SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


V-Class: Mercedes-Benz MPV realigned and renamed for 2015

The options are many

Pics supplied
Posted: 21 June 2015

The cheat sheet
Prices range from R695 981 to R984 196 incl. VAT                                                             (but exclude CO2 tax that varies with engine and gearbox configuration and with optional wheel sizes)
Engine: 2143 cc, four-cylinder turbo diesel
V200:
Power and torque: 100 kW at 3800 rpm/ 330 Nm at 1300 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 14.0 sec (m), 12.9 sec (a)
Maximum: 183 km/h (m), 181 km/h (a)
Car fuel index: 7.8 l/100 km (m), 7.3 l/100 km/h (a)
V220:
Power and torque: 120 kW at 3800 rpm and 380 Nm at 1400 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.9 sec (m), 10.9 sec (a)
Maximum: 194 km/h (m), 195 km/h (a)
Car fuel index: 7.3 l/100 km (m), 7.1 l/100 km (a)
V250:
Power and torque: 140 kW at 3800 rpm and 440 Nm at 1400 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.1 sec
Maximum: 206 km/h
Car fuel index: 7.2 l/100 km
Tank: 75 litres
Warranty and maintenance: 6 years/100 000 km
Servicing at up to 2 years/40 000 km intervals (computer notification)

In a nutshell: M-B’s Vito crew busses continue unchanged as commercial vehicles but the Viano range has been extensively upgraded, reassigned to passenger duty and rebranded as V-Class.

The new range stands alone and therefore as class-leader in a class of one, but the nitty-gritty is that Viano was made handsomer and more passenger-friendly and kitted out with C-Class electronics and features. It’s even based on the C-Class platform, making it like a longer and taller saloon car with lots of flexibility inside.

Unlike its predecessor, it boasts an all-diesel engine line-up with, for now, only the nominally 2.2-litre, four-cylinder motor; but in three states of tune. V200 gives you 100 kilowatts and 330 Newton-metres, V220 ups the specification to 120/380 and V250 tops the range with 140 kW and 440 Nm.

There are five variants. V200 CDI Standard and V220 CDI Standard offer a good range of original equipment including a six-speed manual gearbox; Crosswind Assist that intervenes with selective braking to keep you straight when a gusting wind catches you unaware; Attention Assist that judges when it’s time for you to stop and rest; and Active Parking Assist that helps you ease the V into unbelievably tight parking spaces - either parallel or right angled.

Other standard items include Mercedes-Benz’s Audio 20 USB music centre with seven-inch touch screen; height-and-reach adjustable, multifunction steering wheel with 12 buttons; Direct Select column-mounted gear lever; luxurious front seats with side bags; electric parking brake; ABS brakes with EBA, disc wipe and Adaptive ESP; remote central locking with anti-theft package; powered windows and mirrors; rain sensing wipers, and active arrest for the sliding side doors.

Should you decide to order the 7G-Tronic Plus gearbox at R25 000, the package adds shift paddles and Agility Select that lets you choose from four engine, accelerator and transmission response profiles. It also makes Park Assist a completely hands-and-feet-off exercise - the brakes, steering and radar do all the work for you beyond an initial touch of accelerator to set things in motion.

The next model up, V250 BlueTec, adds Garmin Map Pilot satnav, a set of media interface connector cables, the automatic gearbox mentioned above, some trim choices, anodised roof rails and Thermotronic automatic climate control rather than the standard air conditioner.

Two Avantgarde versions, V220 CDI and V250 CDI, add appearance items; agility control suspension; 15-speaker, 10-channel, Burmester surround sound that would otherwise cost R10 000 as an option; COMAND Online satnav, voice control and connectivity that would separately cost R24 500 as an add-on; rear-view camera; automatically dimming outside mirrors with auto-fold; stitched leather dash and heated front seats with ventilation, lumbar support and memories.

A couple of notes: COMAND retains CD-playing capability because sound quality is simply better from this medium than from plug-in or streaming sources and, provided you have both COMAND and Burmester (as options or part of Avantgarde), front-seat conversation can be amplified for the benefit of rear seat passengers. Think: “Suzy, stop hitting your brother!” or “Now passing, on our right, the Mandela Capture Site museum and restaurant that we will return to for lunch.” It’s a perfect luxury bus for hotels, businesses, well-heeled families and tour operators.

Other items include collision prevention, lane keeping and blind spot assistance; intelligent lighting; black hood lining rather than grey; powered side doors and an electric tail gate with lift-up, easy-load window. A pair of collapsible plastic crates allows up to 50 kg of storage on top of the cargo cover that features a carpeted, fold-down, covering board (crates folded or removed, obviously). It’s so Dad (everybody kept saying that) can change Baby’s diapers or prepare the picnic lunch. Cute. Or clean and reload the Purdeys. Or get the tack ready. That might be more to the point.

Standard seating consists of places for seven (driver, copilot, two singles and a bench for three) but six- or eight-seat options, with or without flip-up tables, are available. If you selected the six- or seven seat layout, the central pair can be unclipped and turned around to face rearward; for conferences on the move, grandfolk-to-grandkids interaction, or whatever you choose.

A further configuration with the six-place set is that the middle- and rearmost chairs on one side can be temporarily removed and replaced with special anchors, in the existing rails, for your mountain bike. Or remove all four seats and carry both your bikes.

The options are many but we won’t bore you with a long wish list, so simply click here for prices and specifications. http://tinyurl.com/olhbo4p

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored press event


Our review of a 2015 V-250 is here

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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