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Call Sign September 2011
Three years ago, Dial-a-Cab driver Colin
Colin and his
Salmon (N81) bought one of the first Mercedes-
Benz Vito taxis now he has become one of the
first to benefit from the mpg and road tax savings
offered by the latest, Euro 5 version.
Euro 5 Vito
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz Vito wears a fresh
new `face' but the main improvements are
beneath the surface. Thanks to its innovative dri-
veline technology, Colin's new Vito 113CDI with
factory-fitted five-speed automatic transmission
returns 27.7mpg in the urban cycle, a 2.9mpg
improvement on the Euro 4 111CDI it has
replaced.
CO2 emissions, meanwhile, are down from
229g/km in the outgoing model to just 216g/km,
moving the vehicle from Road Fund Licence
Band L to Band K. As a result, whereas the Euro
4 model cost £790 to tax in its first year and £445
annually thereafter, Colin has paid £580 to tax his
Euro 5 Vito in year one and will only have to
find £260 for the second and subsequent years.
Over the three years that he intends to run his
new Vito, the tax savings alone will be worth
£580. As for the reduction in his fuel costs, Colin
typically covers around 650 miles a week, during
which he could expect to use 106.4 litres (23.4
gallons) of diesel that's around 12.7 litres (2.8
Colin, of course, is now an ardent admirer. "I
strict regulations laid down by the PCO.
gallons) less than his previous Vito might have
wouldn't go back to an old-style cab, not in a
These stipulate, among other things, that a taxi
used and worth £18 at the pumps.
million years," he asserted. "The Vito is the best
must have a turning circle of no more than 25ft
Increased efficiency does not come at the
taxi I've driven by a mile. I'm 6ft 2in and used to
from kerb to kerb. The Vito ticks that box thanks
expense of performance though Colin's Euro 5
get out of my vehicle after a 10 or 12-hour shift
to its innovative steering rear axle, which makes
Vito 113CDI puts out 136hp and 310Nm of torque,
feeling crippled; now I'm fresh and relaxed
an already nimble vehicle even more manoeu-
both significantly up on the 116hp and 290Nm
because I've so much more room to move. The
vrable Euro 5 versions benefit from enhanced
offered by the 111CDI model it has replaced.
customers certainly love having all that space
software and improvements to the actuator and
"My previous Mercedes was great to drive, but
too. Those of us who drive Mercedes certainly
other components, including a new anti-roll bar
this new one is even smoother," confirmed Colin.
seem to pick up more five and six-handers but
and machine-cast trailing arm, all of which are
"It's another step forward in terms of fuel con-
there are plenty of individual passengers, too,
contributing to increased comfort and improved
sumption too. The last Vito was a lot more eco-
who tell me they'll wait for a Vito rather than get
reliability.
nomical than any taxi I'd driven previously but
into an LTI.
More comfortable and spacious for driver and
my new cab is even more frugal, so I'm definite-
"It's also much easier to get wheelchair users
passengers than its rival and significantly more
ly filling up less frequently."
in and out of the vehicle," he added. "That used
cost-effective to operate thanks also to its longer
The Mercedes-Benz Vito Taxi was launched to
to be a bit of palaver in the old cab, because you
service intervals, the Mercedes-Benz contender
widespread acclaim in August 2008 for the first
had to move the seats, but they can access the
quickly became a familiar sight on London's streets.
time the capital's cabbies had a genuine alterna-
Vito with ease, using the lightweight ramp I carry
To date specialist taxi dealer KPM-UK has sold
tive to the traditional LTI taxi, which had always
in the boot."
1,236 Vito Taxis, including 86 Euro 5 examples.
been their only option as nothing else met the
It has always been smart clothes, smart cabs, smart everything! But now it's...
Cake Maker Allen!
Had you asked Call Sign to guess Allen Togwell's latest hobby, cake making wouldn't have come top of our list. So we asked Mr T to impart some
of this new-found knowledge to us.
"There has been some banter of late amongst colleagues on the Board and staff about my latest hobby namely cake making.
It's great fun, therapeutic and extremely satisfying - especially the results. Having in the past spent many a year in bachelorhood, I
was forced through necessity to learn to cook a roast, pasta, fish or whatever else even though I had no real interest in cooking,
least of all in cake making. However that was until recently when I realised how much I spend at the bakers and decided to
attempt this new hobby, prompted by my sister who gave me a very easy recipe for a fruit cake that your granny might remember
as a Porter Cake - except in my recipe it's minus the Guinness. When I told my partner I was gonna bake a cake, I got the usual
rolling of the eyes in disbelief, but when she saw I was serious the threats came as to what would happen if I mucked up the
kitchen!
But I was determined to give it a go and of course like many men when attempting something new, we go the whole hog and
get things that are totally unnecessary. For example, I didn't have a food mixer and you won't believe this but I wondered that if I
just got the attachments, would they work in my Black and Decker drill on a slow speed? So off I went to my local pots and pans
shop to purchase a set of attachments and was told they all differ according to the models. And when asked what model did I
Allen and ca
ke
have and I said a Black and Decker, the shop owner must have thought he's got a right Del Boy here! But he humoured me and
said that a Black and Decker might just be a teeny weeny bit too powerful to use to mix cakes and the guaranteed mess on your kitchen ceiling
could take some cleaning. He then said he had a special offer of a complete hand mixer for £15, which I took but have not yet used because I've since discovered
mixing by hand gives the best results. Another simple fact about this cake is it involves no scales for measuring; it's done the American way - they have no under-
standing of mls, grams and fluid ounces etc. They use cups. And the small cup I use is approx 8 fluid ozs.
I couldn't believe how much pleasure I got out of baking my first cake and particularly the result and the surprising thing was my partner, who doesn't eat
cake, commented how nice and moist it was. So for a bit of family fun why not give it a try. I've since become quite a dab hand at cake making and have pro-
gressed onto making more fanciful cakes using a Bundt pan as in the photo.
Ingredients: 1 cup of sultanas, 1 Cup of raisins, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of water, 1/2lb of hard Stork margarine chopped into small pieces, 2
cups of self-raising flour, 1 tsp bicarb of soda and 2 large eggs.
Put the sultanas, raisins, sugar, water, chopped margarine, into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. When boiled, let simmer for 10 mins,
then transfer the ingredients into a mixing bowl and leave until cold, stir occasionally. Don't try putting it in a fridge to get it cold otherwise the margarine will
congeal. When cold, mix in the eggs, bicarb of soda and then the flour a small amount at a time and through a sieve. Mix well by hand and put the mixture into
a greased and floured 8inch round tin. Bake in a moderate oven (C/325 F/Gas3) for one hour or until a skewer comes out clean."
