Last Updated: 09/09/2008
MERCEDES VITO
The trend towards double cab in van designs, where there is a second row of seats and windows behind the driver within a standard panel van body, seems to be growing. As does the number of sporty derivatives on the market.Volkswagen for example has just released a Kombi version of its Transporter Sportline and Renault makes a Sport version of its Trafic Crew Van. Mercedes-Benz is competing in this sector too, with the Dualiner version of the Vito, that can be had in both Sport or top of the range Sport X trim.
We’ve been running a Vito Sport Dualiner for the last three months, covering over 3,500 miles in varied use.
So is it the perfect combination of form and function, or a compromise of style and load carrying ability?
Mercedes sold me on the idea as a replacement for a double cab pick-up, saying the van offered seating for up to six people, yet retained the carrying capacity to work as a van during the week. The big advantage over the pick-up though was the fact that everything stayed inside the van, boosting security and making it easier to carry tools and wet weather gear without having to put them on the seats.
After three months I have to say that I’m sold on the idea. The Dualiner really does offer the elusive win-win situation for me. You can fold forward the three individual rear seat, or remove them completely, just like a people carrier. This returns the loadspace to the standard short wheelbase Vito’s 4.65cu m, and you can still carry the best part of 900kg of payload.
With the twin front passenger seat you have the choice of three, four, five or six seats, making the Vito a versatile crew carrier as well as a load lugger. That said though, I did have complaints about comfort on longer runs from front seat passengers, and if it were my van I would opt for a single front passenger seat with the three behind.
So it still behaves like a van should when you want it to. But the Vito Sport offers a great driving experience too. With 150hp on tap acceleration is brisk to say the least, and the black Merc can hold it’s own on the motorway or across country. It is only on smaller country roads that you remember that this is quite a big vehicle, and though the brakes are superb, there is a lot of momentum to bring to a halt when corners arrive.
The Vito was a great van to drive though, in town or in the country, and though it shouldn’t matter, there was something nice about pulling up in a company car park with a three-pointed star on the bonnet.
What’s more, though the Vito is certainly not the cheapest van to get into, our Dualiner Sport running out at £21,275 as tested with the Comand sat-nav system installed, it proved a frugal companion. The van regularly returned mid-30s fuel consumption, and on one particularly careful trip to Van User’s offices, where admittedly I was stuck behind a long line of trucks, I saw 41mpg on the trip computer’s average consumption.
I did have to put a litre of oil in just after the van arrived, though it didn’t use a drop with us, so I presume it wasn’t checked correctly when it left the press garage. That was an expensive experience though. I called in at the local Merc garage for the oil, which is synthetic as the van has variable service intervals, and was asked for £15 for a litre.
Other than that, the Vito proved a popular van. It was perfect for daily travelling around the country, carried the family into town on occasion, and regularly took a couple of trials bikes and all our riding gear to competitions at the weekend.
On its return to M-B the Vito was due to be taken off the demonstrator fleet and sold to a dealer. Had I been in the market for a van, I would have put in an offer myself.
