Auto Spotlight: 2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris
Surmounting widespread positive critical acclaim overseas as the Mercedes-Benz Vito for its commercial variant and the Mercedes-Benz Viano or V-Class for its passenger variant, the Mercedes-Benz Metris hit the United States market in 2015 with seperate passenger and commercial models. Upon its release and as of now, the Metris is offered at the cheapest base price in comparison to other Mercedes-Benz models. Even though, Mercedes markets the Metris for commercial purposes, such uses constitutes a mere fraction of how these are utilized. Quite often, the Metris serves as a vehicle chassis for custom conversions to meet unique travel needs of businesses and individuals alike.
Blind Spot, Lane Keeping, and Crosswind Assists
Highways and interstates provide challenges and could be rather intimidating for inexperienced drivers, as the Metris features a number of sensors to cite potential hazards and ensure drivers remain safe. Sensors cause LEDs within side mirrors to illuminate when another vehicle is within a blind spot, if the LED shines without blinks then it advises caution when attempting to switch lanes and if the LED blinks it indicates it is hazardous and not safe to switch lanes. Such feature should serve as an aid and is not a alternative for checking all mirrors, including potential blind spot areas. Furthermore, Lane Keeping assist ensures that a driver is not going in and out of lanes, as the steering wheel will vibrate upon sensors triggering. Crosswind assists ensures the Metris remains stabilized within high wind or severe weather and that drivers remain within their lanes.
Attention Assist Feature
The Metris is equipped with a feature to able to recognize and detect driver fatigue through advanced steering inputs and sensors. Upon initiating the ignition, the vehicle will create an individual profile of the driver to understand and incorporate common habits behind the wheel within an algorithm. Accounting for additional variables such as road conditions, weather, time spent and additional factors, in order to rule out if irregular behavior is not a result of reverse causation, bias incurred from omitted measures and potential measurement errors. If the algorithm determines that potential drowsiness is the cause, then a coffee cup icon will become illuminated to indicate that the driver should take a break. Road technologies incorporate features to understand road performance and vehicle characteristics, however the Attention Assist aims to be one of the first to measure and account for the personal behaviors of drivers.
LATCH-system Anchor Points
LATCH, an acronym for ‘Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children’, feature anchor points above and below rear seats to streamline the installation process for child seats. A number of associations state the need of children to utilize child or booster seats until an OEM seat belt is able to fit properly. Even more so, child seats are able to installed within middle rear seats for the added safeness and peace of mind as parents have a vantage point of the children.
2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris Facts
Availability: United States
CO2 Emissions Levels, COMB: 0.91 lb per mile
Energy Consumption, Highway/City: 147/169 kW-hrs per 100 miles
EPA COMB/HWY/CITY Economy: 22/23/20 mpg
0-60 Mph: 9.5-10.0 sec (MT est)
Length x Width x Height: 202.4 x 75.9 x 75.2 in
Wheelbase: 126.0 in
Curb Weight: 4,250 (mfr)
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Engine: 2.0L and 208-hp turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
Vehicle Layout: 4-door van, 8-pass, Rear wheel drive, and front-engine placement
Base Price: $33,895
2017 Updates
Apart from the easier walk-in access, the 2017 version Mercedes-Benz Metris also offers spacious chair-high seats and large windows for panoramic visibility. The space behind the rearmost seat is dimensioned to allows for stacking of multiple suitcases.
Another notable update is the Becker Map Pilot navigation system. It comes bundled with an auto start/stop function, a rear camera, and cruise control. All those functions can be controlled via a compact twist-and-push knob.
Looking for a Mercedes-Benz Metris Custom Conversion and Don’t Where to Start?
As mentioned, Mercedes-Benz Metris vans are often customized to meet the travel needs of a business or for private usage. Whether it be the inclusion of captain seats with various motorizations, rearwards jump seats nestled within the left and side of a partition console, or multi-passenger accommodations for shuttles.
At HQ Custom Design, our Mercedes Metris vans have been used by a multitude of clients and been converted into fully personalized travel environments. To explore more Mercedes-Benz Metris features, do not hesitate to contact us today.