BMW 218i vs Mercedes-Benz Vito

What's the difference?

Sometimes a name change can make all the difference.

Google used to be called “Back Rub”. The Spice Girls started off as “Touch”. And – particularly in Germany – some premium sedans became known as “coupes”, as they struggled to stay popular against SUVs.

Case in point: what is essentially a 1 Series hatchback with a boot has been more glamorously badged the “2 Series Gran Coupe” since 2020.

Still following the sedan script with four doors, it’s BMW’s tilt at Mercedes’ booted A-Class hatch, the rakish CLA, unveiled early last decade as the Concept Style Coupe and now in its third series-production iteration – though since 2019 a more conservatively styled A-Class Sedan has also existed, that goes up against Audi’s A3 Sedan.

But we digress. Now there’s a “new” 2 Gran Coupe, coded F74, though it’s really a heavy facelift of the superseded F44. Oh, and the ‘i’ no longer exists in the badge, so (M-enhanced models aside) it’s just numbers from here on in. 218. 220. M235.

Regardless of names, does it live up to the BMW promise?

The latest VS20 Vito range, comprising Vito/eVito light commercials and Tourer/V-Class people movers, brings the first major facelift to Mercedes-Benz’s mid-sized (2.5-3.5-tonne GVM) van since 2015, along with numerous comfort, convenience, technology and safety upgrades.

The workhorse fleet is available in medium wheelbase (MWB) and long wheelbase (LWB) Panel Vans and Crew Cabs, with a variety of drivetrain specifications including the all-electric eVito LWB van.

We were recently handed the keys to one of the latest turbo-diesel variants to see how it measures up from a tradie/business perspective in one of Australia’s most competitive vehicle markets.