Mercedes-Benz V-Class Takes An Upgrade From Manhart
Giancarlo Perlas December 7, 2023German vehicle tuning company Manhart Performance just unveiled its recent build for the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. The package consists of a couple of cosmetic and performance boosts to bump up the game of the van.
Design Overhaul
Let’s be honest here, without any special packages or camper conversions, the base trim of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is just “meh,” compared to the cars and SUVs of its maker. It does take the game a bit up compared to regular vans. Still, you won’t see the high-end leather upholstery, digital instrument cluster, central display, and others we usually see from the other core series of the German luxury vehicle brand.
Thanks to Manhart Performance’s famous Inferno body kit, the V-Class benefits from an AMG Night Package-styled exterior overhaul. It features a new honeycomb grille with a darkened three-pointed star emblem, LED lights, bumper splitter, gloss black accents, mirror caps, side skirts, vented rear bumper, roof spoiler, rear diffuser, and a set of 20-inch wheels.
The add-ons can be had in carbon fiber. Complementing these are H&R springs lowering the ride height of the van by 0.98 inches for better comfort and stability.
It does not have any major changes inside, but what we truly appreciate with tuners like Manhart is their ability to bring out the best in Mercedes with only subtle upgrades. That’s unlike some overzealous tuner that we will no longer mention.
Powertrain Upgrades
As per the customer’s request, this particular build gets a power-up from the MHtronic control unit of Manhart. The tuning kit puts an extra 45 hp and 63 lb-ft torque into the 2.2-liter twin-turbo inline-four engine of the V-Class to bump up its output to 276 hp and 431 lb-ft.
Pricing
Manhart says the carbon fiber kit starts at €265 (around $296) for the front and up to €4,685 (approximately $5,056) for the rear, including the diffuser.
