You have already seen the expansion of small commercial van market and ongoing rejuvenation of the full-size vans in the United States. There are new small van players such as: Ram ProMaster City, Nissan NV200, and Ford Transit Connect. There are also updated large vans: Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster, and Mercedes’ own Sprinter. What’s missing? The 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris is looking to fill the seemingly empty space in the middle.
The Metris is being introduced today to the North American market at the NTEA Work Truck Show. Mercedes says it’s “right-sized” with 186 cu-ft of volume in the cargo configuration and a maximum of 2,502 lbs of payload capability. There will also be a passenger model with three rows of seats and 38 cu-ft of cargo space. The van rides on a 126 inch wheelbase and is 202.4 inches long from bumper to bumper.
It’s about 31 inches shorter than a Sprinter and almost 16 inches longer than a Nissan NV200.
The Metris will come with one engine choice. It’s a gasoline motor with 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes does not mention it, but this four-cylinder is likely turbocharged. The Mercedes CLA 250 uses a 2.0-liter turbo with the same power rating. The Metris motor also comes with the start/stop feature to help increase efficiency and reduce emissions. A 7-speed G-tronic automatic transmission sends the power to the rear wheels. The axle ratio is 3.46, and the fuel economy is not yet announced.
All Metris models will come with Attention Assist, Crosswind Assist, and load-adaptive ESP safety technologies. You can also opt for Active Parking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, and a rearview camera.
The Metris Cargo will start at $28,950 and the Passenger version will start at $32,500 (before delivery charges). The van will go on sale in October of 2015.
Check out this TFLtruck prototype hunting video as we catch a Metris prototype testing at high altitude. (We thought it will be called by its European name ‘Vito’).
