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THE
introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Vito in the late ’90s
and early 2000 gave motorists the impression that even a
premium manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz can venture into
practical utility. But with the Mercedes-Benz Viano, the
thin line between practicality and premiumness got more
blurred. Can it haul mass with class?
Any
van’s exterior design nowadays brings up the phrase
“bread loaf on wheels,” and the Viano’s design is no
different. The rear section very much embodies the
aforementioned phrase, but much like any of its siblings
in its V-Class line (the Vito, Vaneo, Vario and
Sprinter), the A-pillar has a steep slope and a stubby
nose.
The
reason for such an outside design parameter? What’s
inside. Its dimensions convey hints of comfort normally
found in full-size vans and conversions such as the 1994
to 2003 Dodge Ram vans. Both sliding side doors can be
activated via buttons on the center dashboard panel, on
the key fob or on the pillars behind the front
occupants. All seats are wrapped in snug, comfortable
leather and each row gets its own roof-mounted light (or
lights, depending on where you’re seated), storage bins
and cupholders. In addition, there’s a movable
folding/sliding table that can shuttle longitudinally
between both rear rows. It’s wide enough to span the
middle of both captain’s chair second-row seats (end to
end), tall enough to reach the solar plexus of whoever
sits in the second row, and can be used for a
five-player game of Texas Hold ’Em poker.
 With
any van, storage is one of its highlights, and the Viano
is no exception. Both rear rows tote a flexible
rail-mounted seating system that makes it incredibly
easy to move the seats in very closely spaced (25 mm)
steps, and the backrests of the second-row seats can be
folded down and converted into tables or footrests.
Also, all rear seats can be placed in a compact “stowed”
position to save space or removed altogether—with no
special tools needed—in order to swallow bigger cargo or
turn the rear section into sleeping quarters. Nice, yes,
but this writer still believes that the Chrysler Town
and Country’s Stow N’ Go feature is still the loading
template.
On the
road the van huffs and puffs somewhat loudly to get
decent acceleration, and the gas pedal gets increasingly
heavy on the right foot as speed goes up. Overtaking on
any surface is helped immensely by the A/T’s manual
mode, as the ECU (electronic control unit) frustratingly
takes its sweet time to downshift. The results are
middling (for a premium segment product) but expected of
a van—a 160-kph top speed and 6.2 km/l on four days of
mixed driving.
With any
van, handling is tipsy, and the Viano is no different.
The chassis teeters a lot on hard turns, tiptoeing on
the OE tires to get decent road holding. The ride is
decent at the front, but the Airmatic suspension at the
rear is bouncy and can be dizzying for rear occupants.
Steering is heavy in feel, yet provides little in
feedback.
The
Viano’s safety features redeem the suspension/steering
shortcomings. The engine braking and the brakes are
strong, and the latter gets heavier (in terms of foot
application) when the speedometer moves around the dial.
The Parktronic feature has useful indicators (with a
beeper that goes off when the van is one foot and below
from any object) above the rear-view mirror and above
the rear windshield. The side mirrors are wide but not
tall, an unusual feature for a van.
Most
vans are built to haul cargo and people, period. But
with the Viano, the premium people loading segment just
got way better. Just think of it as a premium option for
the common van, given its features and Chrysler Town and
Country competition.
This writer wishes to give special thanks to Annie
Ringor and Anvaya Cove. |
