Cities Atlanta Austin Boston. Chicago Detroit Los Angeles. New York San Francisco. Renovation Interior Design Furniture. Filed under: News Outdoors RVs, campers, and trailers. The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. Love campers, vans, and RVs? We spent most of our driving time in and near Amsterdam behind the wheel of the CDI Tourer, which has the turbo-diesel four paired with a seven-speed automatic delivering torque to the rear wheels. The engine provides a background soundtrack of turbo whistle and diesel gargle, but it wasn't overly obtrusive.
This Sprinter did everything we asked of it and handled demands from our right foot with no complaint. The seven-speed is quick to respond and always seemed to grab the right gear. Kickdown requests were responded to promptly for confident passing, and the smooth upshifts were barely noticeable. The only time the van felt remotely sluggish was during hammer-down acceleration, but even then, it was no sloth. Amusingly, the seven-speed automatic also comes with paddle shifters.
Most of our driving took place on straight highways or in traffic—both likely scenarios for van pilots—with not much in the way of curvy roads. For , the rear-wheel-drive Sprinter ditches its hydraulic steering rack for an electrically assisted system, and there is zero communication from the ground to the wheel.
The steering is slow but builds effort progressively and evenly. More important, the turning radius is surprisingly good for something this large. A highlight of the new Sprinter is its ride quality. In cargo, chassis-cab, and passenger configurations, the vans we sampled felt composed and smooth. With new springs and dampers, the Sprinter is relatively comfortable and quiet and bucks the typical reputation of utility vehicles as primitive work tools.
There are few creaks or squeaks, and body roll is kept in check, with the expected swaying intruding only during jerky turns or hard stops. Carried over from the previous generation is Crosswind Assist. This technology, which comes into play at highway speeds, recognizes body tilt and will brake a wheel to help keep the slab-sided Sprinter in its lane without impacting speed.
Even with the numb steering, keeping the Sprinter pointed straight isn't much work. All of these technologies come into greater play when driving our high-roof, all-wheel-drive, dual-rear-wheel XD test vehicle near our Ann Arbor, Michigan, headquarters.
Tasked with moving its pounds is the hp diesel V-6 mated to a seven-speed automatic, which it does at a rather leisurely pace. At the test track, the big Benz sauntered to 60 mph in Rob covers automotive news and car reviews while also writing in-depth feature articles on historically significant cars and auto manufacturers.
He also loves discovering obscure models and researching their genesis and history. Rob Margeit. View 1 images Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, a van for the ages. The what, I hear you ask? Nearly 4,, million Sprinters have been produced since Happy Birthday, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Close Thumbnail View. Rob Margeit Features Editor. Review Ineos Grenadier ride-along review Fri 12 Nov. Latest News Toyota will return to full production capacity next month, despite semiconductor shortage Fri 12 Nov.
Mercedes-Benz court action over fixed-price business model fast-tracked Fri 12 Nov. Previous Industry news. But such vans have been in limited supply. Mercedes has had trouble getting key components for the drive system from a European supplier. A key change for the North American market is the introduction of a gasoline engine option that will be available next year. The current version comes equipped with a diesel engine.
The diesel engine vans will use a seven-speed transmission that is more efficient than the five-speed it replaces. The gas engine vans will have a nine-speed transmission. Offering a gasoline version will satisfy customer demand and make the Sprinter a better fit for the rental market.
It also will provide a lower-cost option than the comparable diesel model, Mercedes-Benz executives said. Other changes from the previous model include the addition of advanced driver-assist technology such as automatic emergency braking.
The new van will also have push-button ignition, an updated interior, dashboard and exterior designs and increased storage options.
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