It was back in May when Mercedes unveiled the Concept EQT to signal the impending arrival of the first-ever T-Class. While that model will be a more luxurious passenger-oriented version of the small van, the mechanically related Citan will serve as the commercial derivative. Both will be heavily based on the latest-generation Renault Kangoo from which they’ll borrow the platform and oily bits.
Much like the French van offers an all-electric powertrain, Mercedes is also planning the eCitan that will do away with the combustion engine altogheter. The three-pointed star will unveil the conventionally powered model and its zero-emissions sibling on August 25 during an online-only world premiere that will be livestreamed. The adjacent teaser shows the ICE-powered Citan, but the EV counterpart is expected to look largely the same.
Technical specifications are not available at the moment of writing, but surely the 2022 eCitan will have just about the same hardware as the Kangoo Electric E-Tech. The purely electric Renault van boasts a single motor good for 101 horsepower and 181 pound-feet (245 Newton-meters) sent to the front wheels. The e-motor feeds on a 45-kWh battery with enough juice for 165 miles (265 kilometers) of range in the WLTP cycle.
It’s worth noting the eCitan will also be offered in a posh passenger-oriented configuration as the EQT, but it won’t look as flashy as the aforementioned Concept EQT. The Renault-based electric vans from Mercedes will sit on the CMF-B platform and will be joined by 1.2-liter gasoline and 1.5-liter diesel flavors as the more affordable alternatives.
The Citan / eCitan and T-Class / EQT twins will be assembled at the plant in Maubeuge, France where Renault builds the third-generation Kangoo and the equivalent Nissan NV250. The T-Class and EQT are also expected to be revealed this year, possibly at the IAA Munich in September, with all four going on sale by late 2021 or early 2022.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
