2023 Mercedes-Benz T-Class small family van to join Australian range
A new small van-based people-mover appears to be on the way to Australia from Mercedes-Benz.
The van-based 2023 Mercedes-Benz T-Class – a twin to the new Renault Kangoo – appears poised to make its Australian debut, with government filings seen by Drive pointing to showroom arrivals later this year.
Mercedes-Benz Australia has submitted documents to the Department of Infrastructure to pave the way for the T-Class – a city van turned into a five-seat wagon – to be sold locally.
Although it is not a popular category in Australia, the Mercedes-Benz T-Class would compete with the passenger version of the Volkswagen Caddy.
As with the VW Caddy – which is available as a commercial panel van or a family hauler – the Mercedes T-Class is the five-seat version of the Mercedes-Benz Citan commercial van, which was previously revealed by Drive in December 2022 to be coming to Australia.
The T-Class (and its Citan twin) are based on the new Renault Kangoo, which is set to launch in Australia in the first half of this year after a series of delays – though only as a commercial van, not as a five-seat passenger van.
The electric Renault Kangoo E-Tech – Europe's best-selling electric light commercial vehicle – is also due in local showrooms soon, offering up to 285 kilometres of range from its 45kWh battery.
The electric Kangoo could pave the way for the Mercedes-Benz EQT or the eCitan – electric versions of the T-Class and Citan respectively – to be sold in Australia, potentially joining the eVito, EQV people-mover, and eSprinter in the company's electric van range.
While yet to be confirmed, the T-Class is likely to be powered by the same 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine found in the Citan, sending 96kW and 240Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
By comparison, the Volkswagen Caddy also uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but instead is available with a choice of 1.5-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines.
The T-Class comes with a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Mercedes-Benz's MBUX operating system, a 5.5-inch multi-function display, keyless start, and ambient lighting.
As standard, the T-Class comes with seven airbags, hill-start assist, crosswind assist, fatigue warning, autonomous emergency braking, cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, blind-spot assist, speed limit assist, and tyre-pressure warning system.
The T-Class is 4488mm long, 1859mm wide, 1860mm high, and has a wheelbase of 2716mm, with a long-wheelbase seven-seater version promised in the future by Mercedes-Benz in Europe – though no word on whether it will be offered locally.
Mercedes-Benz Australia declined to comment on local plans for the 2023 Mercedes-Benz T-Class, but Drive understands an announcement on it – and the Citan commercial vehicle – is expected in the coming months.