Mercedes-Benz has given its Vito range of vans a thorough makeover for the 2011 model year. Though there has been a big emphasis on new engines and safety features, what surprised us most was the upmarket appearance of these light commercials.

Obviously the Mercedes designers have asked themselves, “Who says a Mercedes van can’t share styling features with sports models in our range?” OK, no one is going to mistake a Mercedes-Benz Vito for an Mercedes AMG SLS Gullwing, or even an entry-level C-Class sedan for that matter. But if you look at the shape of the Vito van’s radiator grille, front guards and headlights, as well as the raised centre section of the bonnet you will see a strong touch of sporting flair.

Behind the windscreen the fun stops and the business end of the van takes precedence. Which is as it should be, after all the primary aim of any commercial vehicle is to make money. Cargo volume, width, loading height and ease of loading must take precedence over stylists’ desires and the Mercedes guys got Vito right the first time and haven’t interfered with the original.

On the subject of making money, operators will be delighted to see that the continuing strong value of the Australian dollar, combined with some pencil sharpening back in the head office in Germany, has allowed Mercedes-Benz Australia to trim $2000 from the price of several models. The Aussie Mercedes people are keen to take sales from Asian van manufacturers so are hitting them on the value for money front.

Under the shapely new Mercedes bonnet is a choice of new generation four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines that produce 70, 100 or 120 kilowatts. More important are the torque figures, respectively these are: 250 Nm between 1200 and 2400 rpm; 310 Nm 1400 to 2600 rpm; and 360 Nm from 1600 to 2400 revs. All the engines meet the tough Euro 5 emission regulations.
 

To assist in reducing fuel consumption the engines feature a stop-start function that automatically switches the engines off when the Vito is stationary. However, we disagree with Mercedes’ decision not to have this system operating unless the driver chooses to switch it on. We feel it should always be there, but that the driver has the option of turning it off when they feel driving conditions dictate.

During our road testing as part of this review we found the four-cylinder diesels to be strong and responsive and to pull the Vito along without a murmur. The six-speed manual gearbox is light and easy in its actions.

A 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine is available in some versions, its outputs are 165 kW of power and 440 Nm of torque. This big power engine is mated with a five-speed automatic transmission and is popular with the ambulance and police services for obvious reasons. Hot rodders amongst the commercial operators also tick the V6 in the options box.

All versions of the new Mercedes-Benz have achieved at least four stars (out of five) in crash testing to Australian standards. The topline Vito wagon, which is virtually a small bus, has the maximum of five stars. Some versions of the Vito can be optioned up with extra airbags to push them up to five stars, we suggest you contact your Mercedes-Benz dealer for details on the specific models you are considering. At the same time keeping in mind that none of Vito’s competitors achieve more than four stars and many have significantly fewer.
 

Phillip Island racetrack was used during the press launch of the new Mercedes-Benz Vito range. Which may sound improbable, but it gave us the chance to drive on the skid pan to assess the multiple situations in which active safety systems can help a driver stay out of trouble. Nature obliged by providing rain so we were able to utilise the complete track. It’s no sports machine, but the Mercedes Vito can handle heavy braking, swerving and hot laps of a race circuit at speeds that we wouldn't have believed but for this testing.

Mercedes-Benz Vito has been on the Australian market since 2004 and has gained in popularity with each passing year. This has been chiefly due to its commercial advantages, but there’s no doubt the prestige of travelling with a three-pointed star on the grille also has its place in buyer choice.

The complete 2011 Mercedes-Benz Vito, with prices (excluding government and dealer charges) is:

110 CDI SWB Van: $37,990 (manual)

113 CDI SWB Van: $39,490 (manual), $41,990 (automatic)

113 CDI LWB Van: $42,990 (manual), $45,490 (automatic)

116 CDI SWB Van: $44,490 (automatic)

116 CDI LWB Van: $45,490 (manual), $47,990 (automatic)

122 CDI LWB Van: $55,990 (automatic)

113 CDI Crew Cab Van: $45,990 (manual), $48,490 (automatic)

122 CDI Crew Cab Van: $58,990 (automatic)

113 CDI Wagon: $52,990 (automatic)