The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 – a class of its own

By Mirabela Muresan and Daimler AG

The Mercedes-Benz Vans Centre Boundary has launched the Sprinter 4x4 early 2015 and it has proven to be a very successful model in their line-up. The dealership was the number one Sprinter 4x4 dealer in Canada in 2015. BC is the ideal market for these vans, where one can combine their usage for both leisure and business activities. The Boundary Vans Centre have quickly realized they have a great product on their hands and have decided to upfit a Sprinter 4x4 van based on the Jurassic World movie that launched last summer. The feedback from customers was tremendous and the “Jurassic Sprinter 4x4 Van” generated frenzy on the social media outlets.

The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4 has selectable all-wheel drive and is available as a cargo van, a 5-seater crew van and a 12-seater passenger van. It is the only large van of up to five tons GVW in the world, to feature an all-wheel-drive system ex-factory. It is also the only all-wheel-drive van to come with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Moreover, the vehicle is equipped with the Electronic Traction System (4ETS). This combination ensures great traction on almost any surface. In order to increase traction even further in difficult terrain, the all-wheel-drive van now comes standard with an optional second reduction gearbox – low range. Another option is the new Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) system, which ensures that the vehicle always remains at its preset speed when driving downhill. The new Sprinter 4x4 only consumes 0.8 l more fuel per 100 km than the rear-wheel-drive model at 7.7l/100 km HWY. The drive system is a six-cylinder diesel engine (3.0 l displacement) with an output of 140 kW.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz Vans Germany took part in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles for the sixth time and achieved its third victory. In a triumph for the new all-wheel-drive Sprinter, Daimler employees Astrid Ebermann and Sabrina Trillmann came in first in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in Morocco at the end of March. The winning duo’s Crossover category vehicle is a new Sprinter 4x4. Only women take part in this motorsports event, which has been held annually since 1990. More than 160 teams from around 30 countries took part in the rally this year.

Even though every Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles begins at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the actual rallye starts in the Moroccan desert, on the far side of the Atlas Mountains. The drivers have to travel about 2,500 km, most of which is over unpaved surfaces, through terrain in which all-wheel-drive vans such as the new Sprinter 4x4 can fully demonstrate their off-road capabilities.

The team from Mercedes-Benz Vans won the race in a series-produced vehicle that was only slightly modified for the rally. For this purpose, the Sprinter was fitted with special wheels and sand tires as well as with a rollover cage, underride protection, and bucket seats. The drivers were accompanied by a team of mechanics, who didn’t have to provide any assistance, however, except for making a few minor repairs and changing a tire. It’s proof of the women drivers’ skill and of the new Sprinter’s quality.