Mercedes' Favorite Van Goes For The Rough
Great news for building workers, tourist operators, mining companies, emergency service operators, telecommunications companies and local councils - all-wheel-drive versions of Mercedes-Benz' immensely popular Sprinter van and cab chassis range are now available in Australia.
In this segment of the market, Isuzu is the long-time dominant market leader with its N-Series model, but M-Benz is a clear number two with the Sprinter. Despite the presence of some big names, including Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles with the Crafter, no other European brand gets a sniff in this segment - in fact Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Hino and Mitsubishi combine to hold 83.3 per cent of the market with Volkswagen and others scrapping over the remaining 16.7 per cent of sales.
Sprinter's sales success and swag of commercial vehicles awards underline just how good the Sprinter lineup has been for a number of years.
What You Get
Mercedes-Benz suggested Car Showroom should test the Sprinter 315 MWB (Mid-wheelbase) Dual Cab-Chassis 4x4.
Fitted with a large tray body, this is exactly the sort of vehicle many local councils, mining companies and construction people require. With a maximum payload of 1500kgs and abundant cabin space for five and their tools, work boots, etc, this AWD Sprinter is just ready to make short work of just about any track.
As you would expect from Mercedes-Benz, the Sprinter 4x4 does not offer your run-of-the-mill 4WD system. The Sprinter is fitted with 4ETS (4-wheel Electronic Traction System) which allows the driver to select AWD at the touch of a button (the front-to-rear drive torque is then divided 35:65). This system uses electronic control to direct torque to the wheels with the greatest amount of grip - the same as a conventional 4WD system does but without the extra weight and mechanical components of mechanical differential locks.
Under The Hood
The Sprinter we tested was fitted with the 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that is good for 110kW of power and peak torque of 330Nm. The other available engine (3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel with 135kW/400Nm) is fitted to long-wheelbase vans and cab chassis.
Our Sprinter was fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox or you can opt for a five-speed automatic (the V6 is only available with the automatic transmission). As with most commercial vehicles, in the manual Sprinter, first gear is a very low ratio - very handy for standing starts and hill starts when fully loaded - while sixth gear is pretty much an overdrive, handy for freeway cruising.
The Interior
Over the years, cabin comfort has been a big scorer for Sprinters when evaluated by commercial vehicles awards judges. The 4x4 model certainly enhances that reputation.
The multi-adjustable drivers seat combines with a steering wheel adjustable for rake and reach to provide an almost car-like driving position. This is a realistic achievement because of the Sprinter's large glass area which affords excellent visibility.
In the rear, the bench seat is comfortable and spacious and there is a walk-thru from the front row.
As you would expect there are masses of strorage compartments everywhere including a clever large, flat area in the roof lining - perfect for keeping paperwork safe, flat and clean.
Our Sprinter was fitted with air-conditioning a good single CD audio system.
Exterior & Styling
The latest generation Sprinter has evolved into a very contemporary look with large, modern headlights and a curvy front grill featuring the large Mercedes-Benz 3-pointed star.
At the rear, combined tail and reversing lights are a smart and neat design.
The large tray fitted to the can chassis model we tested was beautifully built with excellent high quality fasteners that were silent over even severe bumps.
On The Road
This is a quite a large truck so it is important get your sightlines organized before setting off. Mercedes-Benz's clever exterior mirror design with electronic adjustment made that easy - a dual set-up with curved lower panels to make parking and judgment of lane position easy to determine.
We liked the six-speed gearbox and the 330Nm of the 2.2-litre engine was widely spread making the Sprinter easy to drive in stop-start city traffic.
Even in Dual Cab form, visibility is excellent and lane changing can be done with confidence. Maneuverability is also easily achieved thanks to plenty of steering lock and good weighting for the power assistance - female drivers could quickly feel comfortable driving the Sprinter.
Mercedes' 4ETS is a smart drive system combining drive torqueto wheels with traction and braking force to spinning wheels to maximize drive on slippery surfaces. There is also a low-range drive ratio for extreme conditions.
Another clever system is AAS (Start-off Assist) which on gradients of more than four percent maintains brake pressure for two seconds after the driver takes his foot off the brake - to give him time to start accelerating. AAS is deactivated as soon as there is pressure on the accelerator pedal.
Safety is a strong point with standard ABS anti-lock brakes with BAS (Brake Assist System) and EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution); Adaptive ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and ASR (Acceleration Skid Control).
Challenges
Ground clearance is impressive but climbing out takes some caution - as Neil Armstrong said on the Moon back in 1969: 'Tha's one ginat leap for mankind.'
Verdict
Mercedes-Benz should start making room in the company's trophy cabinet for more Sprinter awards - this 'go-anywhere' truck is good.
The Competition
Comparisons are tough in this segment and the evaluation process boils down to your critical requirements from a van…especially AWD. European rivals from Fiat, Iveco, Renault, and Volkswagen all present worthwhile credentials. And of course the runaway segment leader from Isuzu as well as the Usizu N-Series and Mitsubishi canter must be evaluated.
