Mercedes Benz van will be attractive to both the private and fleet sector

By Gerry Murphy

On days like last Friday when we suffered incessant rain, the ventilation system in the Mercedes-Benz Vito van that I was testing began to act up and life in the vehicle was a bit of a chore with windows fogging up and no air going to the windscreen to clear it. The only solution was to let down the driver and passenger window to clear the glass.

I’m sure it was only a small thing, but it was a new van and you expect everything to be working perfectly. I suppose these things happen and are sent to test us, but enough said about that, everything else about the Vito was pretty decent.

As a load carrier, the Vito is right up there with other mid-sized commercials with easy access to the cargo compartment through two sliding side doors and a rear-end tailgate. As you would expect, there are an array of bulkheads and customer needs, as far as layout requirements available. The load area is well-lit and comes with plenty cargo anchor points to handle any size or shape of cargo.

Amongst the many features likely to give Vito a market edge is the choice of rear-wheel or front-wheel drive formats. Available in two wheelbases, it is the only model in its class produced in three lengths, all 140mms longer than its predecessor (4,895mm, 5,140mm and 5,370mm). It has the highest payload in its class at 1,369kg and up to three permissible gross vehicle weight variants (between 2.8 and 3.2 tonnes).

Power comes from two, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engines in five power ratings. In FWD guise, power comes from a transverse-mounted, compact 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine delivering two power ratings – an 88bhp 109 CDI and a 114bhp 111 CDI.

Where performance demands are high, the 2.15-litre rear-wheel drive unit is the recommended choice, available with three power outputs – a 136bhp 114 CDI, a 163bhp 116 CDI – the version on this test drive – and a 190bhp 119 BlueTEC version – the first Euro 6 engine in this class.

Six-speed manual transmission is standard as are long service intervals of up to 40,000 km or two years. The gearbox is very sweet and with a flick of the wrist it engages each gear smoothly. It is also well spaced and through smart gear selections, the torque is there when asked.

Up front in the driver’s cabin, you get a car-like presentation and while the centre console could be a bit prettier, the functionality is right as are the seats and the storage areas in the cab.

Apart from my battle with the ventilation system, visibility is spot on with large door mirrors and a reversing camera with parking sensor to make parking and reversing both safe and accurate, I also applaud the new electromechanical power-assisted steering and the new safety features that include 17″ disc brakes all-round with Adaptive ESP as standard.

The new shape and the press metal of the Vito offers any business a handsome van where a clever sign writer could make it the best form of advertising for a business.

While the number of vans on our roads are increasing with the upturn in the commercial world, the Mercedes-Benz Vito, air conditioning problems aside, should make the shortlist of any potential buyer, fleet or private.