Mercedes Vito

Mercedes Vito: Versatility

The Mercedes Vito stands as a pinnacle of versatility and luxury in the commercial van segment. This iconic vehicle has earned a reputation for its exceptional blend of practicality and comfort, making it a top choice for businesses and individuals alike. From its sleek exterior design to its spacious interior, the Mercedes Vito offers a compelling package that caters to a wide range of needs and preferences. Source

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the key features that make the Mercedes Vito lease stand out from the crowd. We'll take a closer look at its exterior styling, delve into the interior comfort and technology, and examine the performance and powertrain options available. Additionally, we'll discuss the vehicle's versatility, practicality, and safety features, providing readers with a thorough understanding of what the Mercedes Vito has to offer. Whether you're in the market for a new van or simply curious about this renowned model, this guide aims to give you valuable insights into the Mercedes Vito's capabilities and appeal. See all Mercedes Vans

Overview of the Mercedes Vito

The Mercedes Vito sport stands as a versatile and reliable medium-sized van, designed to cater to the needs of small businesses and individuals alike. This iconic vehicle has evolved over the years, offering a range of configurations and features that make it a popular choice in the commercial vehicle segment.

Key Features

The Mercedes Vito crew cab boasts a generous loading capacity, making it an ideal choice for businesses requiring ample space for cargo transportation. Its reliability, a hallmark of the Mercedes-Benz brand, further enhances its appeal to commercial users. The van comes equipped with standard features such as cruise control and speed limiters, ensuring a comfortable and controlled driving experience.

In recent models, Mercedes vito for sale has significantly upgraded the Vito's interior, addressing previous shortcomings compared to its competitors. The 2024 facelift introduces a modernized cabin, featuring a standard 10.25-inch screen with the latest MBUX operating system. This system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, enhancing connectivity and user experience. Additionally, the van now includes touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel and a 5.5-inch color screen in the instrument display, providing easy access to driving data.

Safety has been a priority in recent updates, with the 2024 model earning a Platinum score from Euro NCAP, thanks to its enhanced driver assistance features.

Model History

The Mercedes Vito has a rich history dating back to 1996 when the first generation was introduced. Over the years, it has undergone significant transformations:

First Generation (1996-2003): Featured front-wheel drive and a range of gasoline and diesel engines.

Second Generation (2004-2014): Introduced as the Viano for passenger variants, it shifted to rear-wheel drive.

Third Generation (2014-present): Returned to the V-Class name for passenger versions, continuing the Vito name for commercial variants.

Available Configurations

The Mercedes Vito offers flexibility to suit various business needs:

Body Types:

Panel Van: Ideal for cargo transportation

Crew Cab: Combines passenger and cargo space

Tourer: A more affordable alternative to the V-Class MPV

Lengths:

Currently available in L2 and L3 lengths

Previously offered L1 (Compact), L2 (Long), and L3 (Extra-Long) options

Drivetrain:

Current models are rear-wheel drive only

Previous generations offered front-, rear-, and four-wheel drive options

Engine Options:

2.0-liter diesel engine with three power outputs: 136hp, 163hp, and 190hp

Trim Levels:

Select: Available with a six-speed manual transmission

Pro: Equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission

The Mercedes Vito continues to evolve, adapting to changing market demands while maintaining its core values of versatility, reliability, and performance. Its range of configurations and features make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking a capable and comfortable commercial vehicle.

Exterior Design and Styling

The Mercedes Vito showcases a harmonious blend of functionality and elegance in its exterior design. The vehicle's sleek, modern appearance aligns with contemporary styling trends of the Mercedes-Benz range, making it a standout in the commercial van segment.

Sleek Esthetics Mercedes Vito

The Vito's front fascia has undergone significant enhancements, featuring a redesigned grille and bumper that elevate its road presence. The new grille, constructed from high-quality gloss black ABS plastic, replaces the standard factory-fitted version, ensuring durability and a perfect fit without the need for a chrome frame. This change not only enhances the Vito's appearance but also lends it a more aggressive look, appealing to users who value sophistication alongside performance.

The vehicle's body lines are smooth and aerodynamic, conveying a sense of motion even when stationary. This attention to aerodynamic efficiency contributes to the Vito's overall performance and fuel economy. Large windows and well-placed mirrors provide an excellent field of view, enhancing safety and ease of driving.

Advanced lighting technology further enhances the Vito's exterior appeal. The integration of Multibeam LED headlights and an LED bar around the grille improves visibility and adds a striking visual element to the vehicle. These lighting enhancements align with Mercedes-Benz's commitment to safety and innovation, offering better illumination and a distinctive night-time signature.

Practical Features Mercedes Vito

The Mercedes Vito is designed with practicality in mind, offering features that cater to both commercial and personal use. It comes in three different body lengths: compact (4763 mm), long (5008 mm), and extra-long (5238 mm), providing options to suit various needs. The vehicle also offers different weight variants and door combinations, including a high roof option for the long version.

For safety and convenience, the Vito sports newly designed exterior mirrors that offer a larger field of vision while maintaining a smaller and more elegant appearance. The fully galvanized steel wings ensure maximum dimensional accuracy, resulting in exact gap dimensions that contribute to the vehicle's overall quality and durability.

Customization Options

Mercedes-Benz offers a range of customization options for the Vito, allowing owners to tailor the vehicle to their specific preferences and requirements. The 2024 model introduces an updated color palette that includes vibrant and sophisticated tones such as Kalahari gold, sodalite blue, high-tech silver, alpine gray, and vintage blue. These options provide personalization opportunities for both commercial and private users.

Additionally, new wheel designs ranging from 17 to 19 inches complement the fresh esthetic, rounding out the exterior enhancements with a touch of elegance and modernity. The bumper is optionally available in a painted finish matching the vehicle's exterior color, further enhancing the Vito's cohesive look.

For those seeking a sportier appearance, the Vito SPORT trim includes additional exterior features such as AMG side skirts, bonnet and sill graphics, and roof rails, giving the vehicle a more dynamic and athletic stance.

Interior Comfort and Technology

The Mercedes Vito's interior combines comfort, technology, and practicality, offering a luxurious experience for both driver and passengers. The vehicle's cabin has undergone significant upgrades, addressing previous shortcomings and elevating it to a new level of sophistication.

Seating Options Mercedes Vito

The Vito provides a range of seating configurations to suit various needs. The front seats offer exceptional comfort with multiple adjustment options. Drivers can customize their seating position using electric controls, adjusting the seat's longitudinal direction, height, and cushion inclination. The seat back angle and headrest height are also adjustable, allowing for optimal comfort during long journeys.

For enhanced comfort, the Vito offers a memory function that can save and recall seat, backrest, and headrest positions for up to three people. This feature proves particularly useful for vehicles with multiple drivers. The backrest curvature can be fine-tuned to fit the driver's spine, further enhancing comfort and reducing fatigue during extended drives.

In the passenger compartment, the Vito offers flexibility with multiple configurations. Depending on the model, it can accommodate up to three rows of seats, with a maximum capacity of nine passengers. For those needing occasional rest stops, the optional Bunk Package allows the 3-passenger bench seat to transform into a comfortable bunk. In the long Vito body length, this creates a berth surface of 1.93 x 1.35 m, while the compact body length offers a slightly larger 2.03 x 1.35 m sleeping area.

Infotainment System

The 2024 facelift introduces a modernized cabin featuring a standard 10.25-inch touchscreen equipped with the latest MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) operating system. This system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, enhancing connectivity and user experience. The intuitive interface allows for easy control via the touchscreen or the control pad on the right side of the steering wheel.

The MBUX system offers a range of features, including customizable app layouts. Users can easily move apps to their desired positions on the MB tablet, creating a personalized interface. The system also includes advanced navigation capabilities, with the optional Electric Intelligence Navigation providing intelligent route planning and range management for electric variants.

Driver Assistance Features

The Mercedes Vito comes equipped with an array of driver assistance features that enhance safety and ease of operation. The vehicle includes an advanced parking package with a 360° camera and 3D surround view function. This system offers multiple perspectives, including a bird's-eye view and extended views that magnify obstacles in the surroundings, making parking in tight spaces significantly easier.

For long-distance driving, the Vito offers features like ATTENTION ASSIST, which analyzes driving behavior to recognize signs of inattentiveness or drowsiness, alerting the driver when necessary. The Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC adapts the vehicle's speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, particularly useful during highway driving.

The Vito also includes pre-entry climate control, allowing users to precondition the vehicle's interior temperature before entering. This feature can be controlled via the MBUX system or the Mercedes Me app, ensuring a comfortable cabin environment regardless of external weather conditions.

Performance and Powertrain Options

The Mercedes Vito offers a range of powerful and efficient powertrain options, catering to various needs and preferences. From robust diesel engines to innovative electric variants, the Vito provides versatile performance solutions for different applications.

Engine Lineup Mercedes Vito

Mercedes-Benz has continuously evolved the Vito's engine lineup to meet changing market demands and emission standards. The current generation Vito features a 2.0-liter diesel engine, which replaced the aging 2.1-liter units that had powered the van since 2008. This new engine, known as the OM654, was developed in 2016 for the E-Class and has been adapted for use in the Vito to comply with Euro 6D emission standards.

The 1,995cc OM654 is a 4-cylinder, in-line cast block with balancing shafts made from aluminum to reduce weight. It features a single turbocharger and BorgWarner's eBooster electrically driven compressor. The cylinder walls are lined with a slippery Nanoslide iron-carbon coating that cuts friction, enhancing efficiency and performance.

This 2.0-liter diesel engine is available in three power outputs:

Vito 114: 136 PS (100 kW) and 330 Nm of torque

Vito 116: 163 PS (120 kW) and 380 Nm of torque

Vito 119: 190 PS (140 kW) and 440 Nm of torque

For those seeking an eco-friendly option, Mercedes-Benz offers the Vito E-Cell, an all-electric variant. The E-Cell utilizes a unique front-wheel drive setup to accommodate a 36-kWh lithium-ion battery pack housed underneath the van's cargo area. Its electric traction motor is a permanent synchronous magnet drive with a constant power of 60 kW (80 hp) and 280 N⋅m of torque.

Transmission Choices

The Mercedes Vito comes with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions, depending on the engine variant. The more powerful 116 CDI and 119 CDI models are equipped with a nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard, offering smooth and efficient gear changes. The 114 CDI variant provides the flexibility of choosing between a manual transmission or the nine-speed automatic.

Fuel Efficiency Mercedes Vito

Fuel efficiency has been a key focus in the development of the Vito's powertrain options. The introduction of the new 2.0-liter diesel engine has led to improvements in fuel economy across the range. According to real-world data, the average fuel consumption for Mercedes-Benz Vitos ranges from 21.6 to 34.8 mpg, depending on the specific model and driving conditions.

The Vito Tourer, in particular, has seen significant improvements in efficiency. With the introduction of a new, more efficient RWD drivetrain coupled with the 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission, it can deliver around 13% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to previous models, depending on driving style.

However, it's worth noting that fuel consumption can vary significantly based on factors such as driving conditions, load, and individual driving style. Some users have reported fluctuations in fuel economy, with figures ranging from 25 mpg to 34 mpg on similar trips. Regular maintenance, proper tire inflation, and efficient driving techniques can help optimize fuel efficiency.

Versatility and Practicality

The Mercedes Vito stands out as a versatile and practical vehicle, designed to meet the diverse needs of both commercial and personal users. Its adaptability shines through in various aspects, from cargo capacity to passenger configurations and towing capabilities.

Cargo Capacity

The Vito offers impressive cargo capacity, making it an ideal choice for businesses requiring ample space for transportation. The current model comes in two wheelbases and two body lengths, providing options to suit different needs. The L2 variant boasts a maximum load length of 2,813mm, while the L3 extends this to 3,016mm. Both versions maintain a consistent maximum load height of 1,252mm and width of 1,709mm.

Load volumes vary between the two models, with the L2 offering 6.0m3 and the L3 providing 6.6m3 of space. The loading height of 558mm facilitates easy access to the cargo area. For added convenience, all panel van versions come standard with a full steel bulkhead and sliding doors on both sides, a feature often charged extra by competitors.

The Vito's cargo area is well-equipped for secure transport. Load lashing rings come as standard, with optional lashing rails available for the floor and sides. The high-quality wood/composite floor covering and hardboard load lining for the sides ensure durability, while an LED lighting strip aids visibility in low-light conditions.

Passenger Configurations

The Vito's versatility extends to its passenger-carrying capabilities. When configured as a passenger vehicle, it's known as the V-Class or Viano, capable of accommodating up to eight passengers. The seating arrangements are highly flexible, allowing for various configurations to suit different needs.

In most markets, six or seven seats come as standard. However, the Viano can be transformed into an eight-seat people carrier by fitting two three-seater benches in the rear. All rear seats offer impressive adjustability, sliding in 1-inch increments, reclining, and capable of being turned to face each other. This flexibility allows for comfortable seating arrangements for long journeys or business meetings on the go.

For maximum versatility, all rear seats can be folded down or removed completely. This feature significantly increases the load capacity, with the Viano Extra-Long model accommodating up to 4,610 liters of cargo when all seats are removed.

Towing Capabilities Mercedes Vito

The Mercedes Vito demonstrates impressive towing capabilities, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The maximum towing capacity across the Vito range is 2,500kg with a braked trailer, although this is limited to rear-wheel drive models equipped with the upgraded towing pack. Without this pack, the maximum towing capacity stands at 2,000kg.

This high towing capacity allows the Vito to handle heavy loads with ease, making it an excellent choice for transporting large or heavy items. It's particularly well-suited for towing a variety of trailers, including horseboxes, caravans, and boats.

Safety Features and Ratings

Mercedes-Benz has long been at the forefront of vehicle safety innovation, pioneering many features that have become standard across the automotive industry. The Mercedes Vito continues this tradition with a comprehensive suite of safety systems designed to protect occupants and other road users.

Active Safety Systems

The Vito incorporates several advanced active safety features to prevent accidents. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) comes as standard equipment, meeting Euro NCAP's test requirements. This system helps maintain vehicle control during challenging driving conditions.

Driver Attention Detection, also included, monitors for signs of drowsiness and alerts the driver if fatigue is detected. This feature, sometimes known as ATTENTION ASSIST, uses highly sensitive sensors to analyze over 70 parameters of driving behavior.

While not included as standard, the Vito offers optional Blind Spot Warning. This system detects vehicles in adjacent lanes that may be hidden from view, alerting the driver to their presence.

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Passive Safety Features Mercedes Vito

In the event of a collision, the Vito's passive safety features come into play. The vehicle includes front airbags for both driver and passenger, designed to prevent occupants from striking interior components during a crash. Side curtain airbags are also present in the front row, offering additional protection against head injuries.

The passenger compartment of the Vito has demonstrated excellent stability in frontal impact tests. Euro NCAP crash tests revealed good protection for passengers across all body areas. The knees and femurs of both driver and passenger also showed good protection based on dummy readings.

Crash Test Results

The Mercedes Vito has undergone rigorous crash testing by Euro NCAP, achieving impressive results across various categories:

Adult Occupant Protection: 93%

Child Occupant Protection: 87%

Pedestrian Protection: 67%

Safety Assist Systems: 85%

In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Vito scored 15.8 points out of a possible 16. The side barrier test saw the vehicle achieve maximum points, with good protection observed for all body areas. However, in the more severe side pole impact, chest protection was rated as marginal based on rib deflection readings.

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Child safety performance was particularly noteworthy. The Vito scored maximum points for its protection of both 1.5-year-old and 3-year-old child dummies in dynamic tests. The restraint systems effectively minimized forward movement and contained the dummies within their protective shells during side impacts.

Pedestrian protection measures also performed well, with the bumper scoring maximum points in leg protection tests. Head protection on the bonnet surface ranged from marginal to good, though poor results were recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars.

While the Vito offers a comprehensive safety package, it's worth noting that some advanced features like Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) for city, interurban, and vulnerable road user scenarios are not included as standard. Additionally, Lane Keep Assist and a reversing camera are not part of the standard equipment, though they may be available as options.

Overall, the Mercedes Vito demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, balancing active prevention systems with robust passive protection features. Its high Euro NCAP scores reflect the vehicle's ability to safeguard occupants and other road users effectively.

Conclusion

The Mercedes Vito emerges as a standout in the commercial van segment, offering a blend of luxury, versatility, and practicality. Its sleek design, coupled with a range of powertrain options, has an impact on both esthetics and performance. The vehicle's interior comfort, advanced technology, and impressive cargo capacity make it a top choice to meet diverse business and personal needs.

To wrap up, the Vito's commitment to safety, demonstrated by its high Euro NCAP ratings, adds to its appeal as a reliable and secure transport solution. With its ability to adapt to various configurations and its robust towing capabilities, the Mercedes Vito proves to be a well-rounded vehicle. This combination of features and performance cements its position as a leading option in the commercial van market, ready to tackle a wide array of tasks with style and efficiency.

FAQs

1. How long can a Mercedes Vito be expected to last?

The Mercedes Vito typically has a lifespan of up to 333,000 miles. The type of fuel used can significantly influence the vehicle's longevity.

2. Which engine option is considered the best for the Mercedes Vito?

The 114 CDI manual engine is regarded as the best option for the Mercedes Vito, delivering a combined fuel efficiency of 38.7 miles per gallon. Opting for an automatic transmission slightly reduces this to 38.2 mpg. The 116 CDI diesel engine offers 37.6 mpg, and the 119 CDI engine provides 36.7 mpg under official WLTP testing.

3. How frequently should a Mercedes Vito undergo maintenance?

The Mercedes Vito should be serviced regularly, though the specific intervals can vary based on usage and conditions. The vehicle is equipped with a service indicator light on the dashboard that alerts the owner when service is due.

4. Does the Mercedes Vito use a timing belt or a timing chain?

The Mercedes Vito is equipped with a timing chain, which does not require as frequent replacement as a timing belt, offering more durability and less maintenance worry.