Mercedes-Benz Viano (2003 – 2015) Review

Mercedes-Benz Viano (2003 – 2015) At A Glance

3/5

+Generous amounts of space for passengers in all three rows of seats and very comfortable seats, tight turning circle, upmarket image.

-Engines are starting to feel dated and lack refinement you'd expect, ride is surprisingly bumpy, high number of recalls.

In a world of multi-purpose vehicles and crossovers, the Mercedes-Benz Viano stands out as a vehicle that predates all of this. Launched in 2003, the Viano mixes van-sized proportions with the ability to carry up to eight passengers plus luggage, which means it straddles the passenger car and commercial categories in a way few others manage.

It helps the Viano has the Mercedes three-pointed star on its prow to add a sheen of premium quality and luxury. That goes some way to offsetting the Viano’s considerable list price and a range of options that can further hike the price.

Balancing the books is choice of two turbodiesel engines. Most frugal is the 2.1-litre unit with 163PS that offers up to 38.7mpg, while the 3.0 V6 diesel has 224PS, comes with an automatic gearbox as standard and delivers 32.8mpg. The V6 is also more refined than the four-cylinder 2.1-litre motor, but neither is especially quiet.

This won’t trouble those sitting in the rear of the Viano so much. As well as offering seats for up to eight, the Viano can be configured with conference seating and central table. However, these occupants will be aware of suspension that fails to deliver the comfort found in Merc’s saloon models.