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.