Mercedes-Benz Vans has launched its new compact urban delivery van in Singapore. The Mercedes-Benz Citan, together with the established models Vito, Sprinter and Vario, complete the spectrum of vans that the tri-star marque offers. With three variants available locally, the Citan panel van, Mixto and Crewbus (at a later date) constitute a comprehensive model range.
The characteristic appearance of the new Citan revolves around the confidently displayed chrome-plated star in the prominent and sturdy radiator grille with its three sporty, perforated fins. The Citan's distinctive headlamps and the arrow-shaped bonnet with its clearly defined edges are no less striking.
From the side, the silhouette of this urban delivery van takes on a sporty image thanks to the wedge-shaped front section. The rear window also emphasises width and its angled lower edge takes up the line of the vertically arranged rear lights perfectly.
The high-quality equipment in the interior of the new Citan are as unmistakable as those on the vehicle's exterior. It achieves the high standard typical of Mercedes-Benz and demonstrates its close relationship to other Mercedes-Benz vehicles in many ways. Upholstery, fabrics and materials, for example, are consistent with the established quality of the Mercedes-Benz Vito. Furthermore, the Citan boasts the high level of functionality also typical of the brand. The arrangement, appearance and function of the driver's workplace all correspond to the familiar Mercedes-Benz standards.
The new Citan places key emphasis on functionality for everyday use - a large glove compartment, a stowage compartment between the front seats as well as a practical overhead stowage compartment across the entire width of the windscreen and large-volume compartments in the doors offer abundant storage space. Count all of the possible stowage compartments in the Citan and the result is an astonishing total volume of 77 litres in the cockpit and passenger compartment.
Despite its compact dimensions, the new Citan panel van is a true space giant. The load compartment of the panel van measures 2,130mm long, the corresponding volume is 3,800 litres and the payload is 800kg (Extra Long).
The standard asymmetric rear doors can be locked open at either 90 degrees or 180 degrees, and together with the low load sill of 568mm above ground, loading and unloading is extremely convenient with the Citan. More impressively, the through-loading measurement between the wheel arches is 1,219mm - large enough for a Euro pallet.
Powering the new Citan is a four-cylinder 1.5-litre Euro V-compliant turbodiesel engine which achieves maximum engine output of 90bhp at 4,000rpm, and maximum torque of 200Nm at 1,750rpm. Power transmission is handled by a five-speed manual gearbox which excels with double-cone synchronisation in the two lower gears, resulting in a perceptible reduction in shift force.
One of the new Citan's trademarks is its best-in-class fuel economy of only 4.6L/100km. As well as boasting impressive fuel consumption values, the Citan also produces the lowest CO2 emissions in comparison to competitors - 119g/km.
Price as at press time (inclusive of COE)
Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 CDI Panel Van (Extra Long) - $90,988
Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 CDI Mixto (Extra Long) - $135,988
