Rod Chapman•29 May 2017

REVIEW

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4: Review

Name: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4: Review
Brand: Mercedes-Benz

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

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the dominant force in Australia's large van market, the model standing well clear of its rivals in terms of sales. There's also a very wide range of Sprinter models available, from traditional panel vans in various wheelbases, GVMs and roof heights, to minibus variants and cab/chassis models, the latter including single-cabs and dual-cabs.

The cab/chassis Sprinter is a particularly versatile affair and a popular choice for bodybuilders producing everything from motorhomes to any number of specific work applications. And falling into the latter is this, the Sprinter 516CDI 4x4.

This off-road-ready Sprinter is fitted with Benz's Adaptive ESP/4ETS system, and although it doesn't roll off the tongue, it will get this light truck into and out of some reasonably sticky situations.

Going bush

We found out that with a little exploration of the pine plantations north of Melbourne, where some decent rainfall had turned the tracks slick and slippery. The Adaptive ESP/4ETS system is an all-wheel drive set-up, rather than a true four-wheel drive one – that is, there are no differential locks and the 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, while with the all-wheel drive in play the split is 33 per cent on the front, 67 per cent to the rear.

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

We found the Sprinter to be surprisingly capable on the fire trails and power-line maintenance tracks littering the forest, but bear in mind this isn't a hard-core off-roader. Leaving the fact our test vehicle was fitted with Continental TC3 highway tyres aside, we measured 205mm of ground clearance beneath the rear diff and 235mm at the front, with no sign of underbody protection.

With a 26-degree approach angle, a 21-degree ramp-over angle and a 16-degree departure angle, the Sprinter is a little compromised in the rough stuff compared to your average dual-cab ute, although it does have a superior wading depth of 610mm.

But then the Sprinter 4x4 was never designed to be a mountain slayer. This particular vehicle has a handy payload of 1620 kilograms, while its hardy (and factory fitted) Scattolini drop-side tray measures in at 2700mm long x 2130mm wide x 405mm deep. The load platform is 1150mm off the ground.

Rest assured, this Sprinter can carry a heap of gear, and it has a 2000 kilogram towing limit. Mercedes-Benz says the model is largely pressed into work as a service vehicle, with mining, forestry, power infrastructure and the like all popular targets.

Room to move

Inside there's room for six, with rear seating equipped with three-point seatbelts for four. That would be a bit of a squeeze for four burly blokes, although the leg room is entirely adequate.

Up front, the driver and passenger seats are stand-alone affairs, giving easy walkthrough access to the rear of the cabin, and they're comfy too. It's quite a step up to the single footrest to get into the cab but a grab handle is provided – unlike for rear passengers.

Once behind the wheel, however, the driver has a superb view over the traffic – the perch puts you nearly on a par with prime movers. Forward and side vision is excellent thanks to the broad windscreen and decent side mirrors, but out the back, the view is obscured by the tray's head board.

There's a heap of space in the cab and the dash and instrumentation is pure Sprinter – classy and functional. In general, it strikes a good compromise between comfort and utility. Seat covers would be desirable for protecting the fabric-upholstered seating but the tough vinyl flooring is perfect for a vehicle like this.

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 cup holder.

The heating and cooling are very effective and the Audio 15 system works well, the sound pumped through decent speakers. There's a colour display on the centre stack but the lack of a touchscreen shows the set-up's age. The Bluetooth telephony works well.

There's more storage and bottle holders in the door side pockets and the rear bench seating folds up to reveal a cavernous space. Dual overhead storage compartments and room beneath the passenger seat round out the storage options.

Capable performer

The drive is everything we've come to associate with the Sprinter nameplate: dynamically it's a thoroughly sorted vehicle. The 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel pumps out plenty of useable torque and off the line, it's remarkably sprightly.

The off-road Sprinter is fitted with Benz's five-speed automatic transmission. This means the engine is spinning at just under 3000rpm at 100km/h, as opposed to 2200rpm for Sprinters fitted with the seven-speed auto, but it is better suited to lower speed work and so it befits its off-road inclination well.

The 'box shifts nicely, although it is a little slow to swap cogs in manual sequential mode.

On sealed roads the Sprinter's suspension and chassis treads that difficult line between load-lugging stiffness and passenger comfort. Smaller road imperfections make their presence known without a load but we know from experience these iron out with some weight – we also know the Sprinter handles heavy loads incredibly well, the weight controlled nicely through the bends and over bumps.

The four-wheel disc brakes were a little bit spongy on this test vehicle, leading us to suspect that some air may have been present in the system. They still pulled the truck up okay, but not as sharply and quickly as other Sprinters we've sampled.

There's a bit of engine noise present in the cabin at highway speeds but in general it's nothing too intrusive – certainly we've come across worse in the commercial world.

As for fuel economy, our week-long test period registered just 13L/100km. That's with a mixture of driving on sealed and unsealed roads, without a load. That equates to a range of well over 700 kilometres from the 100-litre tank.

Healthy scepticism

We were a bit sceptical of heading into the bush in this Sprinter. It looks high but its ground clearance is relatively modest – add in those road tyres and limits of the selectable all-wheel drive system, and we'd be steering well clear of any major bog holes or steep gradients.

However, we need not have worried. Sticking to moderately broken terrain, the Sprinter plodded up and over slick hills without too much worry. The all-wheel drive system does take a moment to sort itself out on occasions when a wheel starts to slip, which can affect momentum, but it's only for a split-second before it gets on with the job at hand.

The low range is entirely sufficient for tackling rougher terrain and there's a hill descent control feature where the vehicle's speed is controlled by the cruise control wand.

Concerns? This medium-wheelbase model, which measures 6155mm from tip to tail, really could do with a reversing camera. The model comes prewired for one, which is available as a factory accessory.

And this vehicle, in general, isn't cheap. While the base price for the Sprinter 516CDI is $53,582 plus on-roads, the all-wheel drive system adds $20,591 and the tray another $4205. Add in the five-speed auto ($2345) and the Obsidian Metallic paint ($1491), and our test vehicle comes in at $82,214 plus on-roads.

Summing up

Those points aside, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4 is a surprisingly capable and highly functional vehicle that will 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 515CDI 4x4 specifications

Price: $82,214 plus ORC

Engine: 2.1-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo-diesel

Power: 120kW (163hp) at 3800rpm

Torque: 360Nm at 1400-2400rpm

Emissions: Euro 5

Transmission: Five-speed automatic

Configuration: 4x2

Front suspension: Coil over shock

Rear suspension: Leaf spring

GVM: 4495kg

Fuel capacity: 100lt

Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS and electronic brake force distribution

Safety: Adaptive Electronic Stability Program with ABS, traction control, rollover mitigation, roll movement intervention, load adaptive control, driver and passenger front airbags, crosswind assist and more

www.mercedes-benz.com.au

Also consider:

>> Iveco Daily 4X4 dual-cab (from $96,000 plus ORCs, excluding GST)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDI 4x4: Review

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