2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: A Garden Shed on Wheels

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been available in North America since 2001. Sold initially as a Freightliner (a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz) product, then as a Mercedes-Benz product and finally as a Dodge during the Daimler-Chrysler fusion, this big van returned to the Mercedes-Benz fold after the bankruptcy of Chrysler and the intervention of Fiat. Regardless of the banner under which it was sold, the Sprinter helped North America discover this type of vehicle, which has monopolized a large part of the market.

Until now, the German manufacturer was the only game in town in this lucrative segment, but that’s about to change. Ford is preparing to market its full-size Transit while Ram dealerships are already offering the ProMaster, a North American version of the Fiat Ducato.

• Also: 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4X4 Coming to North America Next Year
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Mercedes-Benz has updated the Sprinter for 2014 to put itself in a better position to take on these new contenders.

Modernized

As is generally the case with commercial vehicles, there are few drastic changes to report. Even examining the Sprinter closely, you’d have to know where to look to notice the modifications. In fact, most of the changes were made to the front end, where there’s a larger grille, new headlights and slightly boxier shape. The dashboard has been revised to make it more ergonomically sound and the structure modernized to improve rigidity and ensure greater longevity. Finally, the previously over-sensitive ABS brakes have been reworked.

There are two engines available. It comes factory standard with a 2.1-litre twin-turbo diesel that produces 161 horsepower and 265 lbs.-ft of torque. This mill is paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. On option, there’s a 3.0-litre V6 developing 188 horsepower and 325 lbs.-ft. of torque. This time, the transmission is a five-speed.

The Sprinter is sold in various configurations, including a standard, high or super high roof. You can select one of two wheelbases, too. There’s the standard 3,665-mm variety as well as the longer the 4,325-mm option. In addition to the cargo van – the vehicle we tested – there’s the passenger van and the cab chassis.

Note that there’s a multitude of available options for the cabin, suspension and numerous accessories to help transport objects. Our test vehicle had a standard wheelbase and was equipped with three front seats, a partition with a window, air conditioning and the 2.1-litre engine.

Surprising agility

Seeing this big, vertical van makes wonder how it will manage in traffic, especially considering that the rear visibility seems so problematic. Fortunately, our fears were quickly abated after a few moments at the wheel. It turns out that visibility isn’t a problem after all. Not only are the sizable exterior rearview mirrors efficient, but there’s a very large rear window that lets you see what’s happening behind the vehicle. Sure, there’s the central obstruction created by the door uprights, but it’s nothing major. Note that the driving position is good and the shifter is comfortable. I learned over time that I could put my elbow on the armrest then simply apply a little pressure with my wrist to shift gears in manual mode. It’s both instinctive and fast.

In fact, the only problem with the ride is the glare caused by the window of the panel that separates the passenger compartment from the cargo area. From time to time, the headlights of the cars passing on either side reflect off of it.

I was surprised by the output of the engine, which is responsive and always seemed to be up to the task. What’s more, the variable flow twin-turbo demonstrates almost no lag. Finally, the steering is precise but I found it somewhat over-assisted.

Contrary to my initial apprehensions, the Sprinter proved agile in traffic, easy to drive and very fuel efficient with an average of 10.6 L/100 km.

Operation Shed

In most cases, our test drives involving commercial vehicles are limited to roads and highways for evaluating handling and engine performance. We don’t often get the chance to test them for what they are: work vehicles. This time, however, a colleague wanted to move his disassembled garden shed. It was the perfect opportunity for our high roof Sprinter to strut its stuff. And just in case all of the parts didn’t fit in the cargo bed, I also brought a GMC Sierra pickup along for the ride.

Once the shed was dismantled, all of the sides easily fit in the cargo area. The roof clearance was sufficient, as was the door opening. However, if the vinyl floor had been covered in hardwood (as it was in the past in this type of vehicle), there would have been less risk of damaging it. Luckily, we didn’t scratch anything, but we had to take several precautions.

The sliding right side door proved very practical. However, the shed roof components were too bulky to fit in the Sprinter’s cargo hold. As a result, they had to be transported in the Sierra’s cargo box. The Sierra’s loading height being higher than that of the Sprinter, it took some doing to load these very heavy parts into the pickup.

Even with a payload of more than 800 kg, the Sprinter handled like the hold was completely empty. Once we arrived at the destination, its relatively low loading height made unloading easy. All that was left was to reassemble the shed, but that’s another story.

Overall, the new Sprinter didn’t undergo a spectacular transformation, but it has made gains in terms of driving quality and versatility. What will happen in the battle of the big vans between the Sprinter, Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster remains to be seen.