Mercedes-Benz Citan van review (2024)

• Wide choice of petrol and diesel power
• Comfortable and good to drive
• Engines can be noisy, however

The new Citan is available with five conventional engine options, two petrol and three diesel. However, only the mid-level diesel is offered in the UK at launch. Here's what it's like to drive.

Mercedes Citan engine options

The diesels are all based around the same basic 1.5-litre turbo, and come with the following power outputs:

• Citan 108 CDI: 75hp at 3,750rpm / 230Nm at 1,750rpm
• Citan 110 CDI: 95hp at 3,750rpm / 260Nm at 1,750rpm
• Citan 112 CDI: 116hp at 3,750rpm / 270Nm at 1,750rpm

Similarly, the petrols are both based on the same 1.3-litre turbo engine, with power output adjusted to give buyers the choice of:

• Citan 110: 102hp at 4,500rpm / 200Nm at 1,500rpm
• Citan 113: 131hp at 4,500rpm / 240Nm at 1,600rpm

It’s not yet clear whether more engine options will be offered to Citan customers in the UK in the future - the Kangoo comes with the higher powered diesel and the lower powered of the two petrols for example. At this stage we have driven all but the entry-level 75hp diesel, sampled across a variety of panel van and Tourer models.

What are the Citan’s engines like?

The diesels are likely to be the bigger sellers, and it’s the mid-ranking 110 CDI with 95hp that probably makes the most sense to most buyers, which explains why Mercedes has put all its eggs in this basket. Its 260Nm of torque is only just shy of the 270Nm provided by the 112 CDI.

When shifting loads, torque is more important than horsepower, so don’t feel you are missing out on that higher 116hp figure unless you’re planning to wring the engine out at every possible opportunity (in which instance the 112 CDI does manage to go 0-62mph some 2.1 seconds faster than the 13.8 seconds the 110 CDI can manage).

Neither diesel variant is likely to encourage that kind of behaviour, as once you get much higher than 2,000rpm they get very loud. This is worse in the panel van than in the Tourer, which is generally quieter and more refined, but a surprise for a modern van in either case – especially as the Citan is otherwise impressively refined.

In fact, with little road or wind noise, it’s exactly the opposite to the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo. The Citan’s diesels are noisy compared with the Caddy’s much quieter ones, but the Mercedes’ cabin is generally quieter than the boomy, resonant experience you get across a wider range of speeds in the VW.

You can drive around the engine noise in the Citan more easily than you can avoid the boominess in the Caddy, however – if anything it’s a reminder to change up a gear, because the little Mercedes is quite happy to tickle along in sixth at very low rpm.

The petrol versions won’t be as economical on longer journeys, although around town they could prove less painful to run than the diesel engines (modern diesels don’t like short trips) and they both offer plenty of torque at low rpm – traditionally a weak point of petrol versus diesel. It's worth waiting to see if the Citan comes with one, although both the Kangoo and the Nissan Townstar, which is the third van in the partnership, will offer petrol engines.

These engines also suffer with some surprising resonance at certain points in the rev range – and they certainly don’t encourage you to rev the nuts off them. But even when this is happening they’re quieter and less uncomfortable to listen to.

Regardless of engine type, all Citans come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a snappy, mechanically precise-feeling action. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission option will be available on more powerful engines at launch.

Cornering and comfort

The Citan’s steering is fairly numb and lifeless, which means you’re left assuming there’s plenty of grip at the driven front wheels rather than really feeling it. It’s also particularly light in the petrol-powered models, which takes a little bit of getting used to, but ultimately makes it easy to whizz around in the city and beyond; the diesels feel heavier, but not so much so that they are likely to become tiring to drive.

On the plus side, the turning circle for the standard short-wheelbase model is just 11.75m, which makes spinning the van around in tight spaces very easy.

Also impressive is the level of comfort. The panel vans have suspension tuned for driving with high payloads, but even partially loaded they didn’t feel overly bouncy or crashy around the roads of Hamburg during the Citan’s initial launch.

The Citan Tourer models have suspension tuned for lighter loads to make an even better fist of passenger comfort, and we found this to work very well, too. With the extra seats and carpeting, the Tourer feels very much car-quality to drive, and frankly the regular panel van isn’t far off this either.

The slightly uncouth engine noise aside, both exude a real sense of quality to the way they’ve been put together that feels well up to the standards of Mercedes brand. A far cry from the previous Citan model.

• Almost entirely Mercedes inside
• High quality fit and finish
• Good range of adjustment

If you were worried the second-generation Citan would again suffer from a Renault interior with a few bits of Mercedes switchgear crammed in you can relax. While there are some elements shared between the two – such as the inner door handles – the entire dashboard is different in the Citan and thoroughly Mercedes with it. Including plenty of parts familiar from the Sprinter and the firm’s passenger car range.

The design and material people have been pretty clever here. Whether or not you think the dashboard looks like a wing, as Mercedes would have it, matters little compared with how well the hard plastics have been disguised. For though most of the surfaces are quite hard, they don’t look cheap or nasty at all.

Together with the solid way the entire cabin has been put together, the Citan seems less like a small van and more like a small car – and a good one, at that.

Especially when specified with the MBUX infotainment system and digital screen in the instrument cluster (standard-fit on the Tourer, optional for the panel van). Not to mention the particularly fancy air-conditioning controls with individual digital displays within the dials.

Does that mean it’s not very practical?

Gladly, Mercedes has put plenty of thought into practicality as well. The door bins can hold 1.5-litre bottles, and there’s lidded storage available on top of the dashboard and under the (optional) centre armrest.

You can also specify a folding metal-mesh bulkhead and fold-flat passenger seat if you need to carry longer loads. Though there are surely better small van choices if that is important.

The fixed bulkhead is available with windows if you want to be able to see out of the back, while the Tourer is spacious enough for four adults, if a bit of a squeeze for five.

The front doors open to a full 90 degrees for access, too. An unusual but welcome feature.

How’s the driving position?

There is a large amount of adjustment in the reach and rake of the steering wheel, so that shouldn’t be a problem. The gearlever is mounted high in the middle of the dashboard for ease, if not quite as close to the wheel as some vans manage.

There are several grades of seat to choose from. With even the standard items featuring height and lumbar adjustment for the driver, they seem both tough and comfortable.

However, in the panel van taller drivers may struggle to get the seat back far enough. At 5’11”, this tester was up against the bulkhead.

• Pricing starts at just over £21,000
• Engine capable of a claimed 54.3mpg

The Mercedes Citan first appeared in the UK in 2023. This is slightly later than Mercedes hoped, but is down to pressures on the industry as a whole and not just the brand. Pricing starts at £21,310, which is notably more than the Renault Kangoo, but the Citan offers significantly more equipment and doesn't come with the petrol engines that take the price down in the Renault's case.

There are two trim levels to choose between, named Progressive and Premium. Upgrading to the higher of the two trims will add just under £2,000 to the price, taking it to £23,285. Going for the longer version adds £1,325.

Mercedes-Benz Citan mpg

Here are the official fuel economy figures for the Citan:

• Citan 110 CDI diesel: 54.3mpg

The range consists of just the one diesel engine for now, but there are other options available to Mercedes, so this might not always be the case.

Mercedes-Benz Citan warranty

Mercedes vans all come with three-year unlimited mileage warranties.

Mercedes-Benz Citan standard equipment

The two trims in the UK are called Progressive and Premium, with the following kit offered as standard on each model:

Progressive:

• Air conditioning
• Heat insulating glass
• LED interior lighting
• Multifunction steering wheel
• Heated and powered door mirrors
• Rear parking sensors and reversing camera
• MBUX infotainment system with smartphone integration
• Cruise control
• Body colour door handles
• 16-inch steel wheels with five-spoke trims

Premium:

• Body coloured bumpers
• Metallic paint
• 10-spoke alloy wheels
• Gloss black and chrome interior details
• Highbeam assist LED headlights and LED fog lights

As a relatively new van that’s only just gone on sale in the UK, we can’t yet gauge the second-generation Mercedes Citan’s reliability.

However, Mercedes is noted as a reliable brand in general in the annual FN50 van reliability survey, and regularly finishes right up the top - the Mercedes' larger van, the Sprinter, has been named the most reliable in the listings for several years now. Although much of the Citan is based on Renault technology, Mercedes' reputation for high-quality aftercare should see you right whatever happens.

• At least six airbags as standard
• Autonomous emergency braking also fitted

Every Citan comes with a high level of safety equipment by van standards. While most manufacturers only fit a single airbag, the Citan comes with six airbags as standard. Citan Tourer models have seven airbags as standard, the extra item being a centre airbag to stop driver and passenger colliding.

Other standard features include ABS and electronic stability control – as legally required – plus hill-start assist, crosswind assist and attention assist (which watches out for driver fatigue) on the panel van models. Autonomous emergency braking (Active Brake Assist) is also included on every model, while active lane-keeping assist, blindspot monitors and speed limit assist are all offered as options