In Europe, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the best-selling full-size cargo van in the vehicle weight class up to 5.5 tonnes. I’ve posted many of them over the past years, easy to spot as they are (at any street corner, basically). Today’s variant is a long wheelbase, chassis (double) cab with a flatbed body. Dropsides included, needless to mention.
The second generation, W906-series of the Sprinter was offered from 2006 to 2018. Since the introduction of the W906, the chassis cab Sprinters for the European market are built in the Ludwigsfelde plant, south of Berlin. The vans come from Düsseldorf, but unlike the Mercedes-Benz T2 of yore, these are not known as Düsseldorfer Transporters.
Fully stretched out, with a wheelbase of 4,325 mm (170”), which is the longest Sprinter wheelbase available. The light flatbed truck is powered by a 2,143 cc, OM 651 DE 22 LA four-cylinder turbodiesel, good for 129 DIN-hp.
The registered payload capacity of this Benz is 1,152 kg (2,540 lbs). However, in daily practice, the payload capacity of such commercial vehicles is equal to the weight of whatever needs to be hauled.
The Mercedes-Benz formed a couple with a 2018 Ifor Williams GX tandem-axle trailer, obviously a dedicated machine transporter. In this case, it was carrying a small tracked excavator.
Earlier that week, I caught it sitting next to the same trailer. The storage and tool boxes, against the bulkhead and underneath the bed, are aftermarket accessories. And note the full absence of any showing-off ingredients. All work and no play.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have some 1,000 other Sprinter configurations to find.
Daughter in Denver has had 3 Sprinters (2 medium size, 1 huge!) that provide mobile service for her wellness & iv business: http://www.onusiv.com, used by Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets teams as well as private clients who prefer not going to the physical locations. All of them have been automatic 4 cylinder turbo-diesels.
They’ve held up well and get ok fuel mileage and also come in handy for camping, but are not particularly inexpensive to service! I’ve suggested that she consider Nissan, Ford, and Ram but they have had pretty good luck with them so stick with the Sprinters.
I checked, the big one was the same 170″ wheelbase model with a high roof, a really huge van. It had hospital beds and a chair, wall cabinets and a big flatscreen TV, got about 18-20 mpg. The newer is smaller, awd, a bit better on fuel providing concierge service for clients who prefer not to go to storefront locations (including one in Ft Collins).
On a related note, more or less, the Sprinter absolutely rules the full-size-ambulance class here (courtesy of Visser Leeuwarden).
I know that the RV community at least has been increasingly favoring the Ford Transit since it avoids diesel running costs and it’s easier to find Ford service than Mercedes commercial vehicles, not all Mercedes dealers service Sprinters and they seem to be phasing out the Freightliner branded version.
I understand this is brand new and advanced design from Daimler-Benz, wondering if Toyota Dyna and Isuzu Elf could match up with this vehicle. One thing can be sure the Japanese vehicles have better long term reliability
These designs have been around for ages, look up the Mercedes-Benz T2 for example, introduced in 1967. An endless number of configurations, both vans and chassis cabs. Japanese commercial vehicles, all weight classes, are de facto non-existent in northwestern Europe.
The Toyota Dyna, Isuzu Elf and Mazda Titan are really medium duty tilt trucks 3-4 more comparable to a Mercedes Atego. In Europe Toyota sells a re-badged Fiat Ducato aka Ram ProMaster as the Toyota ProAce in direct competition with the Sprinter.
Here in Oregon Sprinters are split about 50/50 between leisure vehicles and work vehicles. We don’t get any double cab models but there are cutaway chassis cab models that are popular as Class C motorhomes and the occasional enclosed service body with toolboxes.
Agreed Joe that those Japanese trucks are one segment up the ladder and come with a tilt cab, just like the Benz Atego you mention. Toyota’s rebadged Ducato/ProMaster is called the ProAce Max. The ‘normal’ Toyota ProAce is the same van as the latest Ram ProMaster City (a one tonnes van). Confusing, confusing…
The Ducato/ProMaster and the like don’t go beyond 3.5 tonnes GVWR here. Also, RWD (let alone with dual wheels) is not available. In short, there are a lot more Sprinter choices, gross weight- and drivetrain-wise.