2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4: Doing The Dirty Work

There’s no doubt that the hardest-working passenger vehicles in Canada are pickup trucks. They can be found throughout the country hauling dirt, motorcycles, landscaping equipment, and any other number of work and leisure related articles. For cargo that needs to be sheltered from the elements, there’s the venerable cargo van. Not as popular as the pickup, it nonetheless offers more versatility, allowing the capability of carrying either cargo or passengers, or sometimes both. One area the cargo van can’t match the pickup is in off-road capability, mostly because pickups are available with four-wheel drive, and vans are not.

Mercedes-Benz wants to change that, and for 2015 is offering the Sprinter 4x4. Introduced in Canada in 2003 (as a Dodge), the Sprinter van is not a leisure vehicle but a workhorse, and the folks from Stuttgart have determined that it was about time this workhorse got its hooves dirty.

• Also: 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: Battle Of The Vans
• Also: Mercedes-Benz will Offer a 4x4 Sprinter Van

Expanded versatility

What better way to enhance the usability of the Sprinter than to add four-wheel-drive capability. Mercedes has done this quite easily by adding a transfer case and a forward differential to the existing Sprinter platform. It is a part-time, rear-biased system, so unless you select four-wheel drive, the Sprinter is a rear driver. This improves fuel economy, especially as it’s likely that the Sprinter 4x4 will spend most of its time on paved roads.

It is not a variable-ratio 4x4 system, but rather uses a fixed front/rear ratio of 35/65 percent. There is also an optional low range that lowers the overall drive ratio by 42 percent to help the Sprinter climb steep hills in low traction conditions. The entire system adds only about 120 kg of weight and has done very little to affect the Sprinter’s maximum payload and towing capacities, which are 2,370 kg (versus 2,490 kg for the 2WD model) and 3,400 kg (the same as the 2WD model) respectively.

Selecting four-wheel drive is done by pressing a button on the dashboard at speeds below 10 km/h. It can also be selected at a stop, though you might have to roll forward a bit for the system to engage, otherwise the 4x4 light will flash and eventually turn off.

To further enhance the Sprinter’s off-road capability the body has been raised by 10 cm at the front and 7.5 cm at the rear, which not only gives the Sprinter 4x4 an aggressive off-road appearance, but also improves ground clearance.

Only one engine/transmission combination is available, the 3.0-litre BlueTEC diesel V6 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces 188 hp and 325 lb.-ft. of peak torque.

Built for hard workouts

Although fewer variations of the Sprinter 4x4 (9) are available compared to the two-wheel-drive version (14), there are still plenty of choices. You can get either the 144-inch or 170-inch wheelbase, you get two roof height choices (low and high - the extra-high roof is available only on the 2WD models), you can choose from cargo or passenger models (up to 12 passengers), and there’s even a crew option that seats six, while offering much more cargo space than the passenger van. The Sprinter chassis cab is not available with four-wheel drive.

If you’re looking for a luxurious interior you should maybe consider an S-class. Even though marketing literature claims that the interior is “noticeably upgraded” there are few comfort features and few interior options available for the Sprinter 4x4. The cabin is designed instead to take some abuse. Panels are made of hard plastic and floor mats are rubber, but if you spill your Tim Hortons double-double while filling out your delivery paperwork, you can wipe it up with a paper towel. If you sully the floor with your muddy construction boots, you can wash it off with a garden hose.

Despite this, the interior is relatively quiet on the highway, with wind noise subdued to a very reasonable level in vans equipped with insulating panels. If you choose a Sprinter with an unfinished cargo area, spend the extra money for the optional trim panels (about $500); your ears won’t regret it.

One thing to note is that due to the 4x4’s added ride height, it is difficult to get in and out of the Sprinter. I’m six feet tall and it was somewhat challenging.

Sprinting in the dirt

A fair portion of our road test took place at Mica Creek, along unpaved roads within the remote backwoods of British Columbia. The conditions were unfavourable, with temperatures in the single digits, overcast skies, and occasional showers and melting snow creating muddy conditions — in other words, almost ideal for the Sprinter 4x4.

We drove up a narrow, unpaved logging road to an elevation of 1,000 metres before turning around, and the conditions worsened as we approached the top. In four-wheel-drive mode the Sprinter easily handled the semi-difficult conditions near the bottom, but had a tougher time as the mud got slicker and deeper on the way up, though no one got stuck.

The Sprinter uses Mercedes’ 4ETS electronic control system to aid traction by braking wheels that begin to spin, thus transferring power to the wheels with grip. It’s the Sprinter’s Achilles’ heel when driving off road in very slippery conditions. In the very muddy conditions we experienced it was suggested we turn it off to allow for more wheel spin, which was needed to maintain momentum in slippery conditions. However, if the wheels spun too fast, the system would begin to intervene anyway, and it would eventually revert to the default ‘on’ position. Although this never got the Sprinter stuck, it did require resetting, and some backing up before moving on. The 4ETS is meant more for getting you out of a snowy parking spot than wading through axle-deep mud.

Alone in its class

This Sprinter 4x4 is a specialized work truck that will certainly appeal to ski resorts, rafting companies, construction companies, and other enterprises that operate in remote locations. It features Collision Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist, and Crosswind Assist, though the last one is not available on the 3500 models. Mercedes also claims a low long-term cost of ownership, and has extended the maintenance intervals to 30,000 km for 2015.

Direct comparisons will be difficult because the Sprinter 4x4 is the only all-wheel-drive cargo (or passenger) van available in Canada. Prices start at $49,900, which might seem steep, but if you outfit some of its competitors with their diesel engine options, it is still very competitive. A similarly equipped Ford Transit diesel costs $42,700, the Chevrolet Express diesel costs $47,700, and the Dodge Promaster 2500 diesel costs $44,300, and none of those offer four-wheel drive.

Again, this is not a vehicle designed for serious off-roading, so if your friends ask you to follow their Jeep Wrangler Rubicons into the trails, you might want to pass. Light off-roading is more in the Sprinter 4x4’s capacity, and it will take you farther into the woods than any two-wheel drive vehicle.