Road Tests:
We thought this old-timer might have been retired with the Euro-4 emissions deadline last year, but it keeps soldiering on and clearly Mercedes is selling enough to keep it in production. Practicality is the order of the day with a Vario - if you're looking for a panel van with the payload of a truck, you could do worse than adding a Vario to your shopping list.
Up front you get an updated cab which might lack the good looks of its contemporaries but is practical nonetheless.
Power has also been refised. The Euro-4 four-cyulinder 4.25-litre unit also incorporates SCR technology and produces 136hp, with torque rated at a hefty 520Nm.
But with GVW's ranging from 5.99 to 7.49 tonnes there's little in the way of immediate oomph to get it moving. Instead, simpy guide the big van through its paces and things will remain unruffled - body control is surprisingly stable. And with plenty of payload potential thanks to its competitive kerbweight the Vario makes of practical sense.
Pros:- As practical as it is big
- Payload is excellent for the class
| Cons:- Dated cabin
- Acts its age, despite surgery
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Vehicle Specifications
| Chassis Types: | 4x2 rigid, 4x2 van |
| Engine Options: | 4.25-lit, 129hp/500Nm, 156hp/610Nm, 177hp/670Nm |
| Transmission: | 6spd man, 5spd auto |
| Year Introduced: | 1997 |
