Starting from December, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class minivan will be available to order with 4Matic all-wheel drive, with the first model to get it being the V 250 BlueTEC.

Making its first appearance at the Paris Auto Show early next month, the V 250 BlueTEC 4Matic is said to provide more traction in all driving conditions and to improve the way the vehicle pulls away and accelerates, particularly on poor surfaces or in bad weather.

The 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system is based on the 4ETS Electronic Traction System working together with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Power is distributed to the front and rear axle in a 45:55 ratio, but if one or more wheels lose traction, 4ETS slows them down in a fraction of a second and automatically distributes power to the wheels with better adherence.

Sourced from Mercedes’ SUVs, the 4Matic system on the V-Class does without conventional mechanical differential locks, thus saving weight and improving efficiency. The system will initially be offered for the V-Class with the range-topping V 250 BlueTEC diesel-engined model, which produces 190PS (187hp) and 440Nm (324lb-ft) of torque. Power is sent to all wheels via a 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission, with the transfer case for the all-wheel drive being integrated into the main transmission.

Average fuel economy is rated at 6.7 l/100 km (35.1 mpg US), with CO2 emissions of 177 g/km. The V 250 BlueTEC 4Matic in the “Long” body variant is priced from €53,109.70 ($68,425) in Germany, including 19 percent VAT. Mercedes-Benz says other V-Class models will be available with all-wheel drive in the future.

The all-new Mercedes Vito commercial vehicle starts at Ł17,855 in the UK, for the basic 109 CDI Compact panel van. There’s obviously a choice of sizes and body styles and now you can also choose which wheel you’d like to be driven (no mention of AWD, though).

Front-wheel drive examples get a 1.6-liter diesel, while rear-wheel driven ones use the larger 2.1-liter unit. Buyers can also choose to change gears themselves via a six-speed manual or not bother with it and go for the 7G-Tronic Plus auto.

On the gadgets and features side of things, the Vito stacks up well. There’s everything you’d find in a regular family car – there’s hill start assist, a tire pressure monitor, thorax and window airbags (optional on some models) and trick stuff like a touchscreen infotainment unit with streaming and connectivity.

Standard color choices are limited to five (Arctic White, Jupiter Red, Pebble Grey, Navy Blue and Granite Green), but you can opt for seven additional metallic options.

For the full engines and pricing structure, as well as some shots of the vehicle, scroll down to the gallery!

Mercedes has announced plans to introduce a mysterious V-Class based model at the Geneva Motor Show.

The company is keeping details a closely guarded secret but they hinted it will be a "first."

That's not much to go on but the mysterious model will be shown alongside the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4˛. The company will also stage the European debuts of a number of previously introduced products including the CLA Shooting Brake, C 350 e, C 450 AMG 4MATIC, GLE Coupe and the Mercedes-Maybach S 600.