The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Vito will benefit from several updates, including a fully electric version of the eVito Tourer van built from the lessons of the Mercedes eSprinter and eVito carriers, as well as the recently revealed luxury van EQV. It remains to be seen whether these updates will apply to the Mercedes-Benz Metris on the American market.
The Mercedes eVito will be powered by the company’s eATS electric transmission, including a front-mounted electric motor with a peak power of 204 hp (150 kW if you don’t like equine measurements) and 267 lb-ft ( 362 Nm). The powertrain integrates the engine, transmission and powertrain controls into a compact unit located under the hood, drawing power from a 90 kWh battery that Mercedes says can be 80% recharged in less than 45 minutes.
The company claims an electric range of just over 260 miles, and the standard eVito can travel at speeds of up to 87 mph – optional equipment increases that speed to 99 mph. In addition, regenerative braking selectable by the driver, actuated by paddles behind the steering wheel, allows both easier cabotage and more efficient energy recovery. An automatic brake regeneration setting uses the recognition of traffic signs and surrounding conditions to estimate the amount of regeneration appropriate for the situation.
Mercedes PRO, the company’s fleet management tool, will offer electric vehicle-specific features to help new eVito owners get used to their new exhaust-free machines. Among these features are the preconditioning of the indoor climate and smart charging which avoids drawing electricity during expensive peak hours. Benz will also offer a charging station that can be installed at home or in the office, and fleet customers who need more than one charging station can access the company’s partner network that can help provide a solution for recharging on a larger scale.
The eVito offers many of the same updates as the rest of the 2020 Vito range. A subtly redesigned front grille and the Mercedes star emblem are driving the exterior changes, while the circular “turbine style” air vents update the interior very lightly. The new “Caluma” textile covering replaces the “Tunja” fabric of the current model and updates to the infotainment system help to modernize the driver’s interface.
More important are the additional safety functions now available for the Vito. Automatic emergency braking, Distronic adaptive cruise control and a new camera mirror are optional. Mercedes-Benz will also equip most of its Vito vans on the European market with a new nine-speed automatic transmission (some models will keep the six-speed manual transmission).
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It remains to be seen whether these changes will translate from the global Vito market to the very similar North American Metris. The U.S. market van uses a different powertrain (a 2.0L turbocharged I-4 gasoline engine instead of a line of diesel engines), and the Metris is rear-wheel drive only, while global markets have front, rear, or all-wheel drive. If we were to get an “eMetris” model, we would assume it would be front-wheel drive for packaging efficiency. And with Ford offering an all-electric Transit van in about a year, we think Mercedes will likely follow suit. If so, expect an update from Metris here by model year 2022.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
