Mercedes unveils smarter, safer, connected Sprinter

Mercedes-Benz has pulled the covers off its third-generation Sprinter at a gala event in Duisberg, Germany, overnight.

The all-new light commercial van represents a fusion of workhorse practicality with cutting-edge connectivity, boasting advanced communications technology that Benz says "takes infotainment systems and telematics applications into a new era".

In a departure from the futuristic lines of the Vision Van concept shown at the 2016 Paris motor show, externally the new Sprinter benefits from mildly refreshed styling, its centrepiece being a new-look nose with sleeker, narrower headlights, a tweaked grille and a reshaped lower bumper.

The same turbo-diesel powertrain choice remains – four-cylinder or V6 – but the units have been revised while the predominantly rear-drive range has been joined by a front-drive model. The front-drive Sprinter gains a new six-speed manual or, in a first for the segment, a nine-speed torque-converter automatic.

Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive four-cylinder models can be had with either a six-speed manual or 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic with 'Drive Select' manual mode, while V6 models have the seven-speeder as standard.

Engines:
2.1-litre inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel (OM651): 84kW/300Nm, 105kW/330Nm, 120kW/360Nm or 130kW/400Nm
3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel: 140kW/440Nm

Transmissions:
Six-speed manual: Standard in FWD, RWD and AWD four-cylinder (N/A in V6 models)
Seven-speed auto: Standard in RWD and AWD V6; optional in RWD and AWD four-cylinder (N/A in FWD four-cylinder)
Nine-speed auto: Optional in FWD four-cylinder (N/A in all other models)

The front-drive model gains an extra 50kg in payload and it has a load compartment that is 80mm lower, making loading and unloading even easier.

In addition to new, loadable wheel-arches and extended cargo space heights, Mercedes-Benz says the model's maximum loading capacity extends to 17 cubic metres and a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 5500kg – 500kg more than its predecessor.

However, it's when you step inside the new Sprinter that the work invested in this platform by Mercedes-Benz becomes readily apparent.

The cabin is revitalised throughout and now boasts more ergonomically shaped seating with electric adjustment and optional memory function, along with keyless starting and improved air-conditioning.

Dominating the cabin is the new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system – a 10.25-inch high-definition touch-screen unit also found in the new A-Class hatchback, which made its debut in Amsterdam on February 2.

The system brings the usual wealth of modern entertainment and on-board information options together in a manner that is light years ahead of the outgoing Sprinter's equivalent unit, while MBUX also features an advanced voice-command interface that can, for example, give directions to the nearest service station if its driver says "The fuel tank is empty".

The technology theme continues with the Sprinter's connectivity. With a permanent internet connection, the new Sprinter will have up to 18 fleet, vehicle, driver and location-based services at its disposal under the banner of MercedesPRO in 21 European countries, although there's no word yet on local availability. A wide array of functions will be accessed by the MercedesPRO Connect app, which will allow drivers to perform a range of functions remotely, such as lock or unlock doors or heat or cool the cabin.

This is in addition to a vast range of telematics data, such is already utilised in the truck world. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz will be able to update and add to these functions as additional services are rolled out, allowing owners and operators to keep pace in a rapidly changing digital environment.

The company says MercedesPRO will give operators and fleet managers an unprecedented level of control, from vehicle status and location to fleet communication, maintenance management and more, all available as an ex-factory solution.

Safety has traditionally been a high priority for Mercedes-Benz from passenger car to prime-movers and in this respect the new Sprinter builds on the impressive legacy of its predecessor.

Updates include the adoption of the firm's DISCTRONIC radar-based adaptive cruise control, plus autonomous emergency braking (Active Brake Assist) and dynamic lane keeping (Active Lane Keeping Assist).

Attention Assist reminds drowsy drivers to take a break while a modern parking assistance package delivers 360-degree visibility - ideal especially for metro-based multi-drop delivery work.

A wide range of wheelbases, roof heights, GVMs and drivelines combines with panel van and single- or dual-cab cab/chassis formats to create options to satisfy a vast array of applications.

Mercedes-Benz says the Sprinter range now extends to no fewer than 1734 different Sprinter variants, although just how many will make it to Australia is still to be confirmed.

That line-up will also include the all-electric eSprinter, which will arrive in 2019. The eSprinter will follow in the wheeltracks of the smaller eVito, for which the firm began taking orders in November of last year. The electric versions of these LCVs will satisfy a pent-up demand for clean-running LCVs from companies wishing to lower their carbon footprint, says Mercedes-Benz, which has not yet announced specifics concerning range or charge times.

The Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Dr Dieter Zetsche, said the arrival of the new Sprinter heralded a new chapter for the company and the wider LCV market.

"You see, the big issues for which the new Sprinter delivers answers in commercial applications are those currently occupying the entire industry," he said.

"It's about connectivity and digitalisation. It's about increasingly automated driving. And, of course, it's also about electrification and alternative drives. At Daimler, we address these forward-looking issues under the heading CASE: Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric.

"No other manufacturer has anything like the scope we have to benefit across the board from these opportunities: from vans to trucks, buses and mobility services to cars. And we'll make full use of this strategic advantage."

The Global CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Morhinweg, said the new Sprinter has taken the brand in a new direction as it seeks to meet the needs of the rapidly evolving transport and logistics sector.

"In the logistics and transport world of the future, adaptability to specific needs and the changing expectations of customers will be a defining success factor," he said.

"Just building a good vehicle is therefore not enough. The new Sprinter must be more than the sum of its parts. With new connectivity services, a new telematics generation and an unprecedented number of variants, it is a comprehensive system meeting an enormous range of commercial transport requirements.

"This means that the new Sprinter achieves precisely what its preceding generations demonstrated before it: it sets new standards."

Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia and New Zealand CEO and managing director, Diane Tarr, said the new platform was truly a vehicle for the 21st Century.

"Since its introduction in 1998 we have led the market with the first two generations of the Sprinter," she said.

"With such a vast and configurable range of variants, we have provided sector-specific solutions covering a range from classic courier services over the last delivery mile, major motorhome manufacturers, service providers, eGrocery delivery, construction, manufacturing, rental, passenger transportation and of course ambulance services.

"Amazingly we are now adding even more, opening the Sprinter to new sectors through additional variants and features, whilst providing a far more intelligent, user-friendly and interactive Sprinter range."

The Sprinter was first introduced in 1996, with its second generation arriving 10 years later. Its importance to Mercedes-Benz and parent company Daimler should not be underestimated, as it dominates the large van sector both in Australia and in many other global markets.

Last year Mercedes-Benz registered 2903 new Sprinters to garner a leading market share of 35.2 per cent (FCAI VFACTS data for light-duty commercial vehicles with GVMs spanning 3501-8000kg, excluding trucks).

That's some way ahead of its rivals, Renault's Master (19.8%), Iveco's Daily (14.6%), Fiat's Ducato (14.1%), Ford's Transit (10.6%) and Volkswagen's Crafter (5.7%).

In a niche where most of those rivals have benefited over the last few years from generational changes or at least significant updates, Mercedes-Benz is optimistic this new Sprinter will carry its market success well into the future.

The previous generation's achievements were built on a supremely solid commercial footing; now the new Sprinter adds a level of technological prowess that sets a new benchmark in the LCV sphere. The days of the 'humble' delivery van are long gone.

Initial Australian deliveries of the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will begin in the fourth quarter of this year. Local specifications and pricing will be announced closer to the model's arrival.