2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris Passenger Van : More Bigger than a Ford Transit

2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris Passenger Van Review :

As Mercedes-Benz was finalizing the preparation of its mid-size Vito van for U.S. consumption, it stumbled upon one last matter to settle before hitting the start button on the presale PR blitz: the name. Focus groups revealed that Americans, self-impressed film fans that we are, just couldn’t shake the “Corleone” connotations from the name Vito, christened in deference to the Vitoria, Spain, assembly facility where the Vito and its higher-luxe V-class brother are born. To sidestep any potential controversy and to save future owners from countless weak attempts at humor—“Hey Vito, where’s your Italy and stuff?!”—Mercedes chose for our version the name “Metris,” in reference to the metropolitan areas it figures most Metris owners will ply their trades in.

Sitting in the center of the dash is a Becker Map Pilot navigation system with a 5.8-inch screen as part of the $1540 Driver Efficiency package (which also includes cruise control, a rearview camera, fog lamps, and lower-console storage). Combined with the dated appearance of its associated controls and keypad, the entire infotainment interface looks to be waiting for a Roger Moore–era James Bond to come along and disarm it. We assume hard-core delivery and passenger-transportation companies will equip their vehicles, or their drivers, with their own navigation hardware. The audio system, however, was particularly well tuned for a soundstage that essentially amounts to a steel box with some fabric, foam, and vinyl bits strewn about. The steering wheel appears to have been plucked for duty directly from the current C-class, and while it is adjustable for rake, telescoping action is not available, which seems a bit odd for a vehicle aimed at fleet buyers who might assign multiple drivers to a single vehicle.

Likewise, you won’t find plush, S-class–style seating offered in the Metris. Our test example came equipped with the $630 Driver Comfort package (driver and passenger seats with lumbar support, seatback storage, and two additional master keys) and the black leatherette upholstery ($200). While the seatbacks pretty much nail the support/comfort paradigm, the seat bottoms are a little small for the carbohydrate-cultivated posteriors of American drivers. The removable rear seats follow the same theme, placing functionality and durability over comfort. Perfect for a vehicle used for airport, corporate, or junior-hockey-league shuttle duty.

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The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine settles into a barely audible, refined idle that almost seems out of place when heard from the strictly business interior. Although all 208 horsepower don’t clock in until 5500 rpm, the full brunt of its 258 lb-ft of torque are available at a low 1250 rpm, ideal for putting payloads in motion (1874 pounds in passenger vans, 2502 pounds in the cargo version); spec the $355 trailer hitch and you can tow up to 4960 pounds. Mercedes recommends 91 octane fuel for best performance, but 87 is acceptable if you don’t mind a slight drop in performance and efficiency. On premium fuel, our Metris passenger van managed a 16.5-second quarter-mile and topped out at a governor-limited 101 mph. While hardly a record run, there’s rarely a time that the 2.0-liter and seven-speed automatic aren’t in the right place at the right time for any given driving situation.

The Metris is bigger than a Ford Transit Connect but smaller than a Mercedes Sprinter, its 202.4-inch length permitting slippery maneuvers that would be impossible in a full-size rig in clogged, downtown Ann Arbor. The steering effort is light enough to spin the wheel with a single finger at rest but firms up proportionally with vehicle velocity. As tractable as front-wheel-drive vans have become, there is a certain appeal to the Metris’s rear-drive layout, lending it an air of ruggedness, real or not, that escapes the current Ram ProMaster lineup.

While grip is unspectacular at 0.72 g, as measured on our 300-foot-diameter skidpad, it’s more than ample for the kinds of activities appropriate for a van. We also tried out the Parktronic automatic parking assist, which repeatedly wedged the Metris into spaces tight enough to put off all but the most confident parallel parkers. Impacts are well isolated and the cabin rattle-free, but we’ll need to sample one with a max payload to get the full picture before issuing a final verdict on ride quality.