Mercedes-Benz’s Citan van proudly wears its whopping great chrome-plated three-pointed star on its prominent grille – and it is right to do that.
Because although underneath the skin lies the design and technology of the Renault Kangoo, the Mercedes version has a more upmarket feel.
The two vans might be built alongside each other at Renault’s factory in Northern France, but Mercedes says it has re-engineered various elements of the Citan which feels sharper to drive on the road.
The interior may be based on the Kangoo, but the dashboard is different, even if the basic layout with dash-mounted gear change is similar. Mercedes has even re-designed the column stalk layout to include its trademark single stalk operating everything from indicators to wipers.
On the plus side, the Citan is more refined than the Kangoo on which it is based, suggesting that Mercedes has spent some time in dealing with noise. The van also feels more taut, with less of the soft-wallowing suspension than with the Kangoo.
Livelier still is the UK-specific Citan Sport addition to the small van line-up. Offering a number of options and unique styling features to create a high-specification model without the need to ‘spec-up’ a standard model, Citan Sport is a more cost-effective route to a distinctive small van.
Offered on long panel van models with 109CDI and 111CDI engines, the Citan Sport has a high level of standard specification including: a choice of six metallic paints; colour-coded bumpers; wing mirrors and tail-light trim and 16-inch multi-spoke light alloy wheels.
Power on the test model came from Renault’s 1.5-litre diesel engine which has been powering car and van models for some time and while it might not be up to the fuel-efficiency standards of newer diesel engines, it has established a reputation for offering good fuel economy.
In addition, the Citan Sport comes with air conditioning; a leather-trimmed steering wheel; Sport mats and badging; daytime driving lights; and chrome trim elements, such as front grille, sidebars and tailgate trim.
On all models, the instrument cluster comprises a speed display, a rev counter and displays for the coolant temperature and fuel level. An indicator lamp shows the status of the doors. 
The odometer reading is in a central position in the lower section of the speedometer. 
Information from the trip computer is also shown here; this includes fuel consumption, the current distance travelled and the remaining range.
A gearshift point display comes as standard, using arrows pointing upwards or downwards to show the most sensible gear change to maximise fuel consumption.
A three-year unlimited mileage warranty; MobiloVan UK, which keeps drivers and passengers mobile in the event of a breakdown or warranty repair taking more than two hours; and Service24h, the roadside assistance service, are all included as standard.
Thanks to the Citan, with three lengths and three variants, the Citan panel van, Dualiner and Traveliner constitute a comprehensive model range.
The Citan is a smooth progression  from the successful Mercedes-Benz Vito. 
With the Citan and the established Vito, Sprinter and Vario models, Mercedes-Benz vans now provide the complete spectrum from the urban delivery van to the large-capacity van and from 1.8-tonne to 7.5-tonne gross vehicle weight. 

Auto facts

Model: Mercedes-Benz Citan Sport 109 CDI
Price: £22,221
Insurance group: 5E
Fuel consumption (Combined): 65.7mpg
Length: 432.1cm/170.1in
Width: 183cm/72in
Load length: 175.3cm/69in
Load width: 146cm/57.5in
Load height: 125.8cm/49.5 in
Loadspace: 109 cu ft
Fuel tank capacity: 13.2 gallons/60 litres
CO2 emissions: 112g/km
Warranty: Three years/100,000 miles