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this. A major feature of the vehicle is the
hill assist which prevents the vehicle from
rolling back when taking off on a hill. During
the test I experienced high wind on the
open road and the Vito with the Wind Assist
feature was able to maintain its directional
stability without any fear of drifting off line.
Also contributing to the low wind resistance
factor is the design characteristic of the
body with a Cd coefficient of only 3.2.
The ride quality of the Vito 111 CDI Mixto is
good and the light feel of the steering with
electromechanical power assistance that
changes to the kinematics, ensures a posi-
tive feel at all times without being too heavy
despite the front-wheel drive configuration.
The front axle and engine are mounted
more rigidly in their sub-frame. The drive
unit is therefore isolated from vibration with
this variant.
The independent rear suspension on
semi-trailing arms and coil springs on the
Mixto is set for high loads while a comfort
suspension is available as an option. Even
with the standard suspension, the Mixto did
not compromise on the ride comfort at any
time, whether empty or loaded.
Access to the interior of the Mixto is pro-
vided by three large generously sized doors
with low sills, making loading and offload-
ing of goods effortless. The side doors are
well balanced and slide in both directions
with little effort.
The new Vito is certainly at the forefront
of the market as far as mid-sized vans are
concerned. The front-wheel drive concept
has not detracted from the practical value
of the Vito as its comfort and robustness is
still prevalent in the vehicle, which is a well
balanced economical and functional means
of transport.
Adding further to the practical aspects of
the Vito are the service intervals which have
been extended to 40 000 km or two years
across the range and service plans have
been extended to 5 year/120 000 km (Pre-
viously 5-year/90 000 km).
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
APRIL 2016
29