• Decent cabin is of decent quality
• Good ergonomics, easy to use
• Some high-class materials

The cabin of the V-Class Marco Polo is a cosseting place to be. The quality of the dashboard is one of its strong points – it is essentially a carbon copy of the layout used across much of the company’s C-Class range, but therein lies an issue: the C-Class dashboard looks rather old hat compared with Mercedes’ newer, slicker dual-screen set-ups.

Materials are good and you’re reminded of this constantly as you clasp the standard leather steering wheel. We loved the cool, sophisticated round air vents – with a revised design from 2019 – and multimedia system, which uses a tablet-style display mounted atop the dashboard to run all music, navigation and trip computer functions. You’ll quickly forget the V-Class’s commercial vehicle origins in this feelgood cabin, trust us.

The seats adjust easily enough to find a decent driving position and it’s very easy to see out of the Marco Polo; the steering wheel adjusts for rake and reach.

The only feature we found especially disappointing was the rather tacky, aftermarket control panel operating the lifting roof set low-down in the cubby below the dash. It very much looks like the afterthought that it is.

• A comfortable family chariot by day
• Comes into its own on the campsite
• Ride, handling betray van roots

The cabin of the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo is a cosseting place to be. Both front seats are captain’s armchairs, meaning they can swivel 180 degrees to make an impromptu office space for meetings or picnics. They’re comfy and have adjustable armrests for extra support on long journeys.

As per the VW California, the Mercedes comes in two guises. The pricier Marco Polo is the four-seater equipped with built-in units and a kitchen, while the Marco Polo Horizon does without the cabinets but has a full-width rear bench and seating for five. A single additional seat can be specced on the four-seater version, but this has to be removed in order to convert the ‘downstairs’ into a bed.

Marco Polo refinement

Mercedes Marco Polo refinement is reasonable, with the earlier diesel engines proving especially audible under hard acceleration – the versions produced from spring 2019 are much quieter.

There is quite a lot of wind noise, but that’s primarily from the additional roof height as the regular V-Class isn’t too bad in this regard.

But on the whole, this is a quiet, comfy place to while away long family trips away; your kids will love the rear table that can be erected to provide a work or play bench.