MG M9 vs Toyota Vellfire vs Mercedes-Benz V-Class: The Chauffeur-Class MPV Comparison (2026)

By IndiCar · Published 3 September 2026 · Comparisons

Three ways to be driven, not to drive. We line up the electric MG M9, the hybrid Toyota Vellfire and the diesel Mercedes-Benz V-Class on price, second-row luxury, running costs and Mumbai on-road numbers.

Nobody buys one of these to drive it. The MG M9, Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes-Benz V-Class exist for the person sitting in the second row. The promoter heading to a board meeting, the family that treats airport runs as lounge time, the hotel that wants guests to arrive impressed. Three very different machines chasing the same brief.

The M9 is all-electric and undercuts the other two by roughly half. The Vellfire is the segment's runaway favourite, a self-charging hybrid that has quietly become India's default "arrive in comfort" car. The V-Class is the only one here wearing a three-pointed star, and the only one still running a diesel. Here is how they actually stack up in 2026.

Price: the gap is enormous

This is the first thing that separates them, and it separates them hard. All figures below are indicative Mumbai on-road for the launch/base trim; dealers move on final numbers.

Read that again. You can park an M9 in your driveway and still have most of a crore left over versus a V-Class. Maharashtra's lower tax on electric cars widens the gap further on the road than it looks on the ex-showroom sheet. Whether the MG feels like a sub-crore car inside is the real question: more on that below.

Where does IndiCar fit?

IndiCar stocks the MG M9 Presidential Limousine right now, with units ready for early delivery. Our Mumbai on-road lands at about Rs 84.6 lakh for Metal Black (roughly Rs 85.8 lakh for the premium two-tone colours), and that already includes a first-year zero-depreciation plus return-to-invoice insurance cover. The Vellfire and V-Class are not in the lineup, but we can arrange either on an indent booking. If you want a factory-fresh Toyota with the same self-charging hybrid logic and a proper chauffeur rear seat for a fraction of the Vellfire outlay, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is the in-stock alternative worth a look.

Powertrain and performance

Three philosophies, three noises: or in the MG's case, none.

• MG M9: a single front-mounted motor, 242 bhp and 350 Nm, fed by a 90 kWh battery. Claimed range is 548 km (MIDC), and a 160 kW DC fast charger tops it up meaningfully in about 20 minutes. It is the most powerful and by far the most refined at a standstill: silent, instant, no idle shudder in traffic.
• Toyota Vellfire: a 2.5 litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid making a combined 193 hp through an e-CVT to the front wheels. ARAI rates it at 19.28 kmpl, which for a 2.2-tonne box is genuinely remarkable and the single biggest reason it sells. No range anxiety, no charging to plan.
• Mercedes-Benz V-Class: the grown-up mechanical choice. The V 300 d uses a 2.0 litre diesel with 237 hp and a 9-speed automatic; the petrol V 300 gets a 231 hp mild-hybrid 2.0. It is the only rear-wheel-drive car here, the only one with a proper torque-converter auto, and the only one that will do effortless 120 km/h expressway cruising all day. Real-world economy sits around 10 to 13 kmpl.

For a pure city chauffeur car, the M9's silence is intoxicating. For someone who does Mumbai, Pune and Nashik runs without a fixed overnight charging routine, the Vellfire is the sane pick. The V-Class is for the buyer who wants the drivetrain to feel as expensive as the badge.

Size and space

The V-Class has the longest wheelbase of any Mercedes passenger car sold in India, and it shows: in six-seat trim the middle chairs slide back into limousine territory. The Vellfire is the tallest and feels the most van-like inside, which is a compliment here: easy step-in, upright captain's chairs, huge glass. The M9 splits the difference and hides its size well.

The second row: which is what you're actually paying for

All three give you reclining middle-row captain's chairs with heating, ventilation, massage and extendable leg rests. The details separate them.

• The Vellfire pairs its ottoman-style seats with a 14 inch roof-mounted rear screen, powered sunblinds, dual sunroofs and a 15 speaker JBL system. It is the most theatrical rear cabin of the three.
• The M9 counters with 16 way second-row seats, a panoramic roof, a 13 speaker JBL setup and electrically sliding rear doors: and it does all of this for sub-crore money, which is the headline.
• The V-Class feels the most bespoke and the most tastefully restrained. Fewer screens, better materials, the quietest cabin at speed. It is a Mercedes S-Class experience reoriented sideways.

Features and technology

The M9 and Vellfire fight the spec-sheet war; the V-Class largely ignores it. All three get powered sliding doors, a 360 degree camera, connected-car tech and multi-zone climate. The Vellfire and V-Class run twin large displays up front; the M9 adds a 12.3 inch touchscreen with a 7 inch driver's display. Level 2 ADAS is standard on the M9 and Vellfire; the V-Class offers adaptive cruise and lane assist but leans on its 5 star Euro NCAP structure as the safety story.

Safety

• MG M9: Level 2 ADAS suite, 360 camera, multiple airbags. No independent India crash rating published yet.
• Toyota Vellfire: 6 airbags, ADAS with lane-keep and adaptive cruise, stability control and 360 camera standard across both trims.
• Mercedes-Benz V-Class: 7 airbags and a 5 star Euro NCAP rating: the only car here with a verified crash score.

Ownership and running costs

Over five years this is where the M9's case gets loud. Electricity versus petrol versus diesel, on a car doing 2,000 to 3,000 km a month with a driver, is a difference measured in lakhs. The Vellfire's trump card is Toyota's 8 year / 1,60,000 km hybrid battery warranty on top of the standard 3 year / 1,00,000 km cover, plus a service network that reaches places MG Select and Mercedes simply do not.

The M9 is sold only through MG Select premium outlets: a handful of cities: so factor in where you'll service it. The V-Class carries Mercedes's running costs and Mercedes's parts prices; it is the most expensive to keep on the road by a distance.

What the market is actually buying

The Vellfire is the segment. Toyota sold 1,483 units in FY2026 (up 56% year-on-year) and crossed 5,000 cumulative sales in India by April 2026: extraordinary numbers for a car past the Rs 1.2 crore mark. The M9 and MG's Cyberster together had managed roughly 1,000 units through MG Select at last disclosure; MG doesn't break out the M9 individually. The V-Class only returned to India in March 2026, so meaningful volume data doesn't exist yet. In plain terms: the Vellfire has already won this segment on sales, and the other two are fighting for what's left.

The IndiCar take

If you're spending this money, be honest about why. Buying the badge and the resale confidence? The Vellfire is the safe, sensible, sell-it-easily choice, and the running costs won't sting. Want the genuinely plush, quiet, old-money feel and you have a Mercedes workshop you trust? The V-Class is the most complete luxury object here, and the only one with a real crash rating.

But the M9 is the interesting one. It gives you 80 to 90% of the rear-seat experience for roughly half the outlay, adds silent-running and single-digit-per-km costs, and the only serious catch is the thin service network. For a Mumbai buyer who does mostly city miles and can charge at home or office, the maths is hard to argue with, and it is the one car here you can drive home from IndiCar this month. It won't hold value like the Toyota, and it won't feel like the Mercedes: but it might be the smartest cheque of the three.

Our order for most buyers: Vellfire for resale and reach, M9 for value and running costs, V-Class for outright luxury. None of them will disappoint the person in the back.

Prices are indicative, sourced from manufacturer and leading automotive portals in September 2026, and change frequently: confirm the on-the-day figure before booking. IndiCar does not currently stock these three models; contact us for indent options or for the closest in-stock alternative. Lead photo: Maxus MIFA 9 by Evnerd via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Blueprint illustrations: IndiCar.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheapest to buy and run, M9, Vellfire or V-Class?

The MG M9 on both counts. It is roughly half the on-road price of the Vellfire and V-Class in Mumbai (about roughly Rs 80 to 85 lakh versus Rs 1.4 to 1.7 crore), and being electric its per-kilometre running cost is the lowest of the three. The trade-offs are a thin MG Select service network and weaker resale than the Toyota.

Is the Toyota Vellfire really the best-selling car in this segment?

Yes. Toyota sold 1,483 Vellfires in FY2026, up 56% year-on-year, and passed 5,000 cumulative India sales by April 2026, well ahead of any rival. Its hybrid efficiency (19.28 kmpl ARAI), 8 year battery warranty and wide service network are the main reasons.

V-Class diesel or petrol, which should a chauffeur-driven owner choose?

The diesel. India-spec cars run a 2.0-litre diesel (V 220 d, 163 PS, 380 Nm) with a 9-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, which suits the steady high-mileage running these cars do. The petrol mild-hybrid makes sense mainly if your use is short city trips.

Does IndiCar sell the MG M9, Toyota Vellfire or Mercedes V-Class?

Yes for the MG M9. IndiCar stocks the M9 Presidential Limousine with early-delivery units and a Mumbai on-road of about Rs 84.6 lakh (Metal Black), which includes first-year zero-dep plus return-to-invoice insurance. The Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes V-Class are not stocked but can be arranged on an indent booking. The closest in-stock car with a comparable hybrid drivetrain and chauffeur rear seat is the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Tags: mg-m9, toyota-vellfire, mercedes-v-class, luxury-mpv, on-road-price-mumbai, chauffeur-cars