Cheap, but not nasty

BECAUSE I always answer “a panel van” when I get the frequently asked question, “What is the best bakkie”, I was all but palpitating to attend the launch of the new Vito at the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria this week, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.

Vans, if you don’t know, already offer a canopy to protect the load, they cost a lot less to run, their floors are low enough to easily load any object and — depending on your transport needs — you can
fit cargo restrainers, seats with three-point seat belts, or a double bed with a glitter ball and black velvet ceiling, such as the Kiwis like in New Zealand..

The Vito was already a very good medium-sized van to start with, which is why the MD at Merc’s vans, Nicolette Lambrechts, had to sharpen her pencil to a fine point indeed to make the latest model range even better.
She did this by adding front-wheel drive versions (more on this below); by making the service intervals longer, up to 40 000 up from 30 000, and boosting the service plans from the previous five-year/90 000 km to an unprecedented five-year/120 000 km for all models.

Lambrechts said this was one of the things clients wanted, and clients’ needs across the world were what drove the new Vito’s improvements.

Lambrechts said these customers had one demand in common, “even more reliability”.

The end result is a van that can safely shuttle from toddlers up to well over a ton of payload.

“Never before has there been as much Vito as there is now. It is a payload giant, a dwarf in costs, and a safety expert. It is truly the best van in mid-size segment that will drive the success of most demanding owners in most challenging businesses,” said Lambrechts.

Basic underpinnings, many choices

Two engines and four model ranges are on offer — the usual bare-bones panel van, which has the highest payload among the medium-sized vans; the Mixto, which competes with VW’s Crewcab; and either a Tourer Pro model — aimed at airport shuttlers companies, or a Tourer Select — aimed at families or companies.

Tall okes will be delighted that the seats in the panel van can now move eight centimetres further back, which makes a big difference in the comfort stakes, but I would have liked the centrally mounted gear console to be moved higher, away from my left shin. And it has to be said, the H1 has more cup holders in the back. These things matter for the bored passenger. 

Lambrechts said the Vito’s total cost of ownership has been reduced by 2,6 l/100 km and the optional seven-speed automatic transmission with Blue tech will consume only 5 l/100 km. A drag coefficient of 0,32 helped to reduce fuel consumption to these levels.
The materials inside the new Vito have been tested in 45-degree heat near Upington in the Northern Cape and all are of good quality, although the entry-level radio with the tiny white on black read ouut really does not belong in a van of this stature. Buyers are well-advised to opt for higher spec radio with full the colour screen. Still, all the radios are served by an AUX jack, USB port and even a card reading slot, so you really don't have to fiddle with the radio tuner if you don't want to.

Pull front or push the rear

Back to that front-wheel drive system, the benefit is that it adds the lightness legendary race car-builder Colin Chapman was always going on about. The new front-wheel drive system in the range is very light and can carry a payload of 1 344 kg — the most in this class.

As drivers of the Fiat Ducato and Hyundai H1 medium sized vans will tell you, a front-wheel drive van offers better traction in sticky or slippery situations, where you can use the front wheels to pull yourself out of trouble instead of pushing yourself deeper into it.

And yes, it is Renault's 1,6 engine common rail turbo diesel engine, which is also used in Merc’s A-Class, that drives the Vito.

Now pulling from the front is nice, but bakkie drivers will tell you that piling more weight on the rear wheels increase the transfer of power to the tar  or sand (thank you, Newton’s second law) which rwd better-suited for those long road deliveries and to pull trailers.

The rear-wheel drive Vito is powered by a 2,2, four-cylinder engine with three power output levels:
- 100 kW in the 114 CDI;
- 120 kW in the 116 CDI and
-140 kW in the top-of-the-range 119 BlueTEC automatic.
A six-speed manual is standard, with the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic with torque converter an option on the Vito 114 CDI and Vito 116 CDI Vito.

Pricing

111 CDI Panel Van R372 780

114 CDI Panel Van R409 830

116 CDI Panel Van R443 460

111 CDI Mixto R443 460

116 CDI Mixto R556 320

111 CDI Tourer PRO R516 272

114 CDI Tourer PRO R540 314

116 CDI Tourer PRO R572 348

116 CDI Tourer Select R676 088

119 CDI Tourer Select R744 386