The United States and Canada will get the all-new Mercedes-Benz Vito commercial van from October this year, but in these markets it will be called Metris.
The new model had its North American debut on March 4 at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, but the commercial debut will take place in October 2015.
Available both as a Passenger Van and Cargo Van, the Mercedes-Benz Metris mid-size commercial van will be priced from $28,950 in the United States (Cargo Van), making it the cheapest model of the automaker’s entire US lineup. The Passenger Van starts at $32,500 (both prices exclude a $995 destination/delivery charge).
In North America, the Metris will be offered with a 4-cylinder gasoline engine producing 208hp and 258lb-ft (350Nm), mated to a 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission with optional Eco Start/Stop. This powertrain was developed specifically for the U.S. and Canadian markets to meet the needs of the Mid-Size Commercial Van Segment, and comes with a service interval of up to 15,000 miles (24,140 km).
Other than that, the Metris is largely the same vehicle as the Vito, with the exception of large cupholders, which have been added to the center console.
Standard safety equipment includes 6 airbags for the Cargo Van and 8 airbags for the Passenger Van, with all models also getting Attention Assist, Crosswind Assist, and load-adaptive ESP.
And now for some bad news: Mercedes-Benz said it has no plans to offer the V-Class luxury passenger variant in the United States or Canada.
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