History & character

The name comes from the Venetian traveller. In 1984, Mercedes entrusted coachbuilder Westfalia, based in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, with fitting out a first Marco Polo on the T1 base, subsequently distributed through the marque's network alongside the James Cook. The second generation, in 1996, moved onto the Vito platform and adopted a retractable roof that kept the vehicle under two metres. The Viano generation followed in 2003, with an electric roof, then the W447 platform in 2015.

The current range comes in three tiers: the ACTIVITY, derived from the Vito Tourer, with a convertible three-seat rear bench and a pop-up roof, but without a kitchen unit; the HORIZON, built on the V-Class; and finally the full Marco Polo, fitted with an integrated kitchen. The ACTIVITY thus remains an everyday family van, one that fits into an underground car park, ferries the children about during the week and opens up two sleeping levels at weekends, without the constraints of a motorhome.