Mercedes-Benz announces new Vito

Mercedes-Benz has announced details of its new Vito. There are several versions on offer including a panel van, a crew cab van and a Tourer minibus, offered in Pro or more luxurious Select variants. Pricing for the updated Vito is to be announced nearer its 2015 launch, but expect availability from just under £20,000.

Front, rear and all-wheel drive variants are available and there are five engine choices, all of which are diesel. The 1.6-litre 109 CDI and 111 CDI have respective power outputs of 99PS and 114PS while a larger 2.1-litre engine is offered in 114 CDI, 116 CDI and 119 BlueTec forms, with outputs of 136PS, 163PS and 190PS respectively.

Transmission is a six-speed manual as standard but customers of the 114 CDI and 116 CDI can specify a 7G-Tronic automatic as an option, plus buyers of the 119 BlueTec get the 7G-Tronic as standard. Service intervals are 25,000 miles or every two years across the board.

The cabin has been redesigned with a more car-like layout and improved material quality and plenty of adjustment for the seats and steering column. Options include systems like auto lights, auto wipers and blind spot assist, plus an in-built navigation system. 

Maximum payload is 1369kg and three lengths are offered from 4895mm to 5370mm, with a maximum height of below 2m, at 1910mm – ideal for low roofs in multi-storey car parks. Maximum permitted gross vehicle weight is up to 3200kg for rear-wheel drive models.