Mercedes Sprinter Van-tastic Off-Road

LADSON, SC – A fullsize cargo van tall enough to haul refrigerators looks completely out of place on a hilly off-road course with offset craters as deep as shallow graves.

Sure, the course was designed by engineers to make a point. But when one of the rear wheels is 3 ft. (0.9 m) in the air and the other side of the van is leaning 30 degrees and appearing ready to barrel-roll down a hill, it’s appropriate to wonder why those potholes had to be so deep.

Just when it appears all is lost, the cargo van with its newly available 4-wheel-drive system muscles out of its predicament and motors on through the rest of the course.

Even more remarkable is the lineage of this ’15 Sprinter van. Who would have thought the Mercedes-Benz tri-star that graces the grille of sleek roadsters, 6-figure luxury cruisers and AMG weekend racers also would appear at home on an awkwardly boxy van on the likes of the Rubicon Trail?

Mercedes parent Daimler pioneered the tall cargo-van segment in the U.S. when it launched the Sprinter van in 2001 under the Dodge and Freightliner brands. Sales growth has been steady for several years. The Sprinter van in the U.S. has carried the Mercedes tri-star since 2010, and the Freightliner version remains available.

New players such as Ford (with the Transit) and Nissan (with the NV) have jumped into the sector, as well as Chrysler (with ’14 Ram ProMaster).

But there’s also huge growth in compact cargo vans such as Ford’s Transit Connect, Nissan’s NV200 and Chrysler’s new Ram ProMaster City. Built in Bursa, Turkey, the ProMaster City is based on the Fiat Doblo. For several years, Chrysler also has offered a converted minivan known as the Ram cargo van.

General Motors recently started shipping dealers the Chevrolet City Express, derived from the Nissan NV platform.

Perhaps somewhat late, Mercedes will join the midsize van fray as well when a version of its European Vito van comes to the U.S. in fall 2015, to be named Metris. Concept versions of the van are on display this week at the SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas.

The plant here currently is tooling up to assemble the Metris in semi-knockdown form in the same way as the larger Sprinter.

Although the Sprinter is powered solely by diesel engines (2.1L 4-cyl. and 3.0L V-6), the new compact van will run on gasoline. It’s been six years since a Sprinter van in the U.S. used gasoline.

Responding to Rivals

Mercedes says it welcomes the new van rivals, but they aren’t making it any easier for the Sprinter, which was the No.3 entry last year in the U.S. for large vans (behind Ford and Chevrolet) with an 8.4% market share.

So far this year, it is No.4 behind models from Ford, Chevrolet and GMC, with a 7.8% share. No.1 Ford has 43% of the sector year-to-date, which represents a 6.5% decline from year-ago, according to Mercedes data.

Mercedes is responding to the challenge by expanding its ’15 Sprinter lineup to include part-time 4-wheel drive and a more sophisticated electronic stability control system to mitigate the effect of heavy winds.

Standard equipment on 2500 models, Crosswind Assist operates above 50 mph (80 km/h). Mercedes engineers redesigned the yaw sensor for ESC to detect lateral winds on the highway and offset them by selectively braking the inside wheels, effectively counter-steering to keep the vehicle moving in a straight line.

Mercedes demonstrates the technology by firing up three swamp boats (one powered with an LS3 Chevy Corvette engine) to generate 90 mph (145 km/h) winds. The ’14 model without the system sways from the buffeting wind while the ’15 model does not.

The improved ESC also is better equipped to prevent rollovers during extreme evasive maneuvers. In another demonstration, a Sprinter with three barrels of water purposely stacked near the ceiling on a custom metal rack is steered abruptly around pylons in replicating the “moose test,” a famous stability maneuver in Europe.

Despite its high center of gravity, the Sprinter does not roll over, thanks to outriggers on both sides. But the body roll is significantly reduced with the new system engaged.

Also optional is an extra-tall roof with an interior height of 7 ft. (2.1 m). That’s about 6 ins. (15 cm) taller than the ’14 model, which represented a refresh of the ’06 van and improved pedestrian protection.

But it’s the new 4x4 feature, available in early 2015 only with V-6 models, that Mercedes views as a bold addition to the segment. Potential customers include ski resorts needing to shuttle people through heavy snow; emergency crews needing to battle inclement weather; railroad workers coping with steep grades; and oil crews working in muddy conditions.

The automaker expects up to 8% of Sprinter customers to spring for 4-corner power. The high-range setup will add $6,500 to the sticker, while a system with a low-range transfer case costs $6,800. The torque split is 65% rear-biased.

Nothing But Diesel for Sprinter

The Sherpa-like capabilities of the 4x4 system already have been documented, but perhaps more amazing is the ability of a small 4-cyl. diesel engine (the same one that powers more expensive Mercedes E-Class, GLK and ML passenger vehicles) to motivate a cargo van capable of hauling a roomful of furniture.

The engine is smooth and punchy and admittedly louder than the Mercedes luxury applications. But the 2.1L allows Mercedes to claim the segment’s only SULEV diesel engine in the world. About half of Sprinter customers in the U.S. opt for the 4-cyl.

Service intervals also have been increased for ’15, from 15,000 miles (24,140 km) to 20,000 miles (32,186 km). Fleets driving thousands of miles every month will be grateful.

Claus Tritt, general manger-operations for Mercedes-Benz USA’s commercial vans unit, sees torque-rich diesel engines as ideal for the sector.

“I know the guys from Detroit are thinking about diesel for cargo vans,” he says. “Ten years from now, I think the percentage of diesel applications will be much higher.”

Daimler is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Last year, it produced 484,211 Freightliner, Western Star and BharatBenz trucks; 33,705 Setra and Thomas buses; and 270,144 vans such as Sprinter, Vito and Citan.

Its truck and bus operations are in Germany (Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Ludwigsfelde), Russia, China, Spain, Argentina and here, which represents the end of a bizarre and byzantine logistical process necessary to avoid a steep 25% tariff, affectionately known as the “chicken tax.”

Sprinters are manufactured in Düsseldorf, then disassembled and packed in crates and shipped to the U.S., arriving at the nearby port of Charleston.

Wheels, axles, engines, driveshafts, exhaust system and front bumpers are among the 10 modules that are bar-coded because every part must mate to its original vehicle when reassembled here, says Walther Bloch, department manager-engineering support. The parts aren’t interchangeable. The only local content is the battery. Damaged parts can be replaced.

Economics Unorthodox, But Work

Despite the nutty logistics, it makes sense economically. The cost of disassembling, assembling and import duties comes to less than 9%, which is a far cry better than 25%. The logical move is to manufacture Sprinters from the ground up in North America, but that would negatively impact thousands of jobs in Germany.

And Daimler already makes good money on every Sprinter. Tritt says profit margins are comparable to E-Class sedans that cost about twice as much. The starting price for a Sprinter is $35,995, and average transaction prices are about $42,500, Tritt says.

About 120 people work at the plant, which produces up to 74 vehicles daily and operates on one shift five days a week, Bloch says. A second shift is being considered when the new midsize van arrives. The plant was built in 1999 and began assembling the Sprinter in 2006. About 20% of vehicle output here is branded as Freightliner.

A customer in the U.S. ordering a Sprinter from 257 certified dealers will wait about three months for delivery, at which point many then undergo significant customization for use by contractors, shuttle services, mobile restaurants, video crews and campers.

Construction trades make up 60% of the van’s customer base. Some 85% of Sprinter vans are “upfitted,” and Federal Express has a fleet of 8,500 Sprinters.

This past summer, WardsAuto editors evaluated a Sprinter van converted by camper specialist Airstream. The “Autobahn” edition, painted sleek black and priced at $133,024, is like a Learjet on wheels.

With tinted windows, simulated hardwood floors, a folding television screen, retracting awning, work stations and comfy reclining seats with footrests, the van is meant to take the traditional conversion van to a new level of executive luxury.

The cargo van has come a long, long way since 1896, when Daimler patented the first engine-powered bus and unveiled the first combination delivery wagon.

It won’t be long before certain vans, particularly Sprinter-type passenger shuttles, will be able to drive themselves.

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'15 MERCEDES SPRINTER CREW VAN Specifications