Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516 CDI 4x4 2017 Review

When your work takes you far from the bitumen, this four-wheel drive Sprinter proves a surprisingly capable companion…

By a comfortable margin, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter dominates sales in Australia's large van market. ‘Benz offers the Sprinter in a massive range, from traditional panel vans in various wheelbases, GVMs and roof heights, to minibus variants and cab/chassis models in both single-cab and dual-cab guise.

The cab/chassis Sprinter is particularly versatile and a popular choice for bodybuilders producing everything from motorhomes to any number of specific commercial applications. And there’s no better example of a tailor-made vehicle ideal for multiple tasks than the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4.

This off-road-ready Sprinter is fitted with Benz's ADAPTIVE ESP/4ETS system. While the designation may be cumbersome to pronounce, this is a light truck impressively capable even in reasonably sticky off-road situations.

Going bush
We confirmed that competency while exploring some pine tree plantations north of Melbourne, where significant rainfall had turned the tracks into slick, slippery affairs. Mercedes’ ADAPTIVE ESP/4ETS system is an all-wheel drive set-up, rather than a true four-wheel drive one – thus there are no differential locks and torque is directed to wherever there is traction (rather than the path of least resistance).

In normal running, 100 per cent of drive is sent to the rear wheels, whereas all-wheel drive sees it split 33 per cent to the front and 67 per cent to the rear.

There's low range all-wheel drive too, which Benz says reduces the gearing by 42 per cent. Both all-wheel drive and low range are selected by pressing a button on the dashboard – simple.

Sure, the Sprinter isn’t a hard-core off-roader, but it proved to be surprisingly capable on the fire trails and power line maintenance tracks littering the forest. Our test vehicle was fitted with Continental TC3 highway tyres, but still offered 205mm of ground clearance beneath the rear differential and 235mm at the front. Don’t look for underbody protection because there isn’t any.

With a 26-degree approach angle, a 21-degree ramp-over angle and a 16-degree departure angle, the Sprinter is a little challenged by dual-cab utes in extreme rough stuff, but does have a superior wading depth of 610mm. Nevertheless those sealed road tyres confirmed this particular Sprinter wasn’t set-up to be a mountain slayer.

Our test vehicle included the hardy factory fitted Scattolini drop-side tray measuring 2700mm long, 2130mm wide and 405mm deep. The load platform was 1150mm off the ground.

Confirmed by its handy 1620kg payload, there’s no doubt this Sprinter can carry a heap of gear. The braked towing limit is 2000kg.

It’s no surprise Mercedes-Benz says the model is largely pressed into work as a service vehicle with the likes of mining, forestry and power infrastructure companies.

Room to move
Inside there's seating for six as the rear seat is equipped with three-point seat belts for four occupants. Four burly blokes might be a bit squeezed for width, but leg room is entirely adequate.

Up front, the individual driver and passenger seats are comfortable and give easy walkthrough access to the rear of the cabin. Getting into the cab requires quite a step up to the single footrest, but a grab handle is provided for those up-front (no such luck for the rear seat passengers).

Once behind the wheel, the driver has a superb view over the traffic – in fact, the high-riding perch puts you nearly on par with prime mover drivers. A broad windscreen and decent side mirrors ensure excellent forward and side vision, but the tray’s sturdy headboard somewhat obscures the view out-back.

There's a heap of space in the cab and the dashboard/instrumentation is pure Sprinter – classy and functional. It does take some time to learn the Sprinter's various menu systems but, once you have, everything is easy to use, there's plenty of dash-top storage and the driver's tray has USB and 3.5mm inputs, plus a well-placed cub holder.

In general, the Sprinter strikes a smart compromise between comfort and utility. Seat covers would be desirable for protecting the fabric-upholstery, but the tough vinyl flooring is perfect for a vehicle like this.

Heating and cooling are very effective and the Audio 15 system works well, with the sound pumped through decent speakers. Bluetooth telephony works well, there's a colour display on the centre stack, but the lack of a touchscreen is a bit dated.

There's further storage (including bottle holders) in the door side pockets, dual overhead storage compartments and even space beneath the front passenger seat. Jettison the rear seat occupants and it can be folded to reveal another cavernous space.

Capable performer
Our drive again confirmed the Sprinter is a thoroughly sorted vehicle. Mercedes’ 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel pumps out plenty of useable torque and urban drivers will find sprightly standing start performance.

The off-road Sprinter is fitted with Benz's five-speed automatic transmission. While this sees the engine spinning at just under 3000rpm at 100km/h - 2200rpm for Sprinters fitted with the seven-speed automatic – the transmission is better suited to lower speed work and off-road inclination.

Generally the self-shifter swaps cogs nicely, but can be a little tardy in manual sequential mode.

On sealed roads, the Sprinter's suspension and chassis treads the difficult line between load-lugging stiffness and passenger comfort. Without a load, smaller road imperfections can make their presence felt, but we know from experience these iron out with some cargo weight. We also know the Sprinter handles heavy loads incredibly well, the weight controlled nicely through corners and over bumps.

In this test vehicle, the four-wheel disc brakes felt just a little spongy, leading us to suspect there may have been some air in the system. Our truck still pulled up okay, but not as sharply and quickly as other Sprinters we've sampled.

At highway speeds you do detect some engine noise in the cabin, but in general it's not too intrusive – certainly we've come across much worse in the commercial world.

As for fuel economy, our week-long test including sealed and unsealed roads, but with no load, averaged 13L/100km . So the 100-litre tank would have been good for a range in excess of 700km.

Healthy scepticism
To be honest, we were a bit sceptical heading into the bush in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. While the truck looks high, its ground clearance is actually modest, then, factor-in those road tyres, plus the limits of the selectable all-wheel drive system…well, we planned to steer well clear of any major bog holes or steep gradients.

However, we needn’t have worried. Sticking to moderately broken terrain, the Sprinter conquered slick hills without concern. On occasions, when a wheel started to slip, the ADAPTIVE ESP/4ETS system did take a moment to sort itself out, but only for a split-second before getting on with its required tasks.

The low range is entirely sufficient for tackling rougher terrain and there's a hill descent control feature operated by the cruise control stalk.

Concerns? Well this medium-wheelbase model, which measures 6155mm from tip to tail, is prewired for a reversing camera which definitely should be standard rather than an accessory.

And the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter certainly isn’t cheap. While the base price for the 516CDI model is $53,582 plus on-road costs, the all-wheel drive system adds $20,591 and the tray another $4205. Add the five-speed automatic ($2345) and the Obsidian Metallic paint ($1491), and our test vehicle carried a $82,214 sticker (plus on-roads).

Summing up
Those points aside, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4 is a surprisingly capable and highly functional vehicle which can transport a decent load and up to six people to work sites well off the bitumen.

What's more, it will transport those occupants in comfort, and with all the advanced safety systems we've come to expect from the three-pointed star.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4 pricing and specifications:
Price: $82,214 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.1-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 120kW/360Nm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.0L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 208g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A