Mercedes Benz Viano test drive since 2010 Minivan

Flight V 280

The business is different, and therefore the concept of a car for a business with equal success can mean an armored limousine, a trunk tractor, and a roller van. But when the big fleet is not affordable, you will involuntarily think about some universal transport for all cases, so that guests in Sheremetyevo are not ashamed, and computers, if necessary, bring to the office ...
You can, of course, take the minivan: Ford Galaxy, Renault Espace ... However, let's not forget that for some reason we have a three-beam star on the hood of the car. Yes, and Mercedes without complete minced meat (including a leather interior and an automatic box) in Russia, it seems like not Mercedes. N-yes, the task ... But the well-known army wisdom says: what to think, you need to shake!. And we began to shake. They called the Daimlerrukler Rus cars and explained what we wanted. The reaction was puzzling-mugs: come, there, standing in the yard. Sorry, what is in the yard? V-class stands: ambiente, 2.8 liters, automatic, leather salon, climate control, music, refrigerator ... But, by the way, it is not only on business, you can do it out of town ... well, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes Of course a V-class! But ... The fact is that we have already met with the V-class once. It was in the winter of 1998 in his historical homeland, and, I must say, the memories of that trip from Stuttgart to Berlin through Dresden were not the most rainbow. No, it was warm, spacious and convenient, but you must agree, little pleasant to ride German autobahns at a speed of 160 km/h with a constant feeling that the steering column was inserted into a tub with the dough. True, since then, the V-class has undergone modernization, but, honestly, we went to take it for the test not without prejudice.
Mercedes-Benz V-class the car is almost unique. In terms of dimensions, this is no longer a minivan (in the classical sense), but not a minibus. He has practically no direct analogues in Europe, except for VW Multivan, which is a little longer. A spacious wagon body with a sliding door to the right (left-handed left) is common with Vito labor brother, but is characterized by external design, and most importantly, a comfortable six-seven-seventh transformable salon. One smart woman very accurately said about the minivan that he was like a house filled with children's laughter. Having pushed the V-class door, you understand that this building is filled with the aromas of expensive perfumes of secretaries-referens, a squeak of mobile phones and a laptop keyboard clasp. No, not the building of the first-class salon on the plane: leather chairs with armrests, curtains on windows, large folding tables, each passenger has an ashtray, a cup holder, a 12-volt socket. Is there even a trash is it worth it to look for here and the door from the scoreboard is busy and free?
However, if you remove all the seats, the airbus turns into an impressive truck not that Ruslan, but 4.5 cubic meters are lucky. Of course, there is no folding ramp for loading here, but unlike the aircraft the V-class can sit down due to the rear air suspension (there is a special button inside at the rear door). I don’t know what requirements are imposed on the pilots of passenger liners, and it is advisable to be short-haired driver to the V-class driver, but long-haired, despite all the adjustments of the seat and the steering column. But the joystick of the transmission control on the console is very convenient: put it in position D and pull the handle of the parking brake. The crew welcomes you on board ... We ask the passengers to fasten the belts ... we proceed. At urban speeds, the steering wheel is empty in the middle zone, but a sound reactive force is already felt in the turns. Across the dynamics surprises the neighbors in the stream (wow the bus has left!), And if after the car E 280 it seems insufficient to you, we recommend paying attention to the mass of the car. By the way, at the start of the pedal to the floor, even on dry asphalt in the first seconds, until the anti -wings system intervened, a specific rustling is heard from the front wheels (Pirelli P6000 215/60 R 16).
The cracks of the asphalt are given on the back with rather rigid blows, but passengers in the back row do not complain about shaking and this is increased from the plane with a plane that cuts down to take -off. But then the green shields of the Novorizhsk runway flashed, and it immediately became clear where his elements were. As soon as the speedometer arrow reaches 70-80 km/h, the steering wheel is poured with a clear force. A great sensation of the center, lively, clear reactions, minimal rolls: a V-class allows you to make quick and accurate maneuvers. Very convenient autopilot, that is, cruise control. The transmission allows you to effectively slow down the engine on the slopes of the click-shred with a joystick, and that everything around the brakes crushes? Airbusial equanimity is straight: as if it are not traveling on the way, but flies. And here the passengers dozed off, we need to reduce the music ...
P.S. Nevertheless, at the wheel of the V-class, for some reason you feel like a hired driver. But, by the way, is it not to find out how much they pay to Daimlercoresler cars to drivers?
Dmitry Filonov
Photo by Alexander Nozdrin
 

 

A source: Cars