Mercedes Citan 109 CDI, first drive in Lalín

Once again Mercedes-Benz España has organised the “Mercedes Test Day”, a day on which we can try out the latest novelties from the German manufacturer for a few hours, bringing together the latest launches from the brand in one place.

With this purpose in mind, we travelled to Lalín, a town in Galicia situated at a strategic central point for our Galician colleagues. There, under relentless cold, we had the Mercedes E-Class Hybrid, Mercedes Citan, Mercedes GL, among others such as the SL500 or the CLS Shooting Break available. We are going to focus precisely on the first three, as they were the ones we were able to analyse and test for the longest time.

Mercedes Citan

The Mercedes Citan will be available with three body styles: panel van, mixed and estate (the latter being the one we tested). It is a van resulting from the agreement with Renault, and based on the Renault Kangoo. The 180 CDI engine (of Renault origin) of the Mercedes A-Class is also a product of this collaboration agreement.

Some of its figures are as follows: it has a load capacity of 3.8 cubic metres in its panel van version, while the payload is 800 kg.

Externally the similarities with the French van are more abundant, except for the front end, which bears the Mercedes stamp, and a few other elements. Whereas inside the changes are more numerous, as the centre console has been completely redesigned and some controls specific to the German manufacturer appear (such as the wiper and indicator controls integrated into a single stalk).

The quality of the finishes is what one would expect in a van, that is, an abundance of hard plastics, but the fit is correct. The design is also sober and simple, featuring the typical storage spaces found in vehicles of this type for leaving various objects, such as the upper sun visor and the doors, and these can even be increased thanks to the brand’s accessories, which allow us to add more compartments or practical elements.

Dynamics and engines

The engines are of French origin: the diesel engines come from Renault in three variants: 75 hp (108 CDI), 90 (109 CDI), 110 hp (111 CDI), and a 1.2-litre 115 hp petrol version for the long and estate versions. The diesel engines are the 1.5 dCi from Renault, while the petrol unit is also of French origin. The 111 CDI and the 112 petrol will be available in 2013.

In the dynamic aspect, the engineers at Mercedes have made their mark, as dynamically it differs quite considerably from the Renault Kangoo, being more agile and at the same time its suspension strikes a successful balance between comfort and dynamism (although, it is not a cargo sports car). Compared with other similar vans, it does not have an excessively soft suspension. If you are genuinely interested in the Mercedes Citan, the best thing is to try it to notice the differences with other vans.

First drive Citan 109 CDI Combi

Over a few kilometres we tried a Mercedes Citan 109 CDI Combi with 90 hp, an engine that feels lively from low revs but also runs out of breath quickly, around 3,500 r.p.m. What we liked most was the consumption, since during the drive of just over 10 km on country roads and tracks the average consumption was around 6 litres per 100 km.

Apart from the dynamic aspect we already discussed, since it remains stable on the road and is also firmer than other similar vans, the manoeuvrability also surprised us, indeed much of the first drive was along small country tracks to test how it handles in these environments.

Another detail worth highlighting is the glazed area, which offers very good forward and side visibility, with large windows and big rear-view mirrors that contribute to good visibility.

Equipment, prices and maintenance

As standard all Citans include air conditioning and stability control; the 108 and 109 CDI come with 14-inch wheels, except the long versions which already feature 15-inch wheels, a right-hand side door, and radio pre-installation (speakers not included). This is the standard equipment for the panel van version.

If we look at the standard equipment on a Mixed version, it adds to the above an on-board computer, outside temperature indicator, MP3/AUX/USB Bluetooth radio (with good sound despite being a van and having few speakers), 15-inch wheels, heated electric folding mirrors, electric front windows, front fog lights, among other elements.

Finally, the Combi variant adds two side doors, a folding rear seat, specific interior trim, specific floor mats, among other elements.

The standard equipment is quite complete, especially if we choose the Mixed version, although the prices are somewhat high, and its direct rival, the Kangoo, is more competitive on price. Even so, it should be added that the prices shown below are the official ones and there are always discounts in force that reduce the final amount.

• 108 CDI Compact Panel Van 75 hp €15,451
• 108 CDI Long Panel Van 75 hp €16,201
• 108 CDI Combi Crew 75 hp €16,721
• 108 CDI Combi 75 hp €17,330
• 109 CDI Compact Panel Van 90 hp €15,781
• 109 CDI Long Panel Van 90 hp €16,531
• 109 CDI Extra-Long Panel Van 90 hp €17,931
• 109 CDI Combi Crew 90 hp €17,051
• 109 CDI Combi 90 hp €17,660
• 109 CDI Mixed 90 hp €19,680
• 111 CDI Long Panel Van 110 hp €17,431
• 111 CDI Extra-Long Panel Van 110 hp €18,831
• 111 CDI Combi Crew 110 hp €17,951
• 111 CDI Combi 110 hp €18,560
• 111 CDI Mixed 110 hp €20,580
• 112 petrol Long Panel Van 115 hp €15,931
• 112 petrol Combi 115 hp €17,060

In addition, in its favour is a very interesting maintenance programme that includes everything, servicing, wear parts (except tyres) for 15,000 km per year (extendable up to a maximum of 3 years) for €10 per month. This is an interesting saving in costs and avoids surprises in the maintenance of the Citan.

After our brief first drive, in summary the Citan has seemed to us an interesting product. Improvable are the engines, all of French origin, the high final price and many components shared with the Kangoo. However, in its favour, we find the dynamism and tuning of its suspension, the complete equipment of the Mixed and Combi versions, and the maintenance programme that Mercedes offers.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira / Mercedes-Benz España