Mercedes will now offer two versions of its vehicle, and each has got its own name. Citan is the commercial vehicle, where the passenger vehicles will be categorized by the T-Class name. The two models are to be revealed later this year, but we managed to get our hands on the Citan in pre-production form. This is a market segment that’s showing considerable growth in the UK for quite some years, so you can understand why the company would want to invest in it. It first appeared in 2012, with different versions and the choice of different wheelbases.
It’s no wonder why it got a slow start, and even after providing strong incentives, it couldn’t reach the sales level which was expected upon its launch. The current model is again the result of the engineering partnership between the firms and its drivelines are based on the Mk3 Kangoo.
Citan project head Dirk Hipp talked about the vehicle’s production and the firms’ partnership. He says what’s important to them is it’s a Mercedes-Benz model and has been developed so from the beginning. It made it possible for us to give it the best styling and dynamic qualities that would ensure the customers love the model.
The vehicle has gone through 450 tests in different temperatures, after the completion of a two-year development program. The vehicle offers what’s normal in the vehicles of this class and what customers want from such a model; interior space, simple functionality, and everyday practicality. The car we drove was in disguised form, so we don’t know how it looks from outside and will have to wait for it. The company claims, it’s more different in style from the Kangoo than the original model ever was. However, to us, there are some similarities in the exterior of the two models.
The model we drove had a standard wheelbase, two rear sliding doors, and two hinged front doors. It will offer several other configurations. It seems that both versions won’t have a sunroof or a rear screen within the tailgate. We have seen these features in many other similar models, but Mercedes seems to be targeting a different set of customers.