With the W447 Mercedes-Benz V-Class having received a facelift more than a year ago, it’s finally time for its commercial sibling, the Vito, to get its nip and tuck. The van gets much of the same mechanical and technological tweaks as the passenger version (and a few of its own), wrapped under a very, very subtle exterior makeover.

In what would be the most difficult game of spot the not ever, the only change is to the grille, now featuring slots in each of the three slats. To be fair, there are also some new paint finishes (graphite grey, selenite grey, hyacinth red and steel blue) and a new aerodynamically-optimised 17-inch two-tone alloy wheel, joining a range of 18- and 19-inch rollers that were introduced last year. But that’s about it.


Interior revisions are also limited to a new Caluma fabric upholstery, turbine-style air vents from the passenger car range and a new gloss black finish for the centre console in conjunction with the optional Chrome Package. The facelift also sees the introduction of DAB+ digital radio for the new Audio 30 and Audio 40 infotainment systems, both with seven-inch displays and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The screens also display clearer digital feeds from the reverse camera, while a digital rear-view mirror is now available as an option – particularly handy given the large cargo these vans usually carry. Elsewhere, there are new connectivity services under the Mercedes Pro umbrella, including live traffic information for the Audio 40’s built-in navigation, fleet communication and management, digital records and mobile van access.


Having long lagged the V-Class in the safety stakes, the Vito has finally caught up. In addition to the standard-fit Crosswind Assist and Attention Assist, the van gets Active Brake Assist (autonomous emergency braking) as an option, along with Distronic adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, Active Parking Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Pre-Safe.

In terms of powertrains, the OM654 2.0 litre turbodiesel and nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox – previously reserved for the Tourer – has now been extended to all variants with rear-wheel drive. Derived from the passenger car range, it is available in 102 PS/270 Nm, 136 PS/330 Nm, 163 PS/380 Nm and 190 PS/440 Nm versions, as well as a new 239 PS/500 Nm variant for the Tourer and Mixto models.

These rear-wheel drive models are also available with all-wheel drive, while front-wheel drive vans soldier on with the same OM622 1.7 litre mill as before, with outputs of either 102 PS/270 Nm or 136 PS/330 Nm. The all-electric eVito is now also available as a Tourer with a larger 90 kWh battery allowing long-distance drives. At its heart is a front-mounted electric motor that produces 95 PS and 362 Nm of torque, but with a peak of 204 PS. With the aforementioned battery, the eVito Tourer has a range of 421 km, significantly higher than the regular eVito’s 150 km.


The vehicle comes with an on-board 11 kW charger for AC input, and can also accept DC fast charging through a CCS socket – with 110 kW of charging power, the battery can be topped up from 10% to 80% in as little as 45 minutes. The level of kinetic energy recuperation can also be adjusted using paddles on the steering wheel, while a new DAuto setting adjusts the level automatically depending on driving conditions, using data from the traffic sign recognition and driver assistance systems.

Customers can also purchase a Mercedes-Benz Wallbox Home for AC charging, while fleet users will be supported with advice and location preparation, charging hardware installation and maintenance and aftersales support. The eVito Tourer also gets additional Mercedes Pro connect services, including remote charging, climate control preconditioning, a Vehicle Management Tool fo fleet managers and – in Germany at least – an optional intelligent charging function to optimise fleet charging efficiency, saving money.