The Mercedes-Benz Vito is built on the V-Class platform, however, unlike the V-Class is sold under the Mercedes-Benz Commercial banner. Where the V-Class offers more creature comforts and premium materials on the interior as well as superior exterior trim pieces, the Vito is more aimed towards owners looking for a vehicle for their business.
The V-Class is also sold as a people carrier only, whereas the Vito comes in four distinct styles including a panel van, the Mixto which sees the rear third of the vehicle used purely for luggage space as well as two people carriers, one more premium and aimed at personal use., the other more aimed towards commercial use. While the Vito range is exclusively serviced by diesel motors, four options exist namely the 111, 114, 116 and 119. Let's see which is the most efficient.
Engines
| Mercedes-Benz Vito 111 CDI | Mercedes-Benz Vito 114 CDI | Mercedes-Benz Vito 116 CDI | Mercedes-Benz Vito 119 CDI | |
| Engine | 1.6-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, diesel | 2.1-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, diesel | 2.1-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, diesel | 2.1-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, diesel |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual | 6-speed manual / 7-speed automatic | 6-speed manual / 7-speed automatic | 7-speed automatic |
| Power | 84 kW | 100 kW | 120 kW | 140 kW |
| Torque | 270 Nm | 330 Nm | 380 Nm | 440 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h | 14.4 s | 12.8 s | 11.5 s | Not available |
| Top speed | 169 km/h | 184 km/h | 191 km/h | Not available |
| Fuel consumption | 6.2 L / 100 km | 6.1 L / 100 km | 5.7 L / 100 km | 5.8 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 163 g/km | 164 g/km | 154 g/km | 153 g/km |
*This table was completed with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
Verdict
When comparing the efficiency, one also has to take into consideration how the engines will perform under load. A weaker motor might return good efficiency in ideal conditions and with the vehicle completely empty, however, start adding people or luggage and the efficiency will drop as the engine has to work harder than a larger engine to get up to speed.
Taking the above-mentioned into account, one can clearly see this happening as the larger 114 CDI engine derivatives return better fuel consumption and emission results than the smaller Mercedes-Benz Vito 111 CDI does. But in some instances, larger engines can also be underutilized. Take for instance the 119 CDI which offers the most power and torque, while under load one can assume that it will be the most efficient, for daily use, it might be overpowered.
This is why for us the efficiency crown goes to the 116 CDI as it offers ample power and torque for those heavy jobs, but remains the most frugal for when the vehicle isn't loaded. Now whether you want the Tourer derivative for a family or business shuttle, or the Mixto or Panel van variants for more utility use, the 116 CDI should prove to be the most efficient.
