If you’re outside the commercial space, odds are you don’t spare too much thought for the Mercedes-Benz Metris. It’s the smaller sibling to the Sprinter, and it’s been on sale in North America since 2015. While the brand fights against the likes of the Ford Transit Connect, Ram ProMaster City and Nissan NV200 for a slice of the work van market, you don’t see too many examples of the Metris as passenger vans. Rarer still are camper vans, a trend that hasn’t really become mainstream here in the U.S. Judging by the Nissan Recon camper, however, a lot of you want something like the Volkswagen California over here. You can’t buy that yet, but Mercedes is jumping into the market on our shores with this “Weekender” van.
According to Mercedes’ own statement, the Metris Weekender “harkens back to the glory days of camper vans.” In doing that, they’ve gone to Driverge Vehicle Innovations, who work in partnership with Peace Vans to adapt the Metris to reach its #vanlife potential.
Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender features
Apart from the standard Metris features, the Weekender gets an elevated pop-up room with a sleeping area for two. In the sleeping area, you get a 2-inch memory foam mattress, three windows, and USB ports for lights or charging your devices. Below that, the rear bench seat folds out into another bed, and when it’s not folded it can slide along a rail to open up more cargo space. The front seats swivel 180 degrees to offer a more comfortable lounge setup, and the Metris Weekender has a second battery to power your devices without killing the van’s main battery.
Options on the Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender include solar panels, upgraded audio and navigation systems and a pullout rear kitchen among some more practical options. You can also get an 8-foot awning, bug screens for the rear hatch and sliding doors, as well as a tent that attaches to the rear liftgate.
Underneath, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris lineup, including the Weekender, keeps the same powertrain we’ve had for the past few years. A 2.0-liter engine turbocharged is the only engine available. Still, it’s a decently powerful unit with 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The Metris Weekender’s maximum payload is 1,896 pounds (to the cargo van’s 2,425 pounds), and its towing capacity is rated at 5,000 pounds.
Pricing on the Metris lineup
While Mercedes-Benz debuted the Weekender van at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, we’ve yet to receive pricing for that model. However, the company did release pricing for the rest of the Metris lineup. Across the range, you get the choice of five new exterior colors, new alloy wheels on some models, and the Mercedes Pro connect package. The communication module allows for improved fleet management capability as well as an emergency call system.
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris Worker cargo van starts at $27,180, while the Worker passenger van will set you back at least $31,350 (excluding Mercedes’ $1,195 destination charge). The standard Metris passenger van is $35,580 and up, so we suspect the Weekender will start somewhere around the $40,000 range with the extra camping bits.
Stay tuned to TFLtruck.com, TFLcar.com and TFLoffroad.com for more updates from the 2020 Chicago Auto Show!
