Mercedes Citan: Stuttgart Kangoo

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

After the unsuccessful adventure with the Vaneo, Mercedes returns to the small commercial vehicle segment. The Citan is the first result of the cooperation with Renault, but the Stuttgart-based company has still tinkered with the Kangoo derivative.

By Benjamin Bessinger

They are something like the worker bees of modern society. Since cities have become more and more crowded and the world has been shopping online, small delivery vans have become the most important commercial vehicle segment. Mercedes has now slowly understood this and wants to roll up the field with the Citan from behind in the autumn. It will go on sale at the same time as the public premiere at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover in mid-September and will soon be available in a dozen versions, from short panel vans to large space cruisers at prices from 17,445 euros. This makes it a little more expensive than the Renault Kangoo and stays just below the VW Caddy.

Mercedes optimizes steering and suspension setup

While the unfortunate and overpriced predecessor Vaneo from the nineties was still a derivative of the then new A-Class and was therefore rather unsuccessful in the commercial sector, this time the Swabians got help from someone who is familiar with something like this: because that is the Citan first result of the cooperation with Renault and is based on the Kangoo. "This is how the French invented this segment and are the first choice for us as partners," says Van boss Volker Mornhinweg.

Under the sheet are Citan and Kangootherefore identical, they come from the same factory in France and of course the silhouette hardly differs either. "But where Mercedes is on it, Mercedes has to be inside," says Mornhinweg and has therefore given his team enough money for a certain obstinacy. The Swabian Kangoo has at least a subtly retouched design with a new front apron on the outside, its interior has been upgraded, it also has better steering and its own chassis tuning.

Endless space in the Mercedes Citan

Of course, the ambience cannot be compared with a B-Class - but there is also a difference of 6,000 euros between the most expensive Citan and the cheapest B-Class. And who cares about the finely grained landscapes made of hard plastic or the bare metal sheets in the interior when you have endless space for it and climb into the rear through two comfortable sliding doors.

The largest panel van with the longest of three wheelbases has a cargo space of up to 3.8 cubic meters, and the crew bus with passenger car registration, which is most comparable to a normal van, also offers at least 700 liters of luggage space in addition to its five seats at prices from 20,325 euros For small parts logistics, there are plenty of shelves up to high shelves in the headliner.