Daimler introduced North America to the concept of a higher priced, higher quality diesel-powered Euro commercial van almost 15 years ago with the Freightliner Sprinter – which became the Dodge Sprinter and now the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
This configuration is here to test the waters for this market’s “only midsize commercial van”, in the automaker’s words.
Within the past few years, the Invasion of the Overseas Commercial Van has escalated dramatically, with dedicated cubes from Nissan, Ram (Fiat) and Ford offering contractors and fleet buyers vans that shame the old traditional North American fare with higher plateaus of utility, durability, drivability and economy. Yes, and pricing.
The smaller Mini-Me vans (Ram Promaster City, Nissan NV200, Ford Transit Connect) are catching on too, delivering tidy functionality and frugality to the inner-city crowd. Mercedes is jumping into this sandbox with the 2016 Metris, although this kid is a bit bigger than the rest of ‘em.
The Spanish-built Metris is a mid-size van that splits the difference between the big and small, and Mercedes is playing on this, stating the Metris as offering about 50 percent more payload and cargo capacity than the other small vans, yet with nimble urban moves.
Metris is available in two configurations. The Cargo panel van starts at $33,900 and the 7-passenger (2x3x3) Passenger van at $37,900. There is only one wheelbase, one box height and one drivetrain. Rear suspension is independent. Up front is a longitudinally-mounted gasoline 2.0L turbo four (208 hp, 258 lb-ft) that sends power to the rear wheels through a seven speed 7G-Tronic transmission (with paddle shifters). It offers three programs – ECO, Comfort and Manual (for those who wish to play Nico Rosberg while running the diaper service).
Premium fuel is recommended, although wisely Mercedes says the Metris will run on regular, with a slight loss in performance and efficiency. No official fuel numbers yet but, observed consumption on our around-town running was 13.5 L/100 km. It dipped into the 11s once out of the city.
Payload capacity is 1,135 kg (2,502 lb) and tow rating is 2,250 kg (4,960 lb). Cargo bed length is 111.5 inches, and with 50 inches between the wheel wells, Metris will accommodate 4x8 sheets of building materials. Service intervals are pegged at “up to” 25,000 km.
With an overall height of 6'3", the Metris will fit into most parking garages.
Elsewhere in the world, where the Metris is known as the Vito, diesel power and all-wheel-drive are on the menu. Mercedes is not saying no on this, but for the present this configuration is here to test the waters for this market’s “only midsize commercial van”, in the automaker’s words.
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Metris comes standard with fabric seats, AM/FM, Bluetooth, air conditioning, USB, auto headlights and a couple of safety systems – Attention Assist which monitors your driving style and alerts if you’re losing focus, and Crosswind Assist that uses targeted braking to keep the rig on the straight and narrow. The $1,660 Driving Assistant Package adds leather wrapped wheel with chrome trim, heated and powered side mirrors, rain sensing wipers, collision warning, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and overhead control panel with map lights.
For our climate, the $630 Cold Weather Package (heated front seats and auxiliary electrical heating) will be a must.
With the larger Sprinter, Mercedes pretty much scuttled the notion that all commercial vans had to drive like rolling penalty boxes. The 2016 Metris continues that missive, going down the road with decidedly European poise and refinement. The base fabric seats are comfortable, the steering is tight and responsive, and while the cabin might be plain, it is well built and ergonomically sound. Metris handles very well, has a fine ride and brags a 11.8 meter turning circle. For those spending lots of time in the saddle, Metris would be a pretty nice place.
The dashtop has three depressions that would accommodate clipboards etc. North Americans get two Big Gulp-size cupholders in the lower dash where the Euro stick shift would live. With the big windshield and low cut doors, forward visibility is stellar, although this van needs bigger rearview mirrors. A convex wide-angle section would be nice too.
As far as vans go, it’s not a bad looking thing, at least in the brown passenger configuration we drove with the $990 Deluxe Appearance Package that ditches the 17-inch steelies for alloys and adds body colored bumpers. It also had the $940 Luxury Interior Package with extra interior lighting, chrome accents, carpeting, overhead console panel and comfort suspension.
The passenger van is configurable for seven or eight passengers and is aimed at the hotel/parking shuttle market. Look to the aftermarket for more luxurious versions.
The cargo van’s interior height is 53.8 inches and cargo volume maxes out at 186 cubic feet. Numerous utilitarian options are available, including a bulkhead behind the passenger compartment, box lining with a system of anchor points, and extra lighting. The cargo vans we drove had one sliding door on the passenger side along with the optional 270-degree rear doors. But beware, the sliding door can hit the barn-style rear door when it is fully opened. There is a sticker on the door jam warning of this peril.
Along with the packages there are numerous a la carte options such as back up camera ($730), auto start/stop ($290), navigation ($670), reverse warning system ($120), roof rails ($460), hi-performance air conditioning ($1,200), anti-theft alarm ($380), and the list goes on. Indeed, the Metris seems infinitely customizable, in a strictly utilitarian way.
Judging by the number of Mercedes-Benz Sprinters we see here in the GTA, it’s apparent many in the trade are not adverse to paying more for a quality product that brags long service intervals, good fuel economy and higher residual values. But with more competitors, the fight is getting tougher. Mercedes is hoping this fine driving van with its in-between dimensions will find its own niche.
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