Since the launch of the first Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Vans had always been in parity with the latest trends and the needs of customers. High standards were established, both in manufacturing and in production. Right from the start it included mind blowing dynamic design, over 1000 variants, highly efficient engines, exemplary safety equipment and the perfect cockpit. These innovative concepts made a perfect kickstart for the successful sophisticated van.
During the 90s when it first started, it was the era of the fast growing courier/ parcel/ express industry. The Sprinter had a sales boost as it was the perfect vehicle that could serve the purpose with ease. Sprinter was able to cover the desired high annual mileages without any problems, which is a remarkable advantage in the industry. The cockpit was systematically designed as per the driver’s need. So, driving the van became very easy as compared to vans from other brands. Safety was also an issue behind its success.
Signs of Recognition
As soon as the first-generation Sprinter Van got launched in Europe in 1995, it won the “International Van of the Year” award. In the year 2004 they became the first commercial vehicle to introduce ESP in all of its models. In the very next year, BlueTEC technology was also introduced. For two consecutive years (2007 and 2008), Sprinter was voted “The Van of the Year” by Professional Van and Light Truck magazine. In 2013 they introduced, Active Safety Plus Package with Parktronic, with available features like Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Prevention Assist and Highbeam Assist. In 2014 they became the pioneer van to give a new safety feature called Crosswind Assist. Sprinter Van has the first certified SULEV-diesel engine in the world.
At present the latest model, the Sprinter receives a new base trim level called Worker. The cabin is designed to eliminate the fatigue that inevitably comes with driving long hours. Starting with a spacious cockpit and an ergonomic dashboard, engineers added height-adjustable seats with generous lumbar support, numerous storage bins and a legible instrument cluster consisting of three analog gauges and a digital screen that provides vital information about the truck and its surroundings.
Over the years their oustanding performance embedded good reputation within the society. So, it made the Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Mornhinweg say, “Three million Sprinters in just 20 years is a sign of great success. The Sprinter was the founder of the segment for large vans and remains highly successful to this day”. Record number of 3,21,000 vehicles were sold in 2015, thus making it touch 3 million sales.
The Sprinter is manufactured at six locations around the world, which include Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany, Charleston in South Carolina, U.S., Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fuzhou, China and in Nizhny Nowgorod, Russia.
Now they are getting ready for their next generation car and they will build a new production site in Charleston, following an investment of around $500 million in the coming years. Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde will undergo a modernization process, for which Mercedes will invest €450 million.
