The Mercedes-Benz Citan will continue to live on
beyond the outgoing generation, as the automaker has confirmed working on its
successor. In the preliminary details announced, the company said that it will
still be made in cooperation with Renault-Nissan, yet it will be instantly
recognizable as a Benz, courtesy of an exterior makeover.
For the first time, the next generation small van
will get a battery electric version alongside the ICE-powered models. As
expected, Merc has remained tight lipped about it, but it was the natural
approach, given that they have already electrified the Vito, Sprinter and
V-Class.
Launched in 2012, the outgoing Citan is nothing more
than a rebadged Renault Kangoo, put together on the same assembly lines at the
Maubeuge Construction Automobile, a subsidiary of the French automaker.
Like the larger Vito and Sprinter, it can be had in
two body styles, Panel Van and Crew Van, with the former aimed at hauling cargo
and the latter targeting families in search of a roomy MPV. The former costs
starts at £ 20,340 in the UK, whereas the latter is priced
from £ 22,506.
