MERCEDES-BENZ VARIO
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Engine: 4 25-ht, 129hp/500Nm, 156hp/610Nm, 177hp/ 670Nm Transmission: 6spd man, 5spd auto Chassis: 4x2, 4x4 GVW: 5,990-7,490kg Wheelbase: 3,700 4,800mm
MODELTESFED/PUBLISHED: VARIO 13 February 2003
We thought this old-timer might have been retired with the Euro-4 emissions deadline last year. but it keeps soldiering on and clearly Mercedes is selling enough to keep it in production. Practicality is the order of the day with a Vario— if you're looking for a panel van with the payload of a truck, you could do worse than adding a Vane to your shopping list.
Up front you get an updated cab which might lack the good looks of its contemporaries but is practical nonetheless.
Power has also been revised, The Furo-4 fourcylinder 4.25-litre unit also incorporates SCR technology and produces 136hp, with torque rated at a hefty 520Nm. But with GVWs ranging from 5.99 to 749 tonnes there's Little in the way of immediate oomph to get it moving. Instead, simply guide the big van through its paces and things will remain unruffled — body control is surprisingly stable. And with plenty of payload potential thanks to its competitive kerbweight the Vario makes of practical sense.