New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter looming

'Benz's next-gen large van to launch next year

Coinciding with the opening of the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta (September 25 to 28), Mercedes-Benz has announced first details of its next-generation Sprinter.

A design sketch of the next Sprinter van reveals a sleeker, more athletic look to one of the world's best-selling light commercial vehicles, with a more prominent nose and horizontal, more purposeful headlights delivering a more distinctive aesthetic appeal.

Mercedes-Benz says the Sprinter's new look embodies "emotion and intelligence", and that it will "shift the boundaries of the segment".

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The model will be launched in the northern hemisphere in the first half of next year with a global release in the second half of next year, and while Mercedes-Benz remains tight-lipped regarding specifics, the manufacturer has indicated the platform will benefit from a raft of high-tech systems to ensure its modern appearance goes far further than skin deep.

That technology will include the "comprehensive introduction of driving assistance systems and connectivity services", plus new telematics hardware to unlock new levels of efficiency for drivers and operators.

As you'd expect, the Sprinter van will come in numerous wheelbases, GVMs, roof heights and formats, including cab/chassis variants.

More details on the new Sprinter will be released in coming months, says Mercedes-Benz, but it will spearhead the company's adVANce initiative, announced in 2016. This initiative will see Mercedes-Benz transform from purely a vehicle manufacturer to "a provider of complex, comprehensive mobility solutions", the company says.

Speaking at the NACV Show, Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Van, said the new model represented a total mobility concept.

"We want to do more than just build the best vehicles," he said.

"We want to offer the most suitable mobility solution for every sector and for every transport assignment. And that is precisely our focus with the upcoming Sprinter generation as an overall system solution. It also goes without saying that the new edition of our iconic van possesses the classical attributes of reliability, safety and cost-effectiveness."

The NACV Show served as an eminently suitable backdrop for the announcement of the next Sprinter. The USA is the world's second-largest individual sales market for large vans after Germany, and a new Sprinter manufacturing facility is currently under construction in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The new plant will see the US sidestep a heavy import tariff – previously Sprinters have been imported from Germany in partially dismantled form, then reassembled at some expense at the Daimler facility in Ladson, South Carolina.

The new facility will further bolster the Sprinter's international footprint, with production largely stemming from German production sites in Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde.

The flagship of the Mercedes-Benz van range since its launch in 1995, over 3.3 million Sprinter vans have now been delivered to customers in over 130 countries. Here in Australia the model dominates the light-duty end of the commercial vehicle market (3501kg to 8000kg), with 1860 new examples registered to the end of August. In comparison, its nearest rival, Renault's Master, has sold 1104 units.

A local representative for Mercedes-Benz Vans in Australia says the new model represents a major stride forward for the Sprinter platform.

"New features will include the comprehensive introduction of driving assistance systems and connectivity services in combination with new telematics, which will be a leap forward in efficiency for vehicle and fleet management," he said.

"Moreover, the new Sprinter can be even more precisely adapted to individual transport and sector requirements thanks to a considerably extended range of variants. The vehicle is undergoing significant testing in various conditions and in multiple counties."

Local pricing and availability for the new Sprinter will be announced closer to its release.

New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter looming

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