THE popularity in heading for the hills and taking part in adventurous and extreme sports has been a major factor in the rise of the sport van.

I mean, you would not want to be packing your paraglider or scuba gear in any old commercial would you?

So the combination of vast carrying capacity and sexed-up looks have added a new zest to the van arena and lifted it from the once mundane to the world of fashion.

And one of the most popular exponents in its field is the Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport in its latest guise.

Two diesel engines, a 116 BlueTEC and 119 BlueTEC are available for Vito Sport, which meet the stringent Euro 6 emission regulations, along with a choice of Compact and Long body lengths.

The highly regarded standard specification of the latest Vito is further enhanced by a combination of functional and styling features, which set the Vito Sport apart from the norm.

Exterior styling elements include chrome sidebars and front grille trim, unique rear model badging, front fog lamps with chrome trim, rear tailgate chrome trim, colour-coded bumpers and five-spoke alloy wheels.

Inside the Vito Sport, the driver's environment is paramount with air-conditioning, comfortable single driver and front passenger seats, ‘Sport' branded floor mats, Audio 15 infotainment system with colour screen, and tinted glass.

As standard, all Vito Sport models are pre-prepared for the use of the optional plug-in Becker MapPilot navigation system - a cost-effective way of bringing fully-integrated navigation features through the standard Auto 15 headunit and visual display.

The Vito Sport has become a key part of the Vito line-up since its introduction in 2009, and the latest generation takes the existing successful formula, and enhances it with improved standard specification and competitive pricing.

This vehicle was a 116 Crew Van Long and it gave the impression, with its bags of room for five and a luggage space you could hold a council meeting in, of a mega people mover and not a commercial at all.

The powerful 116 diesel takes everything in its stride, offering outstanding economy, offering a combined figure of 47.1mpg and Euro 6 compliant emissions.

And for ease of loading all your gear and passengers, there are sliding doors on both sides, as well as top-hinged tailgate.

Keeping cool is a breeze with TEMPMATIC air conditioning and to make the driver's job that little bit easier, a multi-function steering wheel and electrically adjustable door mirrors were part of the package.

To make the best of the Vito Sport's high-performance audio equipment there is a 3.5 mm AUX socket for your MP3 player.

A Speedtronic facility is fitted to limit top speed and a cruise control function to give constant speed for optimum comfort and fuel economy.

But what this capacious crew bus does best is to close the gap between the traditional car sector large MPV and its commercial equivalent.