Mercedes-Benz Citan Tourer (2015 – 2021) Review

Mercedes-Benz Citan Tourer (2015 – 2021) At A Glance

Cheapest way to get a seven-seater Mercedes-Benz, available with a petrol engine.

Interior is dated and unsophisticated compared to Ford Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy, feels too much like the Kangoo.

It's no secret that the Citan - the smallest van in the Mercedes-Benz range - is based on the Renault Kangoo. You only have to look at the basic shape to realise both are the same van. But unlike the Kangoo, you can get an MPV version - called the Citan Tourer.

Originally called the Traveliner, it is available with seven seats if you go for the extra-long body and represents the cheapest way to get a people carrier with the three-pointed star on the bonnet (well grille). The last time the brand had anything like this was when it launched the short-lived Vaneo.

It's very much in the mould of the original Renault Kangoo and Citroen Berlingo Multispace. In other words a practical, unpretentious and versatile mover that's not ashamed of its van-based origins. If anything the fact it is a van should give buyers plenty of confidence in the build quality and durability.

The looks are nothing to get excited about. In fact the Citan is quite ungainly, especially with the extra-long body as shown in our pictures. If it's style you're after it may be best to look elsewhere. To make it look a little nicer you'll need the optional £695 Appearance Pack which replaces the black plastic bumpers and steel wheels with body-coloured bumpers and mirrors plus 16-inch alloys.

It's a similar story inside with a solid but drab cabin layout in the front. It's fairly utilitarian but also fuss-free, so while there are few bells and whistles, everything is incredible simple to use. The aftermarket-looking stereo is awful though with fiddly buttons. At least it offers good sound plus you can connect your iPod to it.

A 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine is available but most Citan Tourer's are chosen with a diesel. The CDI unit pulls smoothly and while it's no ball of fire, it's a relaxed and quiet enough engine, albeit it not as good as the TDCi in the Ford Transit Connect which has more power and better refinement.

It's difficult to make a case for the Mercedes-Benz Citan compared to the Caddy Maxi Life or Tourneo Connect. Both are better alternatives that are cheaper and come more generously equipped. While the Citan may carry the Mercedes badge, the truth is it feels too much like a Kangoo.

It's dated inside and while the rear is practical, it's not as versatile or as user-friendly as the Ford. The van-based people carrier game has moved on. And it seems the Citan Tourer has been left behind.

Driving the Mercedes-Benz Citan Tourer (2015 – 2021)

The Traveliner is available with a petrol engine - a 1.2-litre turbocharged unit with 114PS - but not if you go for the extra-long model with seven seats. This limits you to the 109 CDI or 111 CDI models.

Both are powered by the same 1.5-litre Renault-sourced diesel. The 109 CDI offers more than adequate power with 90PS and a decent 200Nm of torque, plus it's economical with a claimed 65.7mpg.

The CDI unit pulls smoothly and while it's no ball of fire, it's a relaxed and quiet enough engine, albeit it not as good as the TDCi in the Ford Transit Connect which has more power and better refinement.

On the motorway the Citan Traveliner cruises along reasonably quietly while the ride is pretty good. It's a touch firm but the dampers are well set up so on poor quality roads the Citan doesn't get too unsettled or noisy.

Mercedes-Benz Citan Tourer (2015 – 2021) interior

The cabin of the Citan Tourer is solid but drab. But while there are few bells and whistles, everything is at least incredibly simple to use. The aftermarket-looking stereo is awful though with fiddly buttons. At least it offers good sound plus you can connect your iPod to it.

What the Citan Traveliner does offer is practicality. And plenty of it. The sliding side doors on both sides are great if you have to fit child seats and make getting in and out of the back - especially the rearmost row - much easier.

You'll also appreciate them when parked in tight supermarket car parks or multi-storeys. It's a shame then that they feel flimsy and don't slide especially smoothly. On the plus side they do have electric windows fitted.

The extra-long Citan Tourer comes with asymmetrical barn doors at the rear rather than the top-hinged tailgate that's available in the standard 'long' wheelbase model. The barn doors make it easier to access the boot if you're parked in a tight space, but the tailgate can be handy as a shelter - for instance if kids are sat on the boot ledge changing out of muddy wellies.

The middle row of seats is comfortable and offers plenty of headroom and reasonable legroom. It also comes with two Isofix child seat mounting points. Getting to the extra two rear seats is not so easy though - the middle seats only fold forward slightly so you have to clamber over them.

Once there. there's reasonable room for children but older teenagers and adults will find it cramped for knee room. The middle row folds flat easily but annoyingly the rearmost seats have to be removed completely if you want to maximise load space - they're heavy and it's an awkward job.

Model History

September 2012: Mercedes-Benz Citan announced
April 2013: Awarded three stars by Euro NCAP
November 2013: Retested by Euro NCAP and awarded four stars:
June 2014: Extra-Long Traveliner Citan launched
May 2015: Citan Tourer updated

September 2012

Mercedes-Benz Citan announced

The turbodiesel direct-injection Mercedes-Benz unit with a displacement of 1.5-litres is supplied in three different output levels:

Citan 108 CDI, output 75PS, torque 180Nm
Citan 109 CDI, output 90PS, torque 200Nm
Citan 111 CDI, output 110PS, torque 240Nm

The range is complemented by a 1.2-litre petrol engine:

Citan 112, output 114PS, torque 190Nm.

One of the Citan's trademarks is fuel economy. It not only displays impressive maintenance intervals of up to 25,000 miles or two years, but also boasts the lowest fuel consumption in its class.

The combined fuel consumption of the Citan 108 CDI BlueEfficiency and Citan 109 CDI BlueEfficiency is 65.7mpg. Despite its compact dimensions, the new Citan panel van is spacious inside. The load compartment of the panel van measures 1.36 m, 1.75 m or 2.13 m long (Citan Compact, Long, Extra Long). The corresponding volumes are 2.4 m3, 3.1 m3 or 3.8 m3. Depending on the length and weight variant, the payload is about 500 kg (Citan Compact), 650 kg (Long) or 800 kg (Extra Long).

April 2013

Awarded three stars by Euro NCAP

The assessors say the Citan 'fails to shine in a market segment poorly equipped for safety.' The Citan raised concerns primarily for passenger safety. In the test, it had weaknesses inside - the dashboard was a hazard to the knees and femurs of occupants. Dummy readings of chest compression indicated marginal protection of the driver's chest, also. However, the side curtain airbag did not deploy as intended, getting caught on the upper seat belt anchorage point, and the car was penalised. The same thing happened with the curtain airbag in the side pole test.

November 2013

Retested by Euro NCAP and awarded four stars:

79% Adult protection; 81% Child protection; 56% Pedestrian protection; 70% Safety Assist. The improvements made by Mercedes-Benz to the side airbag deployment proved successful and the Citan scored maximum points in the side barrier test with good protection of all body regions.

June 2014

Extra-Long Traveliner Citan launched

Based on the extra-long version of the Citan (length 4,705 mm), with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 2.2 t, the extra-long Traveliner offers a new third seat row, consisting of two individual seats.

These are independently adjustable fore-and-aft by 130 mm, and can be individually folded down, or removed as required. They can be easily accessed once the seats in the middle row have been folded down. Passengers in the rear row have additional stowage facilities in the side wall panels.

Depending on the position of the individual seats, the load space behind them will take between 300 and 400 litres of luggage. Removing the seats in the third row increases the cargo capacity of Citan to 2,200 litres. And if the middle row of three seats is folded down too, the load space is enlarged again to 3,500 litres.

The Citan is highly practical, as highlighted by the standard equipment for the extra-long Traveliner, which includes a flexible cover for the load compartment, as well as load-securing rings in the floor for securing the cargo when the seats are folded down or removed.

Available to order from August 2014 in the UK, the new model variant offers a choice of two engine output ratings, as either the Citan 109 CDI (90PS) or the Citan 111 CDI (110PS), with prices starting from £17,810 plus VAT.

May 2015

Citan Tourer updated

As well as new technical features, the Citan Traveliner has a new name: the Citan Tourer. This brings the nomenclature for the Citan in line with the new Vito.As from June all Mercedes-Benz Citan Tourer models will comply with the Euro 6 emissions regulations as standard. For Citan van variants, Euro 6 compliance will become available later in 2015 as an option, well in advance of this becoming a legal obligation.

The new emissions standard has certainly made Citan clean for th e future: all variants of Citan with diesel engine achieve Euro 6 through internal engine measures and a storage-type NOx catalytic converter.

All Citan Tourer models come with the BlueEFFICIENCY package as standard. Among other features, this includes an ECO start/stop function and improved fuel consumption for the diesel models up to 65.7mpg.

Progressing to Euro 6 actually increases maximum torque by 20Nm for each diesel engine, to figures ranging between 200Nm and 260Nm. This translates into a noticeable rise in pulling power of around 10%. Output remains unchanged at between 75PS and 110PS.

'Long' Tourer models registered are available with a panoramic roof featuring split tilting skylights above the front seats if desired. The glass is tinted and each half can be opened manually and separately in the direction of travel. Over the rear, the new integral panorama skylight ensures that the interior is flooded with light.

A new navigation system developed specially for Citan points the way to the destination. The device is sized to the 1-DIN format and is operated via a touch-sensitive 87 mm (3.5-inch) screen. As well as GPS navigation with maps for Western Europe, the equipment includes a USB port, a micro SD card slot, AUX interface and Bluetooth. The DAB+ digital transmission standard ensures excellent radio reception. (DAB+ is expected to be available from Q4 2015). A new optional reversing camera makes manoeuvres at low speed easier, thereby boosting safety.