Mercedes-Benz Vito 2021 - CLASS OF ITS OWN??

The third generation version of the mid-size Mercedes Vito van has been revitalized by a mid-term update that's delivered the brand's latest OM654 series 2-litre diesel engine and the option of all-electric power too. There's also a light visual update, improvements to safety kit and some extra equipment. As before, there's a choice of front or rear-driven configurations and very class-competitive load capacity and payload stats. As a result, Stuttgart's medium-sized LCV contender looks better equipped than ever to take the fight to an increasingly impressive array of mid-sized rivals. One of the things you learn early on in business is that the cheapest options aren't always the best ones and that the way that you deliver your goods says plenty about them. Both things explain the appeal of the Mercedes-Benz of medium-range vans, this model, the Vito. It was first launched in third-generation form in 2015 and then it received a wide-reaching package of updates in 2020 which created the model that we're going to look at here. The Vito model line dates all the way back to 1996 when the first-generation W638 series design first hit the showrooms. It was replaced by a second-generation W639 series model in 2003. Both these LCVs could only be had in rear-driven form, but from launch in 2015, the Mk3 Vito widened its appeal by also offering front-wheel drive to customers of its lowest-powered engine. That proved to be a good move. It led to over 530,000 sales of this W447 series design in its first five years of production. This facelift package accompanies the transition into a completely different era with the Vittoria factory in Spain now all tooled up to produce an all-electric E-Vito variant with a 92-mile driving range. But of course, conventional diesel versions like the one that we're going to test here today must continue. LCV folks will still be fueling from the black pump for a good few years yet, and those people are favoured with a significantly cleaner and more efficient all-new 2.0-litre OM654 series diesel powerplant for the rear-driven variants. It's exclusively mated to a new 9-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox. In addition, there are also plenty of other changes in the range which continues to include both crew van and tourer people-carrying variants, as well as this conventional panel van, of course. Safety has taken a step forward with the introduction of new features which are filtered down from the Mercedes passenger car range, active brake assist, that's autonomous braking, and also there's an optional Distronic intelligent cruise control system. There's also a fresh infotainment portfolio, and the brand has made a few subtle changes to the front-end styling and to the cabin. All the practical stuff, though, remains much as before, so customers get a choice of three body lengths and two main trim options, and this remains the only van offering the choice of front or rear-wheel drive in this segment. Payload levels and carriage capacity volumes are still extremely competitive, and this Mercedes is particularly strong when it comes to residual values, and that gives it surprisingly affordable lease rates. This all sounds really quite promising, doesn't it? So let's put this van to the test. So what kind of business do you have? Well, if its deliveries are primarily long-distance ones, then Mercedes wants to sell you the long-legged version of this Vito, which, in this revised version, features a newly installed two-litre diesel engine, mated exclusively to automatic transmission. We'll get to that. If, though, as is possibly more likely, your company primarily makes urban-bound deliveries over shorter distances, then there are two quite different Vito options instead to consider. One is the all-electric eVito, and that's the variant that we'll brief you on in a moment, and one is a good deal more conventional, the 1.7-litre diesel engine, which props up the range. Now, we'll start with that base diesel, because that's the one we're trying here. The engine in question is basically the same one as you'll find in a rival Renault Trafic or Nissan NV300 model, although Mercedes has extensively tweaked it for Vito use, primarily with the addition of its own ECU unit. It comes only with manual transmission, and in two guises. There's a base 1.10 CDI model with 102 PS, but we'd highly recommend you find the extra for the uprated 1.14 CDI variant we're trying here, which ups power to 136 PS. That increases torque from 270 to 330 Nm, and that gives you a lot more mid-range punch and it'll make jobs like towing easier. Up to two tonnes can be hauled along by this Mercedes. Mind you, if you are thinking about towing, then you shouldn't be considering the 1.7-litre variant at all. Instead, you should be turning your attention to the Vito models, which use the lineup's newest engine, the OM654 Series 2.0-litre unit, which at last allows Mercedes to pension off the 2.1-litre powerplant, which is featured in rear-driven versions of this van for as long as we can remember. That elderly engine was often chosen paired to an automatic gearbox, the old Mercedes 7G-Tronic setup. Its replacement gets a smoother-shifting 9-speed 9G-Tronic autobox, which, interestingly, Mercedes has made mandatory for all rear-driven Vitos, and which comes paired to three variants of the 2.0-litre diesel. The least powerful of these develops 136 PS and is badged 1.14 CDI, which makes for quite a bit of confusion with the smaller engine model. Your other two options give you either 163 PS in the 1.16 CDI or 190 PS in the top 1.19 CDI. You'd think that granting this van basically the same twin-turbo common-rail diesel engine that you'll find in volume versions of the Mercedes E-Class Executive model would be a recipe for relaxed refinement, and so it proves. As you might expect, this powerplant has been modified a little for van use. It delivers more muscular, low-end pull, but the relaxed cruising ability that characterises this unit in a C-Class or an E-Class, or indeed in this Vitos MPV cousin, the V-Class, is perfectly preserved. The rear-driven drivetrain makes 2.0-litre versions of this van feel just that little bit more composed on the road. You accelerate more smoothly out of corners and you get better traction on slippery surfaces. Plus, there is the option of boosting towing capacity to 2.5 tonnes. For all that, though, you can't help thinking that a front-driven Vito like this one that we're trying here today would be more than adequate for most companies, unless perhaps they're urban-based operators choosing a mid-sized van like this with an eye to the environment and to the future, in which case Mercedes wants to interest them with the battery-powered E-Vito model that we mentioned earlier. Now, we expected the E-Vito to set a fresh standard for all-electric vans, and we had good reason to do so, having quite recently reviewed the EQV, the all-electric version of that V-Class MPV that we mentioned earlier, whose design this Mercedes van shares. The EQV has a 100kWh battery that develops 201hp total output, and it can offer a claimed driving range of up to 213 miles between charges. That kind of thing is currently unknown amongst all-electric LCVs. That's a pricey confection, though, pricier than Mercedes thinks operators will be prepared to stomach, so the E-Vito instead gets a battery less than half the size of its people-carrying counterpart, 41kWh, and that's linked to an electric motor with a far more modest 116PS output. The inevitable result is a far more limited 92-mile driving range, although this could fractionally rise to 103 miles in exclusive town use. That's not only rather limited compared to the EQV, more to the point, it's rather limited compared to direct EV mid-sized van segment rivals. To give you some class perspective, comparable 50kWh all-electric versions of the Vauxhall Vivaro, the Citroen Dispatch and the Peugeot Expert manage around 143 miles on a single charge. If all your business does is make low-mileage urban deliveries, that may not matter, and that's certainly what Mercedes is gambling on with this variant. Given that the brand already has the battery technology to do much better, though, you can expect to see things change really quite quickly, and if we were choosing, we would probably hold off until that happens. Those who take the plunge now into E-Vito ownership will quickly need to assume mastery over the various provided drive settings if they're going to maximise the range possible. There are three E-Vito drive programs, C, E and E+, which alter the drive system to cut power use, top speed is limited to 75 miles an hour anyway, while optimising ancillaries to boost efficiency. At the same time, you'll be using the provided steering wheel paddles to cycle through four brake recuperation levels, they're badged D-, D, D+, and D++. With D-, you get so much braking resistance when you come off a throttle that you hardly ever have to use your left foot at all. At the other extreme, with D++, the E-Vito will coast with virtually no off-throttle resistance at all. You would expect an all-electric Vito to be uber-refined, which of course it is. What will impress you far more, though, is to try a diesel-powered version of this model, like the one we're testing here, and marvel at just how well the usual LCV diesel rumble has been suppressed. No other mid-sized van in this class can match this level of refinement, and when you combine that with the superbly supportive ComfortSpec driver's seat, which is now fitted as standard, the result is that longer journeys in this Vito are considerably more pleasant than you think they're going to be. This is, in short, it's the most comfortable van that we've ever tested, and we can't pay it any greater compliment than that. Not everything's perfect, of course, the ride's a bit firmer than you might be used to in a van of this sort, and you'll particularly notice that if you come from a French-engineered rival. Still, the body movement is supple and well-controlled, and you'll quickly adapt to it, and you'll perhaps appreciate it if your delivery routes take in lots of country roads, on which this Mercedes' well-controlled levels of body roll become apparent. As usual, the load that you're carrying will make quite a bit of difference to the handling, if that load happens to be people rather than packages, as would likely be the case if you'd opted for the crew van or the Tourer rear-seated versions, then you'll want the response to be a little softer and perhaps more cosseting than it would be in a panel van varying like this one. So, the chassis settings for the Tourer model have been softened and fine-tuned for a slightly different remit, with detailed changes to everything from the spring rates to the support bearings and strut towers, from dampers to anti-roll bars and bearings. You can get the same package of softer suspension on the crew van variant as an option. This will make urban driving a little more comfortable, and that's an environment in which manoeuvrability has to be, obviously, prioritised. If that is the case, then bear in mind that going for a rear-driven Vito will give you a slightly tighter turning circle, as there are no driveshafts to limit the steering angle. Whatever version of this Mercedes you've chosen, around town you might be glad to note that because of the fact that overall vehicle height has been kept to 1,910mm, every variant, even those fitted with roof rails, will fit easily into a regular garage, limbo beneath the height restriction bar in a multi-storey car park, and will sail through car washes unscathed. Out on the open road, you might prefer a rear-driven variant fitted with the smooth-shifting 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, but the six-speed manual that you have to have with this 1.7-litre diesel, although it is a little notchy feeling at first, is lovely to use on prolonged acquaintance. Mercedes calls this transmission Eco-Gear, and that's labelling that refers to the way that its ratios are widely spaced for efficient running, topped and tailed by a very low geared first for snappier hill starts, fully loaded, and a long striding top to massage economy and refinement on the motorway. Otherwise things haven't really changed that much. Some writers continue to criticise the foot-operated parking brake, but we must admit that we rather like it, or at least we do, since Mercedes included in this Vito standard specification a hill-start assist system, which stops you from drifting backwards as you come off the handbrake before accelerating away from an uphill junction. Basing any van on an upmarket MPV is always going to help its aesthetics, and so it proves here. The Vito is essentially the commercial vehicle version of Mercedes' V-Class luxury MPV, so as for that car, you get slippery aerodynamics and a purposeful look with an arrow-shaped bonnet that flows down into a nose section that was considerably lengthened with the evolution into this W447 Series third generation model back in 2015. The only visual change with this facelifted Mk3 model launched five years on is a front grille updated so subtly that we're still squinting at it trying to see the differences over what went before. As before, there are three slats to differentiate it from that of the V-Class, which has only two, and also as before, a big three-pointed star dominates the centre of this appendage and it's flanked by sharply contoured wing-shaped headlamps which can be specified with an LED intelligent light system which adapts them to the road and the conditions. Move to the side and the profile is of course fundamentally determined by your choice of body length, anything from the compact L1 model measuring in at just under 4.9 metres to the biggest extra-long L3 variant measuring just under 5.4 metres. Most businesses will probably want this mid-length L2 body style, it measures just over 5.1 metres. From a profile perspective, changes to this revised Vito are restricted to different paint colours and to updated alloy wheel designs. There's a choice of rims between 16 and 19 inches in size. Whatever your preference of body length, you'll find that V-Class model's strong, sharp shoulder line flowing back into high-set taillights that, if required, can be embellished with blinker lights on the roof to improve urban visibility. Time to take a seat inside. The Vito's wide door opening and well-placed step mean that getting in is a simple enough manoeuvre and once you're seated aloft, you'll find a cab that's immaculately constructed and typically functional. Inevitably, you don't get the classy feel of the V-Class MPV that we were just talking about. Mercedes has moved clearly to differentiate the two models here with plastics toughened up for commercial use, but there is a feel of solid longevity that, in this class, only Volkswagen's Transporter can really match. Squeaks and rattles? Well, the Spanish manufacturing plant in Vitoria has ensured that there simply aren't any. As for the changes made to this updated Mk3 model, well, again, they are uber subtle. This smarter black Caluma seat fabric looks a bit nicer and the brand has standardised this 8-way adjustable comfort spec driver's seat which includes an armrest and you get head restraints adjustable for angle as well as for height. Other updates include air vents on the left and right hand edge of the instrument panel which now have a sportier turbine look. You can now also specify an optional chrome package which frames the vents in silver and adds a piano lacquer frame for the central dashboard. A more significant change lies with the adoption of a much larger screen for the central dash infotainment system up from 5.8 to 7 inches. Now, because this is merely a facelift, not a whole new model generation, the brand hasn't been able to add in the latest generation MBUX infotainment setup that you'll find on all its cars and on the larger Sprinter van. Still, the standard media package that you do get here has at least been decently upgraded. The standard Audio 30 system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as well as usual Bluetooth and DAB tuner features. The lack of the kind of voice control element that you would get with the MBUX setup is partially compensated for by the inclusion of a useful feature that direct rivals will make you pay more for, a rear view camera. Here we have the optional upgraded Audio 40 setup which has navigation, but you don't really need that because the standard system's smartphone mirroring means that you can just add your phone-based navigational apps onto this monitor. Otherwise, things are exactly as before. A single passenger seat is optional, but otherwise there's the usual two-person bench-style passenger seat which, as usual with this kind of arrangement, means that the legroom for the central passenger is impeded by this gear lever. For all that, though, you'd surely want this arrangement for emergency transport of an extra person or perhaps merely for dropping the kids off at school on your way to work. The quality feel that we referenced earlier, well, that's exemplified by this smart three-spoke multifunction steering wheel which isn't set at such a bus-like angle as you will find in some competitors. Through it, you view clear, round, classy dials which are separated by an information display. Otherwise, most of the key controls lie on the centre console with its big, durable buttons. Lower down the fascia, a smartly fashioned gear stick protrudes from an integrated moulding that's shaped to allow it to fall easily to hand. Some buyers might be less impressed by Mercedes' decision to continue with a foot-operated handbrake which feels awkward on initial acquaintance. We think you'll quickly get used to that, though, and we reckon this solution is infinitely preferable to the option some rivals give you, either a fiddly fascia button or a conventional lever mounted between the seat and the door which will snag your trousers as you get out. On to cabin stowage, a failing of earlier generation Vito models. Now, we remarked on first acquaintance with this mark three design back in 2015 that things seemed much better, but five years on, its failings seem more acute as competitor cabins have improved. It's now common in this class to get a central passenger seat which folds down to reveal the kind of table which could enable you to work with a laptop while you're waiting for a customer. You'll look in vain for that, and also for things like a clipboard holder which pops up into your line of sight, or a bespoke cradle to keep your smartphone in your line of sight too. You can't have any of those things here, even as options. Still, at least the basics are reasonably well dealt with, so there's less likelihood of the cab getting cluttered up with the McDonald's wrappers, the MacBooks and the thermos flasks of everyday life. On top of the dash here, there are cup holders to the far left and the far right, and in between lie three large open stowage areas, each has been partly covered by a top to prevent the windscreen reflections. Open cubbies flank the ventilation controls on the centre console here, with a further open stowage area beneath the gear stick. The door pockets are spacious and versatile too, with a small shelf halfway up for little items and a bigger one further down which can take larger things like drink bottles of up to 1.5 litres in size. Okay, time to guide you through the Vito range which offers three body lengths, L1, L2 and L3, two trim levels, progressive and premium, and three powertrain options, a small diesel with front-wheel drive, a big diesel with rear-wheel drive and a front-driven all-electric model. There are no roof height options, you'll need Mercedes' bigger Sprinter model for that, but otherwise Vito customers aren't short of choice, particularly as there are also three body styles. This panel van is joined in the range by a six-seater crew van which has rear windows and second-row seating in the loading bay, and there's also a Tourer minibus variant which can seat up to nine folk in a vehicle which is essentially much the same as Mercedes' much pricier V-Class MPV. It's the panel van though which is our focus here, with ex-vat pricing starting from around £23,000. We will brief you on the electric e-Vito in a minute, but most customers are going to be looking at the diesel part of the panel van range which is these days really split into two distinct parts. Now, the affordable variants, as we've said, come with a smaller diesel that we've been trying here. It's 1,749cc in size and it's mated to front-wheel drive and it makes most sense for lighter loads and urban-bound use. This unit can only be had with manual transmission and it's available in two states of tune, the base 110 CDI with 102 PS or, as in this case, the 114 CDI with 134 PS. For heavier transport and longer distance work though, you're going to need this Mercedes with rear-wheel drive and with an improved two-litre diesel engine underneath the bonnet. If you go for that pokier diesel variant, you're going to have to have automatic transmission and this is a more sophisticated gearbox than any other rival in the segment can offer. It's a nine-speed 9G-tronic transmission that has been borrowed from the Stuttgart brand's passenger car range. This 1,950cc engine is available in three states of tune. The least powerful variant, rather confusingly, is also called the 114 CDI and it puts out 134 PS. Above that, there's a 116 CDI variant with 163 PS and a 119 CDI version with 190 PS. On to the Vito value proposition, which, since the introduction of this Mk3 model in 2015, has been transformed at the affordable end of the line-up, thanks to the addition of that front-driven 1.7-litre model option. That's a power plant which has brought this vehicle within the reach of businesses with a sub-£25,000 ex-vat budget. Rival Renault Traffic and Nissan NV300 models use much the same engine and these are vehicles that this Mercedes can now target reasonably directly on price. Even the pokier and more capable rear-driven Vito 2.0-litre variants look reasonable value in the £26,000 to £34,000 ex-vat bracket, provided your focus can be shifted to slightly more expensive mid-sized vans like Ford's Transit Custom and Volkswagen's Transporter. If, having considered that, you or your company are tempted towards Vito ownership and you're clear on the drive layout that you want, your other key task will lie in choosing the right body length for your business. Now, there are three options, compact L1, long L2, as in this case, and extra-long L3. Now, we'd suggest you go as large as your budget will allow. After all, because the Vito range doesn't offer any high-roof options, lengthening the wheelbase is the only way of maximising this vehicle's carriage capacity. And the premium to do that isn't especially great. To move from the L1 to the L2 body style costs an extra £400 ex-vat, with £530 more getting you the supersized L3 variant. Now, we mentioned the all-electric e-Vito variant earlier, which has a 92-mile driving range. With that model, you only get the two longer body lengths, L2 and L3, but the same two trim levels, and prices start from around £41,000 for a base progressive model. Almost all e-Vitos will be sold on finance, and at the time of this test in spring 2021, the base variant was costing operators £549 a month, including a service care contract with a £3,219 customer advance rental. You'll want to know about gross vehicle weight and payload capacity. All buyers of Vito panel van diesel models get a 2.8-tonne gross vehicle weight as standard. With the crew van, it's 3,050 kilos. Panel van customers can increase this to 3 tonnes or 3.2 tonnes at extra cost. As for payload, well, shop around the various engine trim and body length options, and you'll find that this can vary quite a bit, between 646 and 818 kilos. The e-Vito only comes with a 3.2-tonne gross vehicle weight, and its payload capacity is between 890 and 905 kilos. On to equipment. Even with base progressive trim, the Vito comes decently equipped with front fog lights, twin sliding side doors, heated powered mirrors, hill start assist to stop you from drifting backwards on uphill junctions, plus a full steel bulkhead, along with a tough composite wood resin non-slip floor in the load bay, and also a proper full-size spare wheel to go with the standard 16-inch steel rims. All Vito buyers also get a Speedtronic variable speed limiter with cruise control and heat insulating glass. There's also a particularly good Fatshim Category 1 alarm package, which includes cab interior and load space monitoring with double locks, a battery backup, and tow-way protection. The wheel across the range, an eight-way adjustable comfort spec driver's seat with an arm rest, has been standardised since the last time we tested this van, as has a much larger 7-inch central infotainment screen, a higher quality Audio 30 stereo system complete with a DAB tuner, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, smartphone mirroring. Also, there's a useful feature that direct rivals will make you pay more for, a rear view camera. To be honest, though, we would rather have seen air conditioning make the standard spec sheet. All Vito buyers also get a trip computer, a locking glovebox, and a reach-and-rake adjustable multifunction steering wheel. The three-person front bench, that comes as standard, but you can replace that if you wish with two individual seats if you really want them. What you don't get with a standard progressive spec model is body-coloured bumpers. Some operators don't like those. They think that they get too easily scratched. But if you do want them, then they are available, and that's as part of an optional Plus Pack, which, for £1,700 more, also adds in the missing air conditioning system, Mercedes Tempmatic setup, that is, along with full wheel covers and an active parking assist system, and that will steer you into spaces. Owner drivers, though, may well want to stretch to the top of the range and get themselves premium trim, but this only comes with the 2-litre diesel engine, rear-wheel drive, auto gearbox combination, and it gives you all the progressive and Plus Pack elements, along with a selection of extra niceties, namely 17-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, a chrome radiator grille, electrically folding exterior mirrors, and velour floor mats. If you happen to be looking at the crew van version of this model, and you want the two most potent 114 or 116 CDI engines, then you'll be offered a third sport trim option. This will give you an upgraded Audio 40 infotainment system with navigation, black leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, sport suspension, AMG side skirts, LED head and tail lamps, roof rails, heated windscreen washers, plus a larger fuel and AdBlue tank, along with chrome interior details, as well as identifying bonnet and sill graphics. Whichever Vito you choose, it'll come with an app. There's always an app, isn't there? Now, this one is called Mercedes Pro Connect, and it offers you free access to optimised assistance, giving you real-time reports of critical parts and fluids, as well as journey logs, theft warning reports, accident and breakdown management, and live traffic information. Via this app, you can lock or unlock your Vito from wherever you are, and if you loan it out, the app can tell you whether the vehicle has crossed a pre-set geographical boundary. In addition, for the eVito, the app can allow you to pre-condition the climate system, so that your van will be pre-warmed or pre-cooled before you get into it. Plus, the app can highlight the location of nearby public charging stations. So, that's covered off what you get as standard. What about options? Well, we'll start by pointing out that virtually all the extras included as part of top premium trim can be ordered as options on a progressive model like this one. So, you'd probably do better to choose this more affordable spec level and then add in the elements that you want. And beyond that, well, where to start, really? I mean, seats are important, of course. Optional lumbar support, that would be well worth the investment if you spend your life behind the wheel. We would want the seat heating option too, or if you're someone who frequently gets in and out of their van, say a delivery driver, then the plus driver seat option will be welcome. And that's designed with more rugged seat fabric and it's shaped to allow you to more easily slide back and forth. You can add heating and lumbar support into the co-driver's seat too, whether it be a bench or the optional individual chair. And leatherette upholstery is also optional. What about a bit of extra technology? Well, we probably wouldn't bother with the optional upgrade to the Audio 40 infotainment system, which includes navigation. You can, after all, simply use the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring systems to instead transfer navigational apps like Waze from your phone onto that central screen. We'd be instead more likely to consider the optional LED intelligent light system, which adjusts the headlamps to suit the light, the road and the weather conditions, and which automatically dips them for you at night. The rain sensing wipers and the auto dimming headlights, which come with that package, they can also be ordered separately. What about other driving orientated options? Well, if you regularly deliver to rough road sites, you might want the 10 millimetre ground clearance increase. If you have to tow, you'll want to add in the electrical preparation for a trailer coupling and the trailer load increase option that boosts towing capacity to 2,500 kilograms, and it allows your vehicle to pull along an extra 500 kilos. If you deliver in urban areas and you want your van to be more visible in town, then you might want the blinker lights on the roof option, and maybe also the reversing warning bleeper device. You can also add in either all-season tyres or modern slush tyres, and you can upgrade to a larger 70 litre fuel tank. Owner drivers might like to consider luxury extras like thermotronic automatic climate control, interior ambient lighting, illuminated sun visor vanity mirrors, and the leather covering for the steering wheel, the gear knob and the gear shift gaiter. These buyers might also want to consider various aesthetic upgrades too. There's a selection of different alloy wheel styles with 17, 18 and 19 inch rim options. You can add in black tinted rear windows, and there's a chrome interior package if you want to give the cabin some extra bling. Talking of aesthetics, remember that you'll almost certainly end up having to pay your Mercedes dealer more for your choice of paint colour. Only one shade is offered as standard with each of the main two trim levels, solid arctic white with progressive trim and obsidian black with premium spec. Otherwise you'll be paying Mercedes more for one of the various solid or metallic paint shade options. We have brilliant silver here. Don't forget the practicalities either. Now with these in mind, we'd want to look at a few extra cost load bay features. Tying things down will be a great deal easier if you go for the extra sidewall lashing rails or the load securing system that gives you a couple of securing rails on the cargo bed floor. A window in the full height bulkhead, that might be useful too. And night time loading of course will be a lot easier if your Vito has the LED light strip which can be fitted into the cargo area roof. Protecting the load bay walls would be sensible too with extra cost upper sidewall cladding or possibly a full plywood panelling kit up to roof height. There's a wooden load floor option too. For the roof there are carrier bars and roof rails available and you can add windows into the sliding side doors. Your dealer can also sell you an upgraded 14 volt 250 amp alternator, pollen filter, grab handles for the cabin doors, heated windscreen nozzles, a warning triangle and a fire extinguisher with first aid kit. We also think the optional centre console with integrated storage compartment for extra cabin storage, that might be useful too. If you drive to areas or countries where you might have to fill up with dodgy diesel, then we'd also recommend that you specify the fuel filter with water separated too. Additionally there is an diesel driven hot water auxiliary heating package that allows you to warm or ventilate the interior of your Vito before your journey begins. On to safety. Now Mercedes likes us to think that this Vito is a safety leader in the segment, pointing out that this was the first LCV to ever be fitted with an airbag and seatbelt reminders. Today in a Vito you get a driver and a passenger airbag as standard, but side and curtain airbags unfortunately they remain on the panel van options list. What Mercedes has done here though is to at last include autonomous braking as standard equipment. Their active safety assist system which as you drive will scan the road ahead in search of potential accident hazards. Now if one is detected you'll be warned, if you don't respond or perhaps you aren't able to then your Vito will be automatically braked to either decrease the severity of any resulting accident or hopefully if your speed is low enough to avoid it altogether. Mercedes has also added a standard accident recovery and breakdown management feature and with this the vehicle will automatically call the Mercedes-Benz customer assistance centre at the press of a button to provide the driver with professional help in the event of an emergency. Otherwise the safety tally is much as it was, so there's an attention assist system which is there to monitor your reactions for drowsiness and if necessary to prompt you to stop for a restorative coffee. You also get a crosswind assist system which automatically steadies the vehicle on blustery days. More familiar electronic assistance is provided by adaptive ESP stability control, ASR traction control, an anti-rollover system and a tyre pressure monitoring setup. You also get the usual ABS brakes with EBD electronic brake force distribution to make them more effective and a BAS brake assist system which maximizes pedal pressure in emergency stops. These will be advertised to following motorists by automatically activating flashing brake lights with the hazard lights cutting in when you finally come to a halt. There's even a feature which will wipe your brake discs in wet weather so that they are always at their optimum for sudden stops and we really approve of the innovative rescue assist QR codes that feature on the door pillars and which in the event of an accident would help the emergency services to cut the vehicle in order to get you out. And finally there is a TSA trailer stability assist system which detects the presence of a trailer and then appropriately adjusts the ESP stability control system to prevent fishtailing. If you want to go further then various other key safety and drive assist options are on offer. A pre-safe feature can pre-tension your seat belts and close the windows if the electronics deem a crash to be inevitable. You can also specify two extra camera safety features, lane keeping assist which warns you if you're drifting out of your lane on the highway and blind spot assist which stops you from dangerously pulling out to overtake when there is a vehicle in your blind spot. Those two features also come in two packages. You get them bundled together in the optional lane tracking package and they're also included in the alternative active safety package and that's along with headlamp assist to dip your headlights for you at night. Freshly added to the options list for this revised model is Mercedes Active Assist DISTRONIC system which will be useful for long distance veto drivers. This setup borrowed from luxury Mercedes cars automatically maintains the distance to vehicles in front. The system accelerates the vehicle by itself and brakes it with a maximum of half of the vehicle's braking force to maintain a safe distance. And so to the business end these twin rear doors come as standard and they can open out to either 90 or 180 degrees. Although this vehicle comes in both front and rear wheel drive guises carriage capacity is identical either way. That by the way speaks volumes about the efficient manner in which the rear wheel drive mechanicals have been packaged. You'll want to know about payload capacity. Now all panel van versions of this Mercedes come as standard with a 2.8 ton gross vehicle weight with the option of upgrading to a 3.05 ton GVW. Opt for the bigger 2 litre engine and there's a further option of upgrading to a top 3.2 ton GVW. Upgrading in that way might be well worth considering. Go for a standard 2.8 ton front driven variant and you'll be able to haul between 646 and 818 kilos about depending on the body length, the trim and the engine combination you choose. But if you were to say specify your 2 litre veto with a 3.2 ton gross vehicle weight option the result would be the potential to carry a maximum payload capacity which could be as much as 1,255 kilos and that's a difficult figure to beat in this class. The all-electric EV2 gets a 3.2 ton gross vehicle weight as standard and it delivers payload capacities of between 890 and 905 kilos depending on body length. What about loading capacity across the range? Well since veto buyers don't get a choice of roof height this will depend entirely between buyers choice of body length. Now the shortest L1 body style that will give you 5.5 cubic meters of capacity and 2,568 mils of load bay length. Move on to this L2 variant and you get 6 cubic meters and 2,831 mils of length. Finally the extra long L3 version gives you a spacious 6.6 cubic meters and 3,061 millimeters of load bay length. Three dimensions are the same for all vetoes though. Firstly there's a loading sill height over which you have to lump your cargo that's 558 millimeters then the loading bay height 1,391 mils and finally the loading bay width 1,685 mils from side to side or 1,270 between the wheel arches. That's just enough to slide in a euro pallet. In fact the most spacious L3 derivative that would easily allow you to fit in three euro pallets in line in here. Now we should mention that none of those load bay stats that we just mentioned are affected whether you choose front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or diesel or all electric battery power. We just mentioned pallets, well you can also fit one in through these sliding side doors. There's one each side provided the standard. Get your stuff in and you'll find plenty of tie down points here to keep it from moving around. If despite all this provision you still forget to tie things down then there are protective panels which guard against interior scrapes and dents. As usual with an LCV though it'd be really sensible to pay extra for a full plywood paneling kit up to roof high like we have here. There's a wood load floor option too. There's no load through flap of the kind that competitors offer to allow longer items like pipes, pieces of timber and ladders to be pushed through from the cargo area here into the cab. However this 370 millimeter floor recess is provided which extends under the passenger seats but doesn't intrude into the cabin. Keeping costs down will be a priority for potential owners. People who might reasonably expect that opting for this smaller 1749cc diesel engine mated to a manual gearbox, the front driven package that we're trying here, will be more economical than choosing instead the larger 2 litre engine mated to automatic transmission. That is incidentally what you have to have on the rear driven model. Not a bit of it though, the 2 litre variants are considerably more efficient and that's mainly because the 1950cc OM654 series power plant is a far more modern engine. It's able to improve on the efficiency showings of the previous 2.1 litre unit by up to 13%. How is it managed that? Well here's the science bit. The 2 litre powertrain features innovations like high and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation, a diesel oxidation catalytic converter which cuts down carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions, a particulate filter with SDPF catalytic converter functionality and there's an additional selective reduction catalytic converter with an ammonia slip catalytic converter in the exhaust gas duct. There's also an SCR catalytic converter for reducing nitrogen oxides that uses an AdBlue additive and that's something that you'll need to keep topped up via the provided 24 litre AdBlue tank. Enough with tech talk, let's get on to the WLTP figures. Both diesel power plants do of course conform to the latest Euro 6D temp spec and whatever state of tune you select with either of the two diesel engines the figures are basically the same. With the 1.7 litre engine and progressive spec, the kind of manual gearbox and front driven Vita we're trying here, you're looking at up to 38.2 mpg on the combined cycle and up to 174 grams per kilometre of CO2. With the 2 litre engine and progressive spec, the rear driven auto gearbox Vito formula, you're looking at up to 39.2 mpg on the combined cycle and up to 157 grams per kilometre of CO2. Of course if you're really interested in running cost efficiency you'll be really interested in the all-electric eVito model, well you will be providing your deliveries are mainly urban based anyway. That's because the driving range of this full battery variant is a fairly meagre 92 miles. It's the kind of range that, well for the time being anyway, is pretty par for the course amongst BEV mid and large sized vans. You can expect that capability to extend rapidly over the next few years though. The 92 mile reading is a combined figure by the way. It will rise to 95 miles in rural driving or 103 miles in urban use but it would fall to 85 miles on the motorway. All these eVito mileage stats are based on use of the eVito's balanced drive mode E. There's also a range extending E plus drive mode which is supposed to help facilitate a longer range when it's combined with an anticipatory driving style. Now to achieve the quoted results you'll also need to make proactive use of the various provided brake regeneration modes, principally the two most severe ones D and D minus. From a charging point to replenish the 41 kilowatt hour battery, only 35 kilowatt hours of which is actually usable, Mercedes quotes a six hour charging time and that's based on three phase charging. Most eVito customers though, will for the time being anyway, stick with one of the diesel engines. Now service intervals for these are determined by the standard assist service computer which calculates when garage visits are needed based on actual vehicle usage. Now if you want some stats to plan around though, Mercedes quotes the need for service intervals either every two years or every 25,000 miles and it offers flexible service care plans which enable you to budget ahead for maintenance. What else? Well residuals should be class leading. Independent experts CAP reckon that after a year and 20,000 miles of use, a typical eVito 114 CDI front driven manual progressive plus like this one would still be worth 18,175 pounds. After two years and 40,000 miles the residual figure would be 14,150 pounds. After three years and 50,000 miles it'll be 10,975 pounds and after four years and 80,000 miles it'll be 8,375. Compare those figures against a volume brand rival and you can see why eVito's whole life costs stack up so well. Insurance groups range between 36e and 41e. There's also an unlimited mileage three-year warranty with 12 years of anti-perforation cover. Plus you get the unique Mercedes-Benz Mobilo Van UK package with a 24-hour roadside assistance cover for up to 30 years providing you get your vehicle regularly serviced at one of Mercedes franchise dealers. With this improved Vito model Mercedes shows just how serious it is about the mid-sized van segment. The latest OM654 series 2-litre diesel engine is a useful step forward as is the option of an all-electric eVito model and the 1.7 litre diesel we've been trying here positions this Mercedes as a realistically priced alternative to that Volkswagen Transporter or Ford Transit Custom that you might otherwise have been thinking about. Previous Vito models had to rely quite heavily on strong build quality, high residuals and brand equity to justify premium pricing. This one though is good enough to take its rivals on directly whether the measurement is on a price, payload or efficiency. Plus extra media, autonomous driving and safety technology has brought this LCV bang up to date. Other issues? A few. High pricing and a relatively limited driving range will put a lot of operators off the eVito variant. Others won't like the fact that across the Vito range there are no higher roof height options. This test has reminded us that there's still more work that could be done in terms of entry-level engine efficiency and whatever Vito you choose you'll certainly be paying more for it than would be the case with a directly comparable mid-sized volume brand rival. But you also get more too. A better business image, longer lasting build quality and the lower depreciation that goes with both of those things. You should also report that this is the most comfortable van to drive over long distances that we've ever tested. Customers for mid-range LCVs will always have cheaper options of course, nearly all though are lacking this van's most crucial ingredient, star quality.