Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer (2024 - ) review

With all seats deployed, cargo carrying capability is limited but it’s not what the Tourer version of the eVito is for. This is a people-carrying vehicle with the ability to carry a maximum of seven passengers plus the driver. However, the full hatch on the back is a great addition to a people carrier, providing shade in summer and shelter in rain alongside excellent accessibility. With the driver’s weight already accounted for, the vehicle can carry up to 714 extra kilogrammes of people and luggage - around 100kg per person with their baggage, if you’re carrying seven extra passengers - which feels like a good weight allowance. The interior width is 1.6m, interior height is 1.3m with 2.6m of internal length to play with - this means that space is never an issue even with a full vehicle. However, being an electric vehicle, the usable range will decrease when more weight is being carried. So, from a pure people-carrying point of view the eVito Tourer can fit a lot of people in it but carrying maximum weight has the trade-off of less available range, although the new eVito has a higher maximum range of over 220 miles. So, as you can see, electric vehicles continue to be a balancing act at the higher weight classes of cargo over range, and the eVito Tourer is no different. The L2 version I was driving is also just a little too long for most standard parking spaces (see picture), so it’s something to be aware of when parking up - again, another compromise, this time between passenger carrying ability and vehicle length.

The interior is everything you’d expect from a Mercedes-Benz - shiny and tough plastics with a touch of brushed metal and style. The driver gets a fully-adjustable comfort seat with lumbar support, a heated steering wheel and a high driving position. Passengers get comfortable bench seats in rows two and three, and the primary passenger seat is a copy of the driver’s seat. All seats are upholstered in what’s called Black Caluma material, which feels hard-wearing. It’s a spacious environment that won’t cause issues or arguments over space. Storage is generous with huge door pockets, cup holders on the dash at either end, a generous glove box and an area under the climate controls in the centre console to seat your phone while it’s hooked to the infotainment system. The infotainment screen - featuring the latest version of MBUX - is big, sharp and easy to use. You’ll see from the pictures that beyond the space and seats, the eVito Tourer has little else going on behind the driver’s compartment and I like that simplicity in a people carrier.

Being an electric vehicle, running costs are slightly lower than those you’d expect with a combustion engine vehicle - especially if you are charging at home where costs will be dictated by your electricity tariff. Maximum range is over 220 miles - although that will decrease in colder weather, carrying maximum weight and according to your driving habits - meaning gaps between charges will be sensible. Charging times are simple - 10 hours on AC from 0-100% or 40 minutes on DC from 10-80% - so your downtime for charges is easy to work out. With its new range, the latest eVito Tourer is definitely the best and easiest to recommend for running costs - especially if you overcome the price with a lease deal or good finance package. And don’t forget that the plug-in van grant will also have an impact on bringing the price down.

The eVito Tourer comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and an eight-year 100,000-mile battery guarantee. This is a newly-facelifted version of the eVito, so no mechanical reliability issues have reared their heads yet. I did notice the alarm system sensors are very sensitive to temperature change - it may be a coincidence, but the alarm always triggered about 30 mins after a long drive with the heater on. No insects were present as the culprit, so I have to blame a sensor/temperature issue but I’m not sure whether it’s the volumetric or perimeter sensors.

Performance is strong in the eVito Tourer and it’s a pleasant electric MPV to drive. The 150kW motor provides 204HP of power and delivers 362Nm of torque, and it's surprising how quickly it can shift when you put your foot down. Acceleration is immediate - perhaps a little gradual - but very much matches the weight of the press on the pedal. It performs exactly how you’d expect a people-carrying electric vehicle of this weight and size.

The ride and handling of the vehicle is precise, and your driving position is high and comfortable. It’s hard to explain, but the Mercedes-Benz premium style and quality does a lot to make you feel like you’re driving something sports when you’re not. The L2 version I drove is long (over 5m) so corners do require a little extra room to get round. It’s also a heavy vehicle at 2.7 tonnes, meaning it never feels wobbly or like it’s going to roll out of a corner. The accelerator is firm and pressure on it is matched by the power response of the motor. Simply put, it’s a pleasant vehicle to drive with sparks of excitement provided by it being a Mercedes-Benz.

Safety specification has been significantly upgraded to modern versions of the following technologies: Active Brake Assist, Hill-Start Assist, Blind-Spot Assist, Crosswind Assist, Attention Assist, tyre pressure monitoring front and rear, intelligent tachograph (EU), reversing camera and sensors, rain sensor, cruise control, high beam assist, the latest MBUX multimedia system and an electronic parking brake. That last one, the electric parking brake, is such a huge relief to see on the new eVito Tourer - I was not a fan of the old foot-applied parking brake, it was clunky and awkward to use, and an electric brake is modern and simple.

The equipment list is also a step up from previous versions, and alongside other things mentioned in this review you get a lot for the price tag. On the outside at the Select trim level you get dimming and foldable electric mirrors, colour-correct front and rear bumpers, 17-inch alloy wheels and a stylish chromed radiator grille… they throw the three-spoke badge in with every vehicle. On the inside the driver gets a heated leather steering wheel, the comfortable driver’s seat with lumbar support, the ‘Black Caluma’ seat upholstery, you can opt for a double co-driver’s seat, Mercedes-Benz’s TEMPMATIC air conditioning, the modern electric parking brake (finally), DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, USB-C sockets, the multiple Mercedes-Benz cable adapters and bags of cabin storage. That’s a packed list and I respect Mercedes-Benz for listening to feedback and making a significant upgrade to the Vito that, in my opinion, was well overdue.

The eVito Tourer is a people carrier with premium style from a company that knows all about being premium. The price tag is a hurdle, but one that some will see as an occupational hazard of owning a big electric Mercedes-Benz van. That price would be far higher if you go for the proper ‘car version’ of this vehicle which drops the Vito name and is called the V-Class (which starts at £75k and tops out over £100k) - it is essentially the same vehicle with a classier interior and exterior. However, I can’t fault the eVito Tourer’s people-carrying ability, nor the improvements made in its safety and equipment specs. It’s also a very attractive vehicle, especially in the Alpine Grey paint colour, which is one of the major reasons to drive a Mercedes-Benz of any type. In short, the new eVito Tourer is a step up in all the right ways for a vehicle that was beginning to feel tired. For that they do deserve a closer look, but I worry that the prices put it at a disadvantage.