Mercedes-Benz Vito Review & Buyers Guide

Mercedes-Benz Vito Review & Buyers' Guide

Rate this article -

( 1 Vote )

£17,420 – £34,720

Available as	Engine options	Volume (m³)	Payload (kg)	MPG
Van, Crew Van, Refrigerated, Minibus, Taxi, Sport, Sport-X	2.1TD 95/136/163hp 3.0V6TD 224hp	4.6 – 5.7	850 – 1,080	TBA

Our Verdict

Merc’s Vito is a really well built, class act. A revised line-up with Euro 5 engines went on sale in the UK in autumn 2010.

If you want to make a statement about your business and its aspirations, then opting for a van that bears the three-pointed star is not a bad way of doing it. That of course is the badge that adorns Mercedes-Benz’s Vito.

We’re talking about a van that comes with three body lengths — Compact, Long and Extra-long. The Long is up for grabs with a, rather ungainly-looking, high roof as an option.

Cargo areas range from 4.7m³ to 6.5m³ while payload capacities extend from 850kg to 1,125kg. Electronic Stability Programme comes as standard along with ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and traction control.

Power is provided by a 2.1-litre diesel on offer at 95hp/250Nm, 136hp/310Nm or 163hp/360Nm. If you want a lot more power then you can always opt for the mighty 3.0-litre V6 diesel, which generates a hefty 224hp and peak torque of 440Nm. The battery-powered Vito E-CELL has joined the line-up and it's built on the production line, alongside the diesel derivatives.

You can order Vito as a 4x2, a 4x4 and with either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.

Vito’s cab is a pleasant-enough working environment with only one annoying drawback; it comes with a foot-operated parking brake. You release it by tugging a lever on the dashboard to the accompaniment of a loud bang. What’s so wrong with fitting a conventional handbrake lever?

Out on the highway the handling is neutral and Vito offers a composed ride under most conditions. The quality of the manual ’box’s shift is well up to Mercedes-Benz’s usual standard and the V6 offers road-blistering performance. All in all it’s a van with few drawbacks.

For your money you get a three-year/unlimited-mile warranty. Service intervals are at 18,000 miles.

Check out the Dualiner, which has a second row of seats plus a cargo area at the back. Take a look at the Traveliner passenger-shifter too. And there's even a fully specced 'Black Cab' taxi version complete with rear-wheel steering. Top spec Sport and Sport-X models joined the line-up in July 2011 (see News Story).