The light industrial segment has experienced a new youth in recent years. Driven by considerable improvements, the offer has grown. The Mercedes Citan is one of the most recognized faces, and its new generation has already passed through our hands.
In recent years the segment of light commercial vehicles has been very animated thanks to the various units presented by the now called Stellantis Group. In just a few years it has gone from a few units to a few. The Mercedes citan It was initially introduced in 2012 as the natural replacement for the Vaneo. For this exercise, the German brand is not alone, as it has the help of Renault thanks to a collaboration agreement that is still in force today.
Thanks to that marriage of convenience, not only the Citan arises, but the Renault Kangoo and more recently the Nissan Townstar also arrive. All of them have been released / updated in recent months, although this time I want to focus more especially on the German model since I had the opportunity to know him first hand during the world presentation in Hannover. From there I bring you my first impressions of this industrial vehicle whose emblem allows it to enter its own segment.
By this I do not mean that the Mercedes Citan should be considered as the premium model of light vans, since nothing is further from the truth. Mercedes industrial vehicles have always stood out for their qualities, their capabilities, their durability and for their excellent after-sales network. However, we all know that wearing the three-pointed star on the nose or on the steering wheel is not the same as wearing a diamond. May they forgive me at Renault.
Light industrialists do not seek to attract the customer with attractive shapes and silhouettes, but in recent times we have seen very attractive design exercises by brands, as is the case with the Citroën Berlingo or the Peugeot Rifter. With the fall in sales of classic MPVs, commercial vehicle-derived MPVs are taking over, and hence the market is being attacked from a standpoint where aesthetics are no longer fully compromised by function.
Without going any further, the Germans propose a Mercedes T-Class as that tourism / family alternative. Following the same line that is already present in the Mercedes V-Class, which after all is the luxurious and most recreational variant of the Mercedes Vito. In this case I must admit that Mercedes I do not think I have been very right with the design of the new Citan. With the intention of maintaining the new design DNA of the house, the nose is “rare”. Designers may have gone too far in that attempt to make it more touristy and less industrial.
The range of the new Mercedes Citan is structured in several possible bodies, all of them under the same body length, although more alternatives are scheduled for the near future. Regarding these bodies we find: Citan Van and Citan Tourer (for both professionals and individuals). As I have already said, the latter should not be confused with the T-Class, which should make an appearance in the coming months.
Despite its greater family focus, the Citan Tourer only offers a cabin for a maximum of five passengers. The long version will offer seven seats
In all units we speak of the same measurements: 4.49 meters long, 1.86 meters wide and 1.81 meters high. To these levels we must add a wheelbase of 2.72 meters long. The Citan Van clears its entire rear to offer a single space with up to 782 kilograms maximum payload, including 100 kilograms on the roof. Depending on the desired configuration, the compartment shows a size between 1.54 and 1.81 meters long, 1.52 meters wide (1.24 meters between wheel arches) and 1.26 meters high with a load volume of 2.92 cubic meters.
Conversely, the Mercedes Citan Tourer shows a more familiar character, installing a second row of seats in the rear compartment, so the capacity increases from two to five occupants. That causes a reduction in load capacity. The length of the box can vary between 72 centimeters (with two rows in place) and 1.71 meters (if the rear bench is removed). The nacho on the other hand remains. If we talk about load capacity, given the more familiar approach, we talk about 517 liters minimum and 2,390 liters maximum.
Industrial vehicles have not always been accompanied by the same technology as passenger cars. Given their professional approach, they have always been made up of basic elements and low-quality materials. Mercedes has wanted to improve a little the presentation of the cabin of the Citan with better materials and more equipment. Many of these systems are derived from passenger cars thanks to the use of the CMF-C platform, which is the same that we can find in other models such as the Nissan X-Trail, the Renault Koleos or the Mitsubishi Outlander.
The list of items includes is distributed in two finishes Base and Pro, as well as several optional packages where we find technologies such as: LED headlights, heated front seats, parking camera, navigation system, touch panel screen, connectivity for mobile devices, climate control, and the excellent MBUX multimedia system. To all this must be added a discreet, but well-stocked number of driving assistants and safety elements such as: blind spot control, lane departure warning, traffic sign reader and brake assistant.
Although current European regulations require the presence of highly efficient engines controlled by electrified systems, industrial vehicles such as the Mercedes Citan escape with the latest generation mechanical ranges. The offer consists of two gasoline units and three diesel units. To them is added a 100% electric unit that receives the name of Mercedes eCitan, and that at the moment it is only associated to the van format.
By power, the range starts with the Citan 108 CDI with 75 horses and 230 Nm of torque. It employs a block of four turbodiesel cylinders with 1,461 cubic centimeters. That same unit is used for They quote 110 CDI and 112 CDI with 95 horses and 260 Nm of torque and with 116 horses and 270 Nm of torque, respectively. The gasoline slope starts with the They quote 110 of 102 horses and 200 Nm of torque, and ends with the They quote 113 of 131 horses and 240 Nm of torque. All units are accompanied by a front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox.
For his part, Mercedes eCitan it dispenses with any heat engine, giving up its space to a fully electric set. The main axis is a lithium-ion battery with a useful capacity of 44kWh. This is responsible for feeding a single front engine with 102 horsepower and 245 Nm of torque. Mercedes has homologated a range of 285 kilometers in mixed cycle, being more than 300 kilometers in urban cycle. For recharging, a device of up to 75 kW in direct current has been chosen, allowing to recover from 0 to 80% of the charge in just 40 minutes.
The Citran Tourer comes standard with the two side doors, the van only the right, but optionally can add the left. Rear access can be double door or vertical gate
Before getting into the dynamic analysis of the new Mercedes Citan, I want to make a brief parenthesis on the subject of prices. Mercedes has set a starting price of 18,530 euros (Without VAT), 22,421 euros with VAT. That amount corresponds to a Citan Van 110 gasoline. If we talk about the Citan Tourer, the minimum price is 20,599 euros, without VAT and 24,876 euros with taxes for the 110 variant. At the moment, no prices have been announced for the eCitan, although figures slightly higher than 30,000 euros can be expected.
At the wheel of the Mercedes Citan 2022
I can’t believe how much light industrials have evolved in recent years. The fact of having adopted passenger car platforms has caused a change of identity That in my view benefits them, although I also admit that they lose some qualities, especially load capacity in the more industrial versions. Hence, the maximum mass does not reach the ton.
It would be necessary to see how many customers really load to the maximum of the capacities of this type of vehicle, because I personally prefer a more touring touch, with a rear spring suspension, to a more industrial touch with a leaf spring rear suspension. The fact of evolving and expanding the technological offer is also appreciated, but the customer who wants a pure industrial vehicle does not need as much instrument since it increases the final price.
Except for those details the Citan and Citan Tourer are excellent all-rounders. In the spring of next year the longest body of all will arrive, which will extend 40 centimeters and will add two additional seats in a third row of seats completely hidden in the floor of a trunk that should increase its minimum capacity to 700 liters.
Continuing with the improvements, the most evident when starting out is the driving feel. Like any normal car, although with a slightly softer suspension setting than usual. Throughout the presentation I have been able to test diesel and gasoline versions, and in both the refinement of the engines has caught my attention, mainly the gasoline that barely transmits vibrations to the passenger compartment.
Diesel does not achieve such levels of refinement, but it is compensated by a great interior insulation. The transmissions also pick up the witness of refinement. All current versions mount manual gearboxes, in spring 2022 the automatic transmissions will arrive to the most powerful units of the family. Transitions between gears are smooth and firm, there is no play in the lever or exaggerated movements.
Staggering is designed to be able to accelerate hard at low speeds. The first three ratios are short, while the fifth and sixth gear are only interesting for simple flat circuits. where it is about reducing consumption. The ratio takes full advantage of the power of the engines, although outside the optimal torque range it hardly transmits power. This is logical considering the general character of the vehicle.
Conclusions
It is time to leave behind that stage where the industrialists were ugly and boring delivery vehicles. Constant improvements, encouraged by increased competition, have led to the enjoyment of vehicles such as the Mercedes Citan today. The king of light industrials stands out for the improvement of its qualities. More capacity, better performance and above all much more equipment. It is clear that it still has more than enough attributes to carry out any job, although its high selling price does not make it as attractive as other similar units.