Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X : X-RATED

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The Mercedes Vito Sport-X is quite a van. Steve Walker reports.

Vans tend to be regarded as the faceless, characterless white goods of the automotive world, functional and user-friendly but largely devoid of the personality and glamour that manufacturers work so hard to instil into their car ranges. There's a very good reason for this; in the commercial arena, minimising costs and maximising productivity are the names of the game. There's no room for spending extra money on a vehicle just because it's fun or exciting to look at, or is there? Mercedes-Benz is obviously of the opinion that the van sector's monotony isn't quite as cut and dried as we might think. Demand might be limited but the German marque plainly believes there's a market out there for models like its high performance Vito Sport-X.

Mercedes aren't the only ones. Lots of manufacturers now offer low volume sporty versions of their commercial vehicles aimed at buyers who might be fed up with attacking the daily grind in an identikit load lugger. Spoilers, alloy wheels, fog lights and bodywork graphics are the order of the day for these models but they don't always have the performance to back-up their athletic personas. The Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X is one notable exception. Here, Mercedes has scoured its prodigious engine range for a unit with some real gumption. If you fancy the quickest panel van on the road, this could well be it. Under the stubby bonnet of the Vito Sport-X is where it all happens. There's a diesel engine in there but it's somewhat pokier than the powerplants that usually power panel vans. It's a 3.0-litre V6 with 204bhp at its disposal. Despite the Vito's bulk, it can get to 60mph from a standing start in 8.3s before trundling on to a 122mph top speed. That's extremely quick for a van. Power is sent to the rear wheels just like in all the best sports cars and it's marshalled by the standard ASR traction control system which drivers will be glad of when piloting an unlaiden Sport-X on a wet road. With torque of 440Nm available from 1,600 to 2,400rpm, the van is only too happy to pick up its heels when you press the throttle and encourage the standard five-speed automatic gearbox to kick down a ratio. It feels immensely strong for a panel van but the slightly slow-witted transmission does remove some of the immediacy from proceedings.

"The Mercedes Vito Sport-X resides at the very top end of the of the UK light commercial vehicle market."

The Vito handles well with particularly nicely-weighted steering and body control that's better than just about any other panel van on the market. The suspension is on the firm side which helps the Vito stay composed when cornering quickly but can be slightly tiresome on bumpy roads. On a good surface, however, the van is remarkably smooth and pleasant to drive. The engine's breathy engine note whooshes you up the road as the gearbox slurs up and down the ratios in its languid style. It's reactions can be improved by switching to manual mode and flicking the shift lever up and down yourself but there's limited satisfaction to be gleaned from this and it's usually better to just delegate control, sit back and take things easy. The styling accessories on the Vito Sport-X largely come courtesy of that renowned tuner of high performance Mercedes passenger cars, BRABUS. They amount to a set of 18" alloy wheels, a redesigned front bumper, front fog lights, chrome side bars with integrated steps and roof rails. It all makes the Vito Sport-X look suitably aggressive and its identity is underlined by badges on the front doors and the tailgate. Aside from the styling, the Vito is a reasonably practical proposition. It offers good access to its load area from its sliding side doors and huge tailgate which is tough to open if you've reversed too close to an object behind. The roof line slopes away towards the back of the van which does much for the styling but ultimately limits capacity. Payloads range from 805kg to 980kg depending on the model. The Vito's cab isn't up to Mercedes-Benz passenger car standards but for a van, it's about as good as it gets. Most of the controls are located on a neatly presented centre console with the gearstick protruding from the dash below. The neat, uncomplicated layout should please drivers although a small glovebox and shallow storage recesses don't leave too much knickknack capacity. The Sport-X adds leather trimmed seats and a whole lot of equipment but otherwise its cabin looks much as any Vito model's would. Running costs for the Sport-X should be more manageable than the asking price but its muscular performance means that fuel economy isn't outstanding. The official combined cycle economy figure is 38.1mpg which is bettered by many of its less powerful rivals. At least residual values should be strong, the Mercedes badge still counting for a lot in the used market. The Vito's designers can give themselves a pat on the back and a big Christmas bonus for shoehorning the van's rear-wheel drive transmission under the floor without pumping up the loading height (562mm in the long wheelbase model) by too much. Space must be at a premium down there but drivers benefit from the improved handling and the tighter turning circle associated with rear-wheel drive as well as the vertebra-friendly access for hoisting gear into the rear. The mechanicals squeezed under the floor might explain why the jack as been relegated to a mounting in the rear offside corner of the loadbay but it's easily accessible and shouldn't get in the way. On all Vito van models, there's an area cut away behind and beneath the front seats that adds 200mm to the load length. Pipes, pieces of timber and other lengthy items that you may not otherwise have fitted in can be slid into this space and accommodated. The Sport-X can be ordered in standard or long wheelbase bodystyles and with a standard two-seater layout or as a Dualiner which has a second row of three seats behind the driver and front passenger. The equipment list reads more like that of a luxury saloon than a van with satellite navigation, automatic air-conditioning, cruise control, electric heated door mirrors, remote central locking, a 6 CD changer and a leather steering wheel. If you add up the components of the Sport-X, it's hardly surprising that this luxuriously appointed, 200bhp panel van from Mercedes-Benz is on the expensive side. The various models fall into the £25,000 to £30,000 price bracket and that will be a major deterrent but buyers do get a van that's in a class of its own. Should you get carried away and push the Vito beyond its limits of its driving dynamics, there's a plethora of acronyms to reign the vehicle back in again. ABS you know but BAS, EBD, ESP and ASR may not be so familiar, suffice to say that they'll intervene in braking, and power delivery to help you come to a stop or continue onward safely. All of these systems are standard and that's very encouraging. The Mercedes Vito Sport-X resides at the very top end of the of the UK light commercial vehicle market, not in terms of size or carrying capacity but on grounds of specification, outright pace and cost. These aren't qualities that van operators are usually on the hunt for but there will be owner-drivers and small businesses that want a van with a lot of attitude. The Vito Sport-X has a lot of attitude with its BRABUS styling accessories, leather trim and fiery performance. In truth, however, it remains quite a relaxed proposition on the road. The combination of that torque-laden V6 diesel and the automatic gearbox mean that the Sport-X rewards a smoother driving style that's slightly at odds with its bad boy exterior.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X PAYLOADS: 805kg - 980kg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), BAS (Brake Assist), EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), ASR (Acceleration Skid Control) WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4748/1901/1902 (Compact)