Mercedes-Benz V-Class Spied Showing Minor Front-End Refresh

In the United States, most people think of the Sprinter and not the V-Class when someone mention vans built by Mercedes-Benz.That's because the V-Class is known in the States as the Metris, and though you can order a nicely equipped model with seating for up to eight, it's generally thought of as a commercial vehicle.

In the rest of the world, however, it's a spiffy van that's a tad overdue for some freshening up. The current-generation V-Class dates to 2014 without any significant changes to speak of, and while these spy shots don't necessarily reveal anything significant, they do represent the first look we've had of a V-Class refresh.

This prototype was captured by our spies headed towards the Arctic Circle for some serious winter testing. Admittedly we aren't entirely sure what needs testing, as the only bit of camouflage on this van is over the front fascia and grille. The headlights appear to be the same as on the current V-Class, but there does appear to be some minor design changes hiding under the camo wrap. The grille is obscured as well, though we can easily see its telltale two-bar shape through the mesh. It looks a bit bigger and more bold than the current V-Class grille, especially in the center where the Mercedes logo resides.

It looks like there could be an unidentified sensor in the center of the grille as well as a sensor at the top of the windshield, and they could point to some more dramatic updates. Currently, the V-Class offers a range of features and driver aids for safety – emergency braking, lane-keep assistance, crosswind assist, and radar cruise control being among them. Perhaps the minor V-Class refresh will include some substantial tech upgrades in the autonomous realm?

We don't have any hints on what might be in store for this refresh under the skin, but from the looks of it we'd expect the existing range of gas and diesel engines to carry over. As to when a new model will appear, sometime this year seems likely since the current model is already four years old