Mercedes-Benz Vito News

The Benz van has refined engines, ample space — and, as extra-cost options, safety kit galore.

Meet the Mercedes-Benz of people-movers. It's called the V-Class and seats up to eight people in comfort.

Meet the people-mover fit for a prince and princess.

Benz had already confirmed the new van would have front and rear-drive variants.It will be launched in Europe soon and is expected to arrive here in about July.Now it has completed the puzzle by revealing the AWD version of the mid-sized van.It is not designed as a rough and tough rock-climbing off-roader but simply provides improved traction on slippery surfaces such as snow, ice, dirt and gravel.The engine is the most potent diesel in the line-up, producing 140kW/440NmMercedes is the only mid-sized van manufacturer that offers customers the choice of front, rear and all-paw traction.The front-drive Vito vans are only available with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. When it comes to the rear-drive Vitos, they come only with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel.The AWD Vito will be based on the rear-driver. The turbo diesel sends drive via a seven-speed automatic transmission, a conventional torque converter-style box.The AWD setup to be used on the Vito van is similar to that used on most of its passenger vehiclesThe engine is the most potent diesel in the line-up, producing 140kW/440Nm.It is no guzzler, claiming 6.4L/100km. The engine runs Selective Catalytic Reduction, which means it uses AdBlue fluid to treat the exhaust emissions. It already complieswith the Euro6 emission standard.Mercedes says the AWD setup to be used on the Vito van is similar to that used on most of its passenger vehicles.In normal driving conditions, 55 per cent of power is sent to the rear wheels via a central differential. An electronic system senses wheel slip and sends additional power to other wheels that have traction, all in a matter of milliseconds.

A revitalised Vito van has broken cover in Europe.The Mercedes-Benz hauler has a new nose and tail, refreshed engines, an upgraded interior and will be offered for the first time as a front-drive, rear-drive or all-wheel-drive.Mercedes-Benz Australia expects to launch the new Vito range, which can carry up to 1369kg, around the middle of next year. Engineers have gone through every part of the mid-sized van in a bid to improve the fuel economy and usability.The hydraulically assisted steering has been given the flick, replaced with a new electric system. This saves fuel because the new system uses a powerful electric motor to help the driver move the steering wheel and does not constantly sap the engine of power like the hydraulic system does. New axles have been developed with an aim to greatly reducing friction.There are two revised turbodiesel four cylinder engines available, a 1.6-litre, which is unlikely to make it to Australia, and a 2.2-litre, which definitely will. The smaller engine is designed for operators who carry lighter loads and really value efficiency. It is available with two different outputs, including a measly 65kW and a more reasonable 84kW.The 2.2-litre unit is available with three different outputs, ranging from 100kW to 140kW. The 140kW version is called the 119 Bluetec and is the only model in the range to meet the strict Euro 6 emission standard.Mercedes says a raft of revisions, including the lower friction diffs and electric steering, has cut the fuel consumption figures of some Vito models by an impressive 20 per cent.The optional BlueEfficiency package, which includes fuel saving measures such as a stop/start function and low rolling resistance tyres, enables the best possible efficiency figures. The leanest Vito, the lowest output 1.6 with a BlueEfficiency package, records a remarkable combined fuel consumption figure of 5.7 litres per 100km.Mercedes is offering a six-speed manual gearbox as the standard transmission on most Vitos. A seven-speed torque convertor automatic is optional on most models and standard on some of the higher-end versions.Fuel saving front-wheel-drive is available only on the smaller capacity engine. Vitos fitted with the larger engine can be specified with rear-drive, or in some cases, AWD.The constant AWD system is designed to enable the Vito to traverse slippery surfaces, such as snow covered roads and muddy building sites. It is not a rock-hopping machine to be used for extreme off-road work.Mercedes will offer the new Vito as a regular cargo van, a crew van and a straight out people mover.The people mover version can be fitted with up to eight airbags. A latest generation Electronic Stability Control system will be standard as will Crosswind Assist, which helps keep the van tracking in a straight line in gusty winds.A parking assistance feature, which parks the van with very little input from the driver, will be an option, as will be a blind spot monitoring system and parking sensors.Mercedes will also offer its Lane Keeping Assist function that actively steers the vehicle back into the lane if it starts to drift to the side without its indicators on.Special lights, which use LEDs for everything except the high beam will also be available as an option. These headlights vary the spread of the beam automatically depending on whether the vehicle is being driven down a city street or a country highway and also have a cornering function that allows the driver to see through the corner instead of straight ahead.The Vito range is largely the same size as the previous generation, but a new front end with additional pedestrian crash protection has extended the length by around 14cm.

They want Canberra to make a commitment similar to the ones in many other countries, including the recent 5000 pound ($8200) incentive provided by the British government to buyers of plug-in electric cars.The latest British commitment follows support deals in most European countries, from Spain-France-Italy to Sweden-Finland-Denmark. Converts to electric cars in the USA also get a tax break worth between $2500 and $7500 ($2765-8295), depending on the capacity of the battery."Pretty much everywhere else in the world is paying a subsidy. The government needs to look at a general subsidy. That is the only way you're going to get ordinary people into the cars," says David McCarthy of Mercedes-Benz Australia, which intends to have an electric Smart ForTwo in its lineup in 2011. "We'd like to think we can get the electric Smart next year, and Mercedes-Benz is also doing a test on an electric Vito van."Mitsubishi is also pushing hard on the electric front with its iMiEV, as Nissan works towards local sales of the Leaf and Subaru crunches numbers on its plug-in Stella and BMW Group considers both the Mini-E and a plug-in 1 Series.McCarthy says the Smart should be one of the first battery cars on Australian roads but Mercedes-Benz wants to see a commitment from government at all levels. "The running costs on these cars are low, but they are expensive to buy. We don't have an indication yet on the price of the Smart, but it isn't going to be cheap so people do need some encouragement," he says.Most of the planning electric cars will be in the $50,000-$60,000 range in Australia, even though most are tiny city runabouts and several contenders only have two seats. Mitsubishi is planning to join Mercedes in lobbying the Federal government, most likely through the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries."There is an electric vehicle working group in the FCAI, but I don't think the lobbying has started yet," McCarthy says.

The Mercedes-Benz Vito 120CDI entered the Thoroughbred Tour of this year's Classic Adelaide and was far from disgraced during the closed-road stages. Several media drivers and Mt Gambier Benz dealer Pete Gazzard completed the event in the van, which demonstrated the strong torque by competing with event burnout king Mick Doohan's C63 at stage starts.Mount Gambier Mercedes-Benz dealer-principal Peter Gazzard completed his fourth Classic Adelaide in the Vito.  The enthusiastic Gazzard has “caught and passed more than a few wide-eyed drivers of fancied European marques and we expect the same this year," says Mercedes-Benz Asia-Pacific corporate communications senior manager David McCarthy."We wanted to demonstrate that performance goes hand-in-hand with workplace safety -- it's the only five-star van -- the Vito demonstrated its comfort, driveability and safety in a very competitive environment," he says. "Some competitors disparagingly called it a mobile billboard,” McCarthy says.  Those competitors got ample chance to read the 5-Star ANCAP safety message on the Vito as it passed more than a few of them on some special stages. We wanted to demonstrate that workplace safety has many meanings." "There are also a couple of Aston Martin and Porsche owners who are nursing bruised egos this week, having been overtaken by what is probably Australia's safest and fastest van," he says.The exercise is expected to generate renewed interest in the Vito, according to McCarthy.  "A lot of our competitors would not have the guts to enter their vans, because apart from marginal safety ratings, they have about as much driveability as a forklift on a skating rink - we think the Vito was an ace performer," he says.

The $39,490 Mercedes-Benz Vito van was tested last month at Autoliv in Melbourne's northern suburbs as part of the Australian New Car Assessment Program.ANCAP chair, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh, said the result was encouraging but given the number of work vehicles on the road, he wanted other manufacturers to build five-star vans and utes.There are more than 250,000 vans and on Australian roads and few have the safety features of the Vito, he said. “It's great news for trades people and fleet buyers,” he said.McIntosh described the Vito result as a milestone for crash safety. “They are the workhorses in so many applications,” he said. “I look forward to other companies taking up the challenge to build five-star commercial vehicles.”McIntosh said commercial vans should be as safe as cars. ANCAP will focus future testing on other utes and commercial vehicles. The Vito was tested in a 64km/h frontal-offset collision, a 50km/h side impact crash and 29km/h pole crash test.The car was fitted with the optional side curtain airbags, which cost $800.Mercedes-Benz Australia managing director of commercial vehicles, Ken Matthews, said the company would now consider making curtain airbags standard on the Vito.“It's something we will consider,” he said. “It would give Mercedes an edge in the market.”Sample of ANCAP ratings for other vehicles Mercedes-Benz compares to the Vito and VianoVehicle Stars Score out of 37MITSUBUISHI EXPRESS * 8.49NISSAN PATROL *** 22.17FORD TRANSIT *** 22.53TOYOTA HI-ACE *** 23.5HYUNDAI i-Load **** 25.81MITSUBISHI PAJERO **** 25.88TOYOTA HI-LUX **** 26.86VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER **** 26.93VOLKSWAGEN CADDY **** 28.46TOYOTA PRADO **** 29.53AUDI Q7 **** 29.82TOYOTA TARAGO **** 30.45LAND ROVER DISCOVERY **** 31.39FORD TERRITORY TS **** 31.57HOLDEN CAPTIVA **** 31.23NISSAN PATHFINDER **** 32.17FORD FOCUS 2007 ON **** 32.46MERCEDES-BENZ VITO ***** 32.66 (was 30.66)MERCEDES-BENZ VIANO ***** 32.66 

However, of seven vans rated by ANCAP, just three, including the iLoad, have four-star ratings.The others are the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Volkswagen Transporter. By comparison, the best-selling Toyota Hi-Ace gets a three-star rating.ANCAP manager, Michael Case, said many work vans and other commercial vehicles still lacked proven lifesaving safety features like anti-skid brakes or electronic stability control. Few vans have them fitted as standard, he said."No commercial vehicles currently have a five-star rating, which requires excellent crash protection plus head-protecting side airbags and electronic stability control," Case said.He praised the iMax and iLoad results but said other carmakers still need to lift their game. The iMax and iLoad were crashed at 64km/h to simulate an off-set head-on collision with another car. He is also urging businesses to put safety ahead of penny-pinching when purchasing work vehicles."It's a question of occupational health and safety," he said."The OHS requirements on employers to provide a safe work environment do extend to work vehicles and that often means the commercial vehicles we're talking about." Fleet managers no longer have any excuse to buy unsafe vehicles, Case said."ANCAP is seeing mixed safety performance in its recent crash tests of van-style vehicles and the Hyundai results are good to see," he said. "It has put considerable effort into improving the safety of its vehicles and the results reflect that effort."Case also said parents who also use their work vans as family transport at weekends are risking their families' lives. "That's of particular concern," he said.Both the iLoad and iMax get dual front airbags, anti-skid brakes and electronic brake distribution as standard. The iMax also gets stability control but it is still optional on the iLoad. 

Previously it was only the VW Transporter and Caddy that had the four-star rating, the top safety rating so far achieved by vans in Australia, but the 'Benz van has joined them and can now also claim to be the safest van in the land.While other vans leave their drivers' legs exposed to serious injury in a frontal crash VW and Mercedes have managed to minimise that risk."These 4-star vans demonstrate this type of vehicle can be designed to minimise leg injury," says ANCAP Chair, Lauchlan McIntosh.While VW and Mercedes are setting the safety pace the Mitsubishi Express languishes at the other end of the field with a single star against its badge.