Mercedes and SVI launch a bullet-resistant Benz V-Class

Mercedes-Benz Vans SA has teamed up with SVI Engineering to offer an armoured V-class luxury mini bus.

The conversion, which carries the standard Mercedes seven-year/140,000km maintenance plan plus an additional two-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on the armouring package, offers B4 ballistic protection against handguns up to a 0.44 Magnum. The package uses lightweight Kevlar, armoured steel and 21mm ballistic glass to help thwart hijackings and kidnappings, with additional options including a PA system, B4 roof armour and floor armour.

The conversion takes about three months and adds around 400kg to the V300d, a figure well within the vehicle’s payload and easily handled by the torque-rich 2.0l turbodiesel engine with outputs of 174kW and 500Nm, says SVI Engineering’s Nicol Louw.

The discreet armouring package is concealed and virtually imperceptible to the untrained eye. The conversion adheres to Mercedes-Benz quality standards and retains the vehicle’s luxurious interior. All the safety systems remain fully operational.

Available on all V-Class models, the B4 package can be ordered directly from Mercedes-Benz dealerships from September.

“Over the past few years we’ve noticed an uptick in demand for armoured luxury people-movers,” says Jaco de Kock, CEO of Pretoria-based SVI, which carries out about 200 armoured conversions annually on various vehicle makes.

The B4 armour conversion on the V-Class is priced at R1,095,256 including VAT.