Whether you have a delivery company in northern Finland, you give tourist guides in some rural area or you specialize in repairing heavy duty equipment on construction sites, now there’s a van that will get you in and out of every sticky situation.
This introduction of the new 4×4 Vito is also the final product in this successful Mercedes-Benz range. Up until now, Vito could be ordered with either rear or front wheel drive. Now it also gets the option of a four wheel drive transmission, making it the only mid-sized van that offers every traction combination possible and thus, having the right solution for all requirements.
The drive technology of the Vito 4×4 is based on the Vito with rear-wheel drive, automatic transmission with torque converter and electronically controlled brake force distribution. Of course, the technology involved is very closely related to that in the Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, with the central differential being able to distribute torque in a 45:55 ratio. In case one or more wheels lose grip, the 4ETS system brakes them individually and sends the rest of the power to the wheels with good traction in just a few milliseconds, basically doing the job of three different mechanical differential locks.
The Vito 4×4 comes with a range of powerful yet economical engines, the most remarkable being the one powering the 119 BlueTEC model. It’s a 2.15 liters four cylinder unit pumping out 190 hp and 440 Nm, but at the same time complying with the strict Euro 6 emission standards. The Vito 4×4 uses a 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with torque converter linked to a start/stop function. All this adds up to a combined fuel consumption of just 6.4 liters/100 km and a CO2 emission of 196 g/km.
A big factor for this modest diesel appetite is the reduced weight, the Vito 4×4 tilting the scales with just 50 kg more than the rear wheel drive version. This was achieved thanks to a clever lightweight construction and the omission of a conventional differential lock.
Finally, the Vito 4×4 has another ace up its sleeve: it was designed to fit in most car parks and garages with a height of just 1.91 meters (the same as a front wheel drive Vito). This allows it to function without restrictions inside city centres where size is an important factor. Like other Vitos, the 4×4 comes in three different sizes (compact, long and extra long) and with three different body types (panel van, Mixto and Tourer). Starting price for the Vito 4×4 119 BlueTEC (140 kw) in Germany is 36,120 euros, but two more less expensive versions will follow (with 100 and 120 kw).
