Mercedes-Benz has shared the first image of a completely new family compact van, which will be called the T-Class.

Details of the new vehicle are still sketchy, but Mercedes has confirmed that the new compact MPV will be offered with both traditional internal combustion engines and all-electric versions. It will also have two sliding doors on both sides for "easy and comfortable access to the inside."

The new T-Class, according to the chief designer of the German brand Gorden Wagener, "has a new structure, design and architecture, which combine functionality and value of perception." Unlike Citan, it is addressed to buyers who are willing to pay for individual features and added comfort. In the model range of the brand, the new product will take place one step below the V-Class.

It is noteworthy that the new passenger minivan is being developed in cooperation with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.

"The T-Class will allow families to get to know our car for the first time and enter the world of Mercedes," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of the carmaker's commercial vehicles. �Active families are looking for attractive, practical and at the same time compact cars. And that's exactly what our new model will offer them, "he added, adding that the car will be more of a Mercedes, whether it is the quality of workmanship, materials, technology offer or design.

The new Mercedes-Benz T-Class offers a large amount of space and is suited to a range of different uses, including passenger transportation as a reference within sharing services � all while not compromising on comfort. The wide-opening sliding doors on both the left and right-hand sides of the vehicle as an example allow easy and comfortable access to the interior.

The carmaker has also confirmed that in addition to standard internal combustion engines, the Mercedes-Benz T will also be a pure electric car. The car is now undergoing standard driving tests and its development is nearing completion. If all goes according to plan, it will hit the market in mid-2022.

In the small van segment, Mercedes-Benz Vans has been represented by the commercially positioned Citan since 2012. In August last year, the Vans division announced a successor to the compact urban delivery van, together with a fully-electric variant. Based on this small van platform, two vehicles will be created: while the Mercedes-Benz Citan is a no-compromise vehicle tailored to the requirements of commercial customers, the Mercedes-Benz T-Class is primarily focused towards private customers.