Mercedes is expanding their commercial van presence with the midsize 2016 Metris commercial van lineup. It is smaller than the full-size Sprinter van and bigger than competitor’s small vans. This MarcoPolo camper version is currently sold in Europe. There is no plan to bring the camper to the United States market at this time, but it could be a possibility in the future.
The Metris (known in Europe as the Vito) does not bring the turbo-diesel engine across the ocean. The Metris uses a tuned version of the Mercedes 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, that is also found in the C-class passenger cars. However, it make less power in this application. It’s rated at 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This tuning is meant for the more demanding commercial application and has a 15,000 miles service interval. The 7-speed G-tronic automatic transmission sends the power to the rear wheels. This is no plan for a four-wheel-drive version at this time.
Mercedes says that 91 octane fuel is recommended to get the best performance from this power plant. However, they made sure it is able to operate on 87 octane as well.
The Metris will go on sale in October of 2015 in passenger and cargo variations. There is only one wheelbase and one roof height. The cargo Metris is able to carry 2,500 pounds of payload and tow a maximum of 4,960 pounds.
Check out this quick look at the camper version of the Metris van.
