “limousine” implies, the Vision V is meant to be chauffeur driven. It’s for pampered VVIPs to ride in the back, undisturbed by the outside world.

Mercedes Vision V Throws Out the Rulebook

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Mercedes Vision V Throws Out the Rulebook

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The sliding door is actually a “portal.” When the portal glides open, an illuminated running board drops down to make ingress and egress as elegant as possible. As in a limo, a glass partition divides provides privacy for those in the rear. The glass can be switched from transparent to opaque.

A 65-inch, 4K cinema screen can be extended in front of rear-seat passengers, entirely blocking off any view of anything else. The screen has a gaming mode, a karaoke mode, work mode, wellness mode and an online shopping mode (not joking). In case you want to kick back and watch a movie, there’s a Dolby Atmos system with 42 speakers.

Like those speakers, the rear seats themselves are works of art. The polished metal and cylindrical cushions make them look like something out of an Italian furniture fair. They’re not just there for style though; these thrones can recline to a flat position just like a first-class airline seat. Ambient lighting and a ceiling lamp create what Mercedes calls a “cosy living-room atmosphere.” In reality, this sounds better than most living rooms.

The van renaissance — vanaissance? — is coming, and we can’t wait.