Last year, Mercedes once again became the best-selling premium brand in America, ahead of BMW and Lexus, but it cannot boast of such success in the commercial vehicle category either. The famous Sprinter model attracted only 31,851 customers, which is about five times less compared to the leader Ford Transit, and the German vehicle manufacturer hopes for better results thanks to the new diesel engine that will be under the hood of the Sprinter.
Its volume is 2.0 liters, and the power is 161 “throats” with 361 Nm of maximum torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. The maximum weight that such a Sprinter can receive is slightly more than three tons, and the standard equipment includes various electronic aids designed to improve stability characteristics, but the list also includes autonomous braking in case of danger on the road and a solid hook for all those. who use a trailer in addition to the van.
For the first time in history, the optional equipment includes electric side doors and seats, heaters in the mirrors and automatic air conditioning. As before, the customer can choose a passenger van, a working van and a pickup truck.
The sprinter is already “across the pond” already available with two units. The 2.0-liter turbo gasoline comes with 188 horsepower and 350 Nm of maximum torque, while the top of the range is a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 188 “heads” and 441 Nm of maximum torque.
The starting price is 34,495 US dollars, while the new diesel is an option of about an additional 4,000 greenbacks, that is, for 2,000 dollars it is a more affordable alternative than the mentioned V6.
Mercedes will say that, although the Sprinter is slightly more expensive than the competition (and is actually $ 15 cheaper than the Transit), it will certainly pay off for customers, as it will spend a lot less money on fuel and maintenance over the years. Diesels are also much better at keeping the resale price, so we will see if and eventually how much this move will pay off for the Swabian designer.