By William Coleman
This week I had the pleasure of drive the new Mercedes Marco Polo around London and spend an overnight in the campervan to see what you get for £70,000.
Exterior
The Marco Polo does not look like a camper van or any other recreational vehicle. It has the appearance of a modern high end people carrier. Something you’d expect to book ahead of a trip to the airport. The stylish design makes it stand out from the crowd and will certainly turn heads. Driving around London the Marco Polo fit in just like any other Mercedes-Benz would. This really is a high end vehicle. If you can imagine a top spec brand new Mercedes that just happens to be attached to a camper conversion.
Beds and Sleeping
The Marco Polo is listed as a 4 berth, I feel that you will struggle with getting 4 people in here comfortably. The first bed is located in the main body vehicle. The two passengers chairs can be adjusted totally flat and then moved to the back of the van to connect to the other half of the bed. At first glance you’d think that you’re going to be lying across two different surfaces, half of which are the upholstery of the leather chair. But Marcedes provide a very firm and comfortable mattress topper style layer. Once this is rolled out across the bed it makes for a very comfortable sleep. With such a high price tag, Mercedes has ensured that there are as many electricity powered gadgets as possible to make your experience easier. I am not sure that being doubled over for quite a while holding down the buttons to flatten the seats is easier than a simple fold out. I found that the bed narrowed slightly at one end and with two people it could be a tiny bit too small and stuffy during the warmer months.
Bed Number 2 is located on what you could call the second floor. This bed it a lot easier to deal with. A full electrical pop-up roof that forms into a nice secluded double bed. This easy-up bed can be electrically controlled from the comfort of the drivers seat. One button that is an arms reach away. A few moments later and you have the bed ready without having to move seat and roll out mattress toppers. The pop up bed would be my first choice. It is a lot easier to set up and a lot more private and secluded.
Interior
When sat in the driver’s seat it is hard to differentiate between the Marco Polo and a Mercedes S-Class. There was every mod con available. The full display screen came equipped with a sat nav and full bluetooth connectivity. All modern day Mercedes have toucher sensitive dial and steering wheel controls, the Marco Polo is no different. What stood out to me was the 360 parking cameras. For someone who may not be a comfortable parker, especially in a motorhome, these cameras actually make parking a pleasure. There was one thing that totally surprised me and I thought would never been in a vehicle that is available to the public, a bird’s eye live stream of your Marco Polo. Put the van in reverse and one of the options on the screen is a satellite image of you car moving. You can even see people walking past if they are close enough.
The passenger and drivers seats are heated captain chairs with full leather and a great lumbar support. One of the more comfortable Mercedes chairs I’ve sat in. The leather does not stop there, the two passenger chairs in the back of the van are also full leather and 100% controlled by electrics. The chairs can be adjusted to any position including flat out that forms part of a small double bed.
There is a good amount of storage inside as well of a cold water tap, double hob and a small fridge. Maybe not enough to store food for four people for a weekend stay. A supply run half way though would need to be done if you wanted to have enough refrigerated food for 4. All the sides and cabinets are solid and very well built. When driving there is not a single noise or shake from any of the fittings, a very solid interior design. There is a fold out table that can seat 4 people (with the two front chairs span round). The two back chairs can be moved to any part of the car so there is a lot of flexibility for room but it will be tight for 4 adults, especially when preparing food and or drinks.
Driving
When it comes to smooth and soundless engines you do automatically think of motorhomes or camper vans. I took this van around London and some surrounding suburbs, with country roads, to see how it was fair in a city environment. After I while I forgot I was driving a camper van. With such smooth power steering and a quiet engine you only realise there is a camper van behind you when you actually turn your head and look.
Summary
For £70,000 you certainly do get quite a lot. I wouldn’t really want to spend too much time away in the Marco Polo with 4 people as I feel it would get a little too crowded, So a weekend for away with 2 will be perfect. The features that come with the campervan are great but may be a little too much as Marco Polo tries to do everything for you. This leisure vehicle is some serious competition for the VW California but with such a large price tag you could find something similar with a smaller cost. But if you do have £70,000 burning a hole in your pocket this purchase will certainly get you your monies worth.
