Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, and Freightliner nameplates. In the U.S., it was built from complete knock down kits by Freightliner. Re-badged and re-engined Sprinters were also sold by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as the Volkswagen LT and the Volkswagen Crafter. They are now primarily marketed by Mercedes-Benz.
In the Mercedes-Benz van lineup, the Sprinter is the largest model offered, followed by the mid-size Vito and small Citan.
First generation (1995–2006, T1N)
Europe
The first-generation Sprinter was launched in Europe in 1995 to replace the famous but outdated T1 Transporter van dating from 1977. Compared to the T1, the Sprinter had reduced the aerodynamic drag and moved the engine further forward to increase cabin space. It was the first Mercedes-Benz product to carry a name rather than an alphanumeric designation. It was released with four-wheel disc brakes equipped with an antilock braking system and was driven by the most powerful diesel engine in its class, with a power output of. The Sprinter was voted International Van of the Year for 1995.The styling was updated in 2000 and 2002, accompanied by technical changes that included standard electronic stability control.
North America
The first generation Sprinter was launched in North America for the 2002 model year and was originally badged as a Freightliner. In 2003 it received Dodge branding as DaimlerChrysler chose to replace the aging Dodge Ram van with the Sprinter. After 2003 they were sold concurrently under the Freightliner and Dodge nameplates and were identical except for minor styling details and badging. DaimlerChrysler chose to not badge the Sprinter as a Mercedes-Benz because they felt the utilitarian Sprinter would interfere with the luxury image that Mercedes-Benz has in North America, whereas Freightliner and Dodge have more experience selling trucks and commercial vehicles.Cargo versions of the Sprinter were manufactured in Düsseldorf, Germany, partially disassembled, and then shipped to a Freightliner factory in Gaffney, South Carolina, where they were reassembled. The cargo versions, classified as light trucks, are subject to the 25% chicken tax if imported as a complete unit, which is avoided by the disassembly and importation as a semi knock-down kit, with subsequent reassembly in the U.S. Passenger vans were not subject to the same tax classifications and were imported as an assembled unit through Mercedes-Benz in Jacksonville, Florida.
2002–2003 Sprinters sold in North America were only available with the 2.7L OM612 inline-5 diesel engine and were only available in 49 states because it was not compliant with CARB emissions standards; 2004–2006 models used the OM647 engine which replaced the OM612's air-cooled EGR valve with a water-cooled unit, among other changes, which made the 2004–2006 Sprinters CARB-compliant. The only transmission offered in North America was the 5-speed 5G-Tronic transmission.
The product was launched and supported by DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC, a small division based in Huntersville, North Carolina. Key individuals from DaimlerChrysler Commercial Vehicle Division and Freightliner Trucks were selected to spearhead the effort and made up the bulk of the division. DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC retained sole responsibility for the North American Sprinter market until the sales, service and parts support responsibilities were absorbed by Chrysler Commercial Vehicle Division in 2004. Nearly all of the original staff were retained, though the base of operations shifted from North Carolina to Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Japan
The Sprinter van was sold as the Mercedes-Benz Transporter T1N due to Toyota using the name Toyota Sprinter, a version of the Corolla.Iran
The model 314 of the first generation is still assembled by Iran Khodro Diesel. It is used as an ambulance.Vietnam
The first generation Sprinter was assembled by Mercedes Benz Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City from CKD kits to avoid high local import duties.Sprinter Classic
Since 2013, the 2000–2006 Sprinter model has been revived in Russian markets only as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Classic. The Phase II 2002–2006 grille was chosen for use on the Sprinter Classic and the 2000–2006 dashboard design. The Sprinter Classic used the steering wheel from the 2006–2014 Sprinter models. The Sprinter Classic is built by the Gorky Automobile Plant at Nizhny Novgorod for service in Russian/Eastern European markets only.Engines
| Models | Engine code | Configuration | Displacement | Max. power | Max. torque |
| OM 601 | Inline-four 8V SOHC | ||||
| OM 602 | Inline-five 10V OHC | ||||
| OM 602 | Inline-five 10V OHC | ||||
| M 111 | Inline-four 16V DOHC |
Dimensions
;NotesFuel economy
With 2.7L I5 OM 612/OM 647 156 hp CDI engine:| Model | Roof Height | Wheelbase | Manufacturer estimated miles per gallon |
| 2500 | Standard Roof | 140" | 24 |
| 2500 | High Roof | 158" | 22 |
| 3500 | High Roof | 158" | 21 |
Diesel Hybrid Concepts
In 2004, A Plug-in hybrid prototype version and a non-plug-in hybrid prototype version of the van were made, The plug-in van had an electric motor with an output of and an NiMH battery with a capacity of 14kWh. Which supported an all-electric operating range of up to. The battery recharged from the plug-in to the main power supply in approximately 6 hours. the non-plug-in van had a smaller electric motor with an output of and smaller batteries with a capacity of only 3 kWh. These allowed purely electric operation with a range of.Second generation (2006–2018, NCV3)
Initial release
The second-generation Sprinter was introduced in Europe in 2006. It was voted Van of the Year for 2007 and again in 2008 by Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine.Also known as the NCV3 or New Concept Van 3, the second generation Sprinter appeared in Europe and in other countries as the 2006 model year. North America received its own NCV3 for the 2007 model year.
By 2010 a BlueTEC version of the NCV3 Sprinter with the OM642 was released. The BlueTEC systems allowed the elimination of much of the EGR in that vehicle's engine, which as a result gave compared to the non-BlueTec engine's.
The U.S. cargo version of the 906 NCV3 came in two wheelbase options, two roof heights, three lengths, and two weight classes. 3500 models had the option of dual rear wheels or extra-wide "super single" wheels in some, but not all, markets. Neither the 128" wheelbase nor the rear super single tires were available in the U.S. market. The U.S. cargo version was reassembled from kits in an assembly plant located in Ladson, South Carolina, while the passenger models were imported directly from Germany.
The second-generation 906 was produced in Argentina only for export markets—except Mercosur markets —from 2007 until 2010, but in 2011, announced new production of the second generation in the Centro Industrial J. Manuel Fangio, in Buenos Aires with the brand-new OM 651 engine and exported to the rest of South America. Since 2012, it has been manufactured for the Mercosur and 40 other countries. 70% of its production is exported.
Production
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was built in Daimler's Mercedes-Benz Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde production plants.For the second-generation Sprinter marketed in the United States, to avoid "chicken tax" import duties, the cargo version was disassembled partially, shipped to the United States, and reassembled at a plant in Ladson, South Carolina, in a process known as semi knock-down assembly, starting in June 2006; the passenger version continued to be imported as a complete unit. The Ladson factory previously was used as an American LaFrance factory for firefighting trucks. The previous SKD reassembly facility in Gaffney resumed operations under Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. The Ladson plant was known as DaimlerChrysler Manufacturing International until the parent corporation was dissolved; importation and SKD reassembly of the Sprinter cargo van continued at Ladson under the auspices of Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC.
Between July 2013 and the end of May 2014, Mercedes-Benz Vans sold around 134,000 units of the new model of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in Europe and North America.
The production version of the Sprinter-based Volkswagen Crafter by Mercedes-Benz Vans was set to end in 2016.
A class action lawsuit was filed in California state court against Mercedes-Benz alleging the defendant had sold Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 models with water that leaked from the roof air conditioning unit into the passenger area. The leaking air conditioning unit was also discovered on Dodge Sprinters made by Mercedes-Benz from 2003 through 2009. The lawsuit affected California residents with the rooftop AC units and Sprinters equipped with the rear AC.
Algeria
From 2014, Algeria started manufacturing the latest model of Sprinter 319/519 4×2 and 4×4 for civilian and military use.Marketing
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans were used in the Boost by Mercedes-Benz custom transportation program.Updates
Sprinter (2013–2019)
The second generation Sprinter was updated in 2013 with changes including the addition of new assistance systems, blind spot monitor, Euro VI emissions compliance, redesigned radiator grille, more angular headlights, new upholstery and seat coverings, thicker steering wheel, optional fresh air nozzles boast chrome applications, new-generation radio system.The vehicle was unveiled in 2014 International Commercial Vehicles show.
Ordering began in June 2013, followed by deliveries in September 2013. Early models include ECO-Gear six-speed manual transmission or the 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission with lock-up clutch.
US models went on sale in the fall of 2013 as 2014 model year vehicles. Early models included a choice of 2 engines with 7-speed automatic, 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel, 144" & 170" wheelbase, 3 body lengths, high-roof option, 5 configurations.
In September 2018, e-commerce platform Amazon announced that they had contracted to acquire 20,000 Amazon-badged Sprinters to be available for small business partners of their proprietary logistics service.