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Mercedes-Benz Van Names Explained

Mercedes-Benz Van Names Explained

Mercedes-Benz Metris VS Vito VS V-Class VS Viano VS Valente

When a car manufacturer sells the same car in multiple countries, the name is often altered to better match the culture of the area it is being sold in. In the case of Mercedes-Benz, this is true only for the Metris van. At least, in America (and Canada!), it is called the Metris. In other countries and decades, you will find the same van going by different names such as Vito or V-Class or Viano.

Metris

We’ll start with the easy one. In America, the Metris was introduced for the 2016 production year. Aside from the Sprinter, there are no other Mercedes-Benz commercial vans in the country.

V-Class

The V-Class is the current, and original name of the Metris in all parts of the world. It is a universal term, meaning it covers all forms of “V” Mercedes-Benz vans.

Vito (First Generation)

The Mercedes-Benz Vito is the first generation of the midsize Mercedes-Benz commercial van, introduced in 1996.

Viano (Second Generation)

The Viano designation appeared in 2003 when the first generation Vito was killed off.

Valente (Australia)

The Valente is the name designated to the V-Class as it exists in Australia.

What’s the difference?

Aside from which side the steering wheel is on, there is really no difference between all of these V-Class models. In fact, all the names are still active and are used interchangeably all over the globe. If you have any questions about the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, leave a comment below!