Mercedes-Benz goes exploring with Marco Polo

MERCEDES-BENZ Vans Australia has announced a start price of $69,990 plus on-road costs for its forthcoming Marco Polo Activity camper van, ahead of its arrival in the third quarter of next year.

Based on the Valente, the 5140mm long Marco Polo can seat five, with front seats that can be swivelled around to face the passenger compartment that is fitted with three rear seats and a central tray table.

The rear seats can either be removed to increase storage space, or can be folded down to create a 1.93m x 1.35m bed space.

Another bed is available via to the manually folding pop-up roof, which creates a second sleeping area that can support up to 200kg of weight.

The pop-up roof is made from a breathable and water-resistant fabric and has zippered window flaps that can be opened for ventilation. When the roof is opened, maximum standing height in the cab is 2350mm.

A standard auxiliary cabin heater can be programmed to pre-heat the vehicle and keep it warm when stationary. The vehicle also comes with a secondary battery that can be used when the engine is off to prevent the main battery from being drained.

The Marco Polo uses a 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine developing 120kW of power and 380Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission. Braked towing capacity is rated at 2500kg.

Standard features on the Marco Polo include satellite navigation, premium interior trim, a folding table package, front, front-side and side curtain airbags, adaptive electronic stability control with crosswind assist, a reversing camera, adaptive brake lights, automatic headlights and wipers, automated parking with front and rear sensors and 12 month/25,000km service intervals.

Optional features include a manual side awning, Black Lugano leather upholstery, seven-seat configuration and 18-inch alloy wheels.

So far in 2016 Mercedes-Benz has sold 277 Valentes, more than double the 125 sold in the same period last year.