May 2003

- by Trish Whelan

Viano to debut at Frankfurt

12 May 2003: The new Mercedes-Benz Viano will make its public debut at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt in September, with order books opening before then in mid-June. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class will then be replaced successively in the markets, starting in autumn 2003.

Production will take place at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Vitoria, Spain, where the manufacturing facilities have been practically doubled in size in preparation. A completely new body shop equipped with 550 state-of-the-art robots has been installed there, along with a new paint shop and a new assembly line.

there is a choice of three vehicle lengths (4,748 mm to 5,223 mm) and two different wheelbases (3,200 mm and 3,400 mm), with four engine models available for the Viano.

The engine models on offer include either two CDI diesel engines, whose outputs range from 88 hp to 150 hp, and two six-cylinder petrol powerplants generating 190 hp and 218 hp, with power being transferred to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

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