A 4-wheel-drive version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van will reach showrooms around the beginning of 2015. It will feature an all-new 4x4 system that functions without a traditional transfer case, Mercedes-Benz Van Operations General Manager Claus Tritt told Truck Fleet Management in an exclusive interview.
"It's a pretty slick system" he said, referring to the all-wheel-drive system that will debut on 2015 model-year Sprinters.
Tritt added that customer demand drove the company to bring the 4x4 to the United States.
"That is a big reason why we were looking at this product," for the U.S. market, he told TFM at the company's vehicle display at the annual Work Truck Show. "Hotels in snowy regions, oil fields, construction companies — they all need vans, and now they want 4-wheel drive."
Tritt said that the system offers low and high ranges and will be available on the van's 144-inch and 170-inch wheelbase lengths, in both low- and high-roof configurations, and across passenger, crew and cargo-van applications. The 4x4 will be offered only with a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. This engine produces 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. The Sprinter's 4-cylinder diesel, introduced for the 2014 model year, is available only in 4x2 applications.
That new engine, however, has proved popular with buyers, despite Tritt's admitted misgivings about launching a 4-cylinder in the U.S. commercial van market.
"I was so wrong," he said, acknowledging that he'd been concerned about how U.S. buyers would react to the smaller displacement engine. "We love our big blocks, our V-8s, but technology breaks the habit."
Tritt added Mercedes-Benz has seen a 60% take rate on the 4-cylinder diesel, a testament to its ability to meet customer needs. "The powerplant is incredible," he said. "It has enough power, enough torque and the fuel economy is incredible."
