Say goodbye to the Mercedes-Benz taxi as vans take over

BERLIN: It's the end of an era for taxi users in Germany and a host of other countries now that Mercedes-Benz has announced it will no longer offer the taxi version of the E-Class after the model change next year.

The ivory E-class taxis are a common sight in Germany and taxis with a three-pointed star on the bonnet have also been on the ranks for years in Portugal, Morocco and Singapore. Older W124 versions also still soldier on.

A symbol of luxury and comfort, the E-class taxi is a cut above the humdrum Dacias and Asian-made vehicles used by many cab operators.

Although the E-class taxi models are more simply-equipped versions of the private cars sold globally, many people from the United States and Asia are amazed to see the upmarket "Merc" limousine used as humble taxis.

Drivers revere the E-class for its simplicity and durability and many of the cabs rack up huge mileages.

The Stuttgart maker has written to taxi customers to announce the upcoming demise of the E-class, the German business paper Wirtschaftswoche reports. The taxi version of the B-Class is also being dropped.

The German Taxi and Rental Car Association is clearly upset and it wrote to Mercedes-Bent boss Ola Källenius to complain.

It said the deletion of the E-Class as a taxi was "catastrophic" and warned that it would "lead to a serious disruption of the relationship between the trade and Mercedes-Benz."

Demand for the taxi versions of the cars has slumped in recent years, Mercedes-Benz told the Spiegel news magazine. It would focus in future on van-based taxi products.

"Our market research has show that there is more demand for roomy, multi-functional vehicles with up to seven seats and easier passenger access," it said.

Mercedes has been supplying cars for use as taxis for 100 years and began working closely with cab operators from the 1930s, offering cheap purchase schemes and short delivery times.