Mercedes-Benz Vaneo another MPV option

Mercedes-Benz Vaneo another MPV option

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With more and more people wanting to spend their weekends with
the whole family at resorts, a host of car producers are offering
various kinds of Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV)s.

German-based Mercedes-Benz has now launched its latest mini-
MPV product called Vaneo. Available in three models known as the
Trend, Family and Ambiente, this MPV is ready to take on the
local market and meet the needs of Mercedes-Benz fans for just
such a seven-seater car.

The Vaneo was displayed for the first time here by PT
DaimlerChrysler Indonesia during last week's DaimlerChrysler Auto
Festival 2002 in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Unlike other MPVs, Vaneo has a monospace design and low-set
belt line with wide windows and large twin sliding doors. Despite
its compact look -- Vaneo is "only" 4,192 millimeters in length,
1,742 millimeters in width and 1,830 millimeters in height -- the
car is quite spacious on the inside as it can accommodate five
adults and two children. Not to mention a maximum load of up to
3,000 liters and a payload of up to 600 kilograms.

Market research conducted by DaimlerChrysler -- producer of
Mercedes-Benz, Jeep and Chrysler -- shows that over 500
respondents across Europe prefer to have sliding doors.

The advantages of having sliding doors are that they make it
easier for passengers to get in and out, particularly in tight
parking spots, make it easier to load and unload baggage, and
they are safer than hinged doors because if someone accidentally
releases the lock and leans against the door, it will not
automatically open.

The Vaneo's large windows give the interior an airy and
pleasant feel especially with the two-tone color concept.

Mercedes-Benz also offers five practical packages for
consumers; Snow for winter sports enthusiasts, Surf for
windsurfers, Bike for cyclists, Dog for animal lovers and Carry
for amateur hauliers.

Vaneo also has a sandwich floor or double floor which absorbs
the impact energy released in an accident. The sandwich floor
design has been successfully proving its merits in the A-Class
range since 1997. Vaneo is the second model, after the A-Class
range, to employ this innovative safety concept, which makes it
safer than virtually every other car in its segment of the
market.

In the sandwich area between the flat passenger compartment
floor and the underside of the vehicle, there is a grille-type
structure of side and cross members. In the event of a collision,
these act as channels for the resulting load and absorb the
kinetic energy that is exerted from any number of different
directions, depending on the type of collision.

Customers can pick any of five engines -- Vaneo, Vaneo 1.6,
Vaneo 1.9, Vaneo CDI and Vaneo CDI 1.7 -- spanning an output
range from 55kW/75hp to 92kW/125hp.

The entry-level petrol engine is a 1-6-liter unit developing
60kW/82hp. A better performance is available in the form of the
75kW/102hp variant. The top of the range model, generating
92kW/125hp is the Vaneo 1.9, capable of reaching a top speed of
181 kph.

The turbodiesel engines have a displacement of 1.7 liters and
are available with a power output of either 55kW/75hp or
66kW/90hp.

With many advanced innovations and a lot of technology to
offer, Vaneo is more than able to compete with the other MPV
models available on the Indonesian market.