Tired of finally getting a potential mate to come home with you, only to be shut down when they realize you live in a crappy van? Sucks, doesn't it. You need a Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo; it's got the vagabondy swagger of a classic top-popper, with a three-pointed star to on the grille to prove you live on wheels by choice.
This V-Class based camper van is making its debut at the upcoming Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Germany in a few weeks.
It's not nearly as full-on flashy as the Sprinter-based Airstream Autobahn, and won't be quite as rough-road ready as the Sprinter 4x4 but it is a lot smaller than those and should be significantly more "user-friendly" for folks who don't want to spend their vacations in a cargo van.
The Marco Polo packs a fridge, gas burner, plus fresh and waste water storage. Everything is powered; including the pop-top and the rear bench seat which can be converted into a single or double bed with the push of a button. So do not let those batteries die in the middle of nowhere.
As for engines, Mercedes says:
The Marco Polo 200 CDI develops 100 kW (136 hp) and a maximum torque of 330 Nm (243 lb-ft). The Marco Polo 220 CDI generates 120 kW (163 hp) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft). With fuel consumption of just 6.0 l per 100 km and CO2 emissions of 158 grams per kilometre, the Marco Polo 220 CDI occupies an absolute leading position in the segment.
The top engine variant with 140 kW (190 hp) and a powerful maximum torque of 440 Nm (324 lb-ft) consumes just 6.1 l per 100 km. In the acceleration phases, an additional 10 kW and 40 Nm are available ("over-torque"). As a result, the flagship model briefly develops 150 kW and maximum torque of a full 480 Nm (354 lb-ft).
I love that the Germans care enough about emissions particulates to include them in their press release. Wish the US would get more on-board with that stuff.
Supposedly the Mercedes V-Class may be heading to America in 2015, in which case I don't see why we couldn't order or build a Marco Polo east of the Atlantic if and when that happens. Mercedes will start taking orders from European customers on July 29th.
Images: Mercedes-Benz