Full review

Up until now, the Volkswagen California has been the only campervan sold nationwide through the manufacturer’s own dealer network as an official OEM product. Now, Mercedes-Benz enters the fray with its Marco Polo, a vehicle almost as well established in Germany as the California

There are, however, clear differences to the Mercedes-Benz approach – firstly, it does not build the Marco Polo in-house but subcontracts it to Westfalia and, while VW sells its campervans through the Van Centre network, Mercedes will use its franchised car retailers.

It is this high-spec philosophy that distances the pair from rival campervans, with starting prices being reflected in impressive equipment lists. And the Marco Polo heads even further upmarket, with a list price commencing at £53,180.

Part of that extra cost is explained by the lack of a manual gearbox version of the Marco Polo. Just choose between 220 d (163bhp) or 250 d (190bhp) and Sport spec or AMG Line (which adds sports suspension and a host of sporty bling).

Here, we have the 250 d Sport, which we’d expect to be the most popular version.

As soon as you climb into the cab you see the justification of the £53k-plus price tag. Here is a driving environment that’s not just better than a California but a world away from anything previously seen in the motorhome market. The swathes of aluminium and carbon-style trim and the quality of finish are eye-catching enough, but it’s the central iPad-like screen that really grabs your attention.

The 8.4-inch colour display serves not only the optional Comand Online system (sat-nav with live traffic information, speed limit displays and voice control, plus integrated WLAN hotspot, 10GB music register and MP3 compatibility), but also radio and phone functions, heating and climate control, and vehicle settings.

The luxury car spec continues with the powered opening of both tailgate and sliding door – even by remote control, if you wish. The tailgate also has a separate opening rear window (ideal in tight spaces). Then there’s the Driver Assistance package, as fitted here. Your passengers will certainly wonder what’s going on when their seatbelts automatically tighten on starting the engine, while the driver is more likely to notice the flashing symbols in the door mirrors to warn you of a vehicle in your blindspot. By far the most impressive aspect of this option, though, is the Distronic cruise control which slows you down rather than letting you get too close the vehicle in front, then resumes your cruising speed as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Motorway cruising is as smooth, quiet (no rattles at all) and effortless as in a luxury car or SUV, as the automatic ’box slurs through its seven speeds and the 2.1-litre turbo-diesel dishes out its gargantuan 440Nm of torque from just 1,400rpm. We regularly achieved around 38mpg when touring, too.

As that electric (offside) sliding door glides open, you’ll be impressed at the amount of space revealed inside. In fact, from the base of the cab seats to the rear bench (in its rearmost position), it is around 40cm longer than the California.

The Marco Polo comes as a four-berth as standard. The rear seat slides forward (still leaving floor space for a loo, or to get undressed) and the backrests whirr down flat after removing the headrests. The resultant bed is long, sufficiently flat and firm (but not hard) and the fact that half of its length is leather didn’t trouble me on a cool night. Having an opening window alongside your pillow is also a great feature, while the head of the bed can be raised at an angle.

The pale beige material of the elevating roof lets in a lot of light. Obviously, this will be an even greater problem if you choose to sleep in the roof. And that’s a pity because this is probably the best campervan roof bed we’ve ever seen. Long, with a supremely comfy one-piece mattress resting on Froli springs, it is better than many a coachbuilt’s fixed bed. It even comes with two dimmable reading lights on flexible stalks.

The whole campervan feels like a top-notch MB product. That starts with the beautifully upholstered leather seats (in black or beige) and continues through the yacht-style flooring to the dimmable lighting and the finish of the galley. Here, three glass lids hide (from front to rear) a deep stainless-steel sink, a two-burner hob and a 40-litre compressor fridge. Below, three large drawers and a cupboard with sliding door offer a decent amount of easily accessible storage in units that feel like they’ll last a lifetime. Unfortunately, though, the drawers cannot be opened when the bed is down and the only place to store a chemical loo is in the largest cupboard. As in the California, toilet storage could be better thought out.

There is more locker space, however, in a shallow drawer under the rear seat (limited to 13kg) and in the wardrobe (with a neat vanity mirror), as well as the drop-down cupboard in the rear part of the roof. At the forward end of the kitchen is a USB socket, as well as a continental-style, two-pin mains socket. The rest of the spec includes rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control for front and rear passengers, automatic dipping headlights, side airbags, Sidewind Assist, 18in alloy wheels (in a choice of three styles) and more.

The Marco Polo is eligible for Mercedes’ finance and service plans, and is covered by up to 30 years’ pan-European breakdown assistance.

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