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The Sprinter has always been Mercedes-Benz's award-winning van, and it keeps getting better with each new model.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a versatile light commercial vehicle. This vehicle has become renowned as the king of passenger and freight vans in the United States throughout the years. This is not difficult to understand, as Mercedes has managed to supply the market with a fantastic performance that delivers on all fronts with the Sprinter van.
It all began when Mercedes-Benz made the decision to replace their outdated TN-model vans, which are vintage 1970s. Mercedes therefore introduced the original Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van to Europe in 1995. The Sprinter received the worldwide van of the year award and enjoyed strong sales in Europe. Mercedes decided to market the Sprinter in the United States in 2001 based on this success. Although Mercedes is regarded as a luxury brand in the United States, it is also well known for its extensive line of commercial vehicles.
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The first-generation Sprinter won the International Van of the Year award when it was released to the European market in 1995. These first models ushered in a new class of light trucks renowned for their adaptability and suitability for a variety of commercial applications. The original Sprinter was available in a variety of diesel and gasoline engine configurations with independent front suspension and rear-wheel drive. The Sprinter was highly known for its roomy interiors and comfortable driving qualities when compared to other vans on the road.
The Sprinter initially appeared on the American market in 2001. Up until 2003, it was marketed under the Mercedes brand; starting in 2003, the car was branded as a Dodge. Prior to 2004, when the Chrysler Commercial Vehicle Division took over the sales, service, and support of Sprinter vehicles, the North American Sprinter market was under the management of DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC. Today, Mercedes-Benz primarily markets the Sprinter.
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In 2006, the second-generation Sprinter was introduced in Europe; sales in the United States began the following year. The Sprinter was offered in a variety of models, building on the success of the first iteration. There were varieties with wheelbases ranging from 147 inches to 170 inches, low/standard- and high-roof designs, and both. Additionally, sprinters could be purchased in either the 2500 or 3500 pound weight categories. Due to its adaptability, the Sprinter has been a preferred choice for many organizations.
With a new body design, improved driving technology, and updated interiors, the second-generation Sprinter received some significant improvements in 2013. A redesigned grille, bi-xenon headlights, static cornering lights, and active curve illumination were all added to this Mercedes Sprinter model's updated body. A collision-avoidance system, adaptive lighting, crosswind stabilization, blind-spot monitoring, and other advanced driver aids were also incorporated.
New leather upholstery, heavier steering wheels, and the most recent audio and multimedia systems are other interior upgrades made by Mercedes. Two different engines were available in the U.S. variations: a 3.0 liter V6 turbo with a 5-speed automatic transmission and a 2.1 liter, 4-cylinder turbo with a 7-speed automatic. They were both diesel-powered engines. There were five different variants for these Sprinters: crew, passenger, minibus, or cab chassis.
The third-generation Sprinter was unveiled on February 6, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz logistics facility in Duisburg, according to Mercedes-Benz. The front-wheel-drive technology debuted with this model. For the 2019 model year, the most recent Sprinter van was introduced with a continued emphasis on business applications. Today, businesses use over 50% of Sprinters in the US to transport workers and cargo. In addition, the remaining ones are used as luxury vans, RVs, and vehicles for VIP transportation. There are four different models of the modern Sprinter van: the crew, passenger, cargo, and cab chassis.
The base model includes the newest MBUX infotainment system from Mercedes, 16-inch wheels, metal floors, passenger-side sliding doors, keyless ignition, air conditioning, 360-degree camera, Bluetooth, AM/FM radio, and many other features as standard equipment.
Additionally, they come standard with load-adaptive electronic stability control, hill-start assistance, and crosswind assistance. The Sprinter Crew provides capacity for 10 people and two rows of seats, whilst the Sprinter Cargo has a cabin partition arrangement. With a set of rear windows, it also has more cargo room.
The Sprinter Cab Chassis is the most basic Sprinter, with only two front seats; the vacant rear space is intended to be adapted by the companies for their unique applications. The turbo-diesel V6 is just one of the several options available for this model. However, the Sprinter Passenger has a 12-seat capacity that may be increased to 15 seats. Longer wheelbases and high roofs with added storage are possibilities.
Four models—the 1500, 2500, 3500, and 4500—are available for the current-generation Sprinters. These are propelled by a 9G Tronic or 9-speed automatic transmission and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 188 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. With a 7-speed automated transmission, a 3.0 liter, 190 horsepower V6 diesel engine is also a choice. From cargo to personnel, both powerhouses are available in any configuration. The cargo van design is only available with a 161 horsepower, 4-liter turbo-diesel engine, though. With a standard 144-inch wheelbase across all versions, the Sprinter has rear-wheel drive. With the choice of all-wheel drive, a wheelbase extension to 170" is offered.
The van has an electric sliding door that you can operate from a button on the center console, the B-pillar, or the key to make getting in and out of the vehicle simple for your passengers. The door has an obstruction warning that stops it when it detects a passenger or object in the doorway for the safety of the passengers. An electric sliding step that slides out from under the body automatically facilitates entry and exit. Thermotronic automatic climate control in the Sprinter keeps the interior of the van consistently comfortable by monitoring the temperature both inside and outside the vehicle. The Sprinter is equipped with numerous cutting-edge driver-assist systems to help keep you and your passengers safe on the road.
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