Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo 250 d Sport Long 2017 first drive

The first thing you’ll note about the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo is that from the outside it looks like a van, and from the inside it looks a pretty decently specced home, resplendent with wood-effect flooring, a sink, a hob, two double beds and more. 

The Marco Polo - or the Marco Polo 250 d Sport Long to give it its full name - is based on the long-wheelbase version of the commodious Mercedes-Benz V-Class MPV, itself based on the Vito van.

As all historians will have noted, it takes its name from the great 13th century explorer and author, and that in turn explains why this review is going to be more concerned with fixtures, fittings, head room and the like that it is the finer points of driving dynamics. This is Mercedes’s luxury take on the camper van concept.

This test is of a model in Sport trim and powered by the more powerful version of the 2.1-litre diesel engine, which still costs the better part of £15,000 more than the equivalent Mercedes-Benz V-Class, but obviously replaces what it gives up in seats for bed space and the sort of kitchen facilities that make many a modern flat look sparsely appointed.

Even so, at more than £55,000, there’s still a few spots in the UK that you could buy a flat for this money. Can a camper van ever justify such cost?

The first clues in answer to that question hit you as you climb aboard, either through the front seats or the sliding side door (which it’s worth noting is on the Euro-friendly driver’s side, meaning rear passengers will be entering and leaving on the road side in the UK).

The interior of the Marco Polo is nothing less than a delight. The two-burner hob, fridge, sink, pop-up table and storage space arrangement is compact, easy to access and cleverly orientated so that, for instance, the bits you’re more likely to access while standing are located below the point the roof will raise to its highest.