Feature
2002 Freightliner Sprinter
DaimlerChrysler Finds a Niche in the Van Market
A very different-looking van might soon be pulling up in front of your house to deliver packages or take you to the airport to catch a flight.
The Sprinter, made by Mercedes-Benz and badged as a Freightliner, is being introduced to fill a niche in the market for delivery vans and passenger shuttles (Class 2 and 3 light commercial vehicles). It is already for sale at Freightliner dealerships, but is expected to be sold by Dodge next year.
The diesel-powered van, sold in three wheelbases and two basic body types, is being promoted, in part, for its ergonomic advantages over the competition. Presently, competing Chevrolet and Ford vans come from the factory with such little headroom that a delivery driver or repair person must stoop when inside (consequently, many of these vans are modified privately). The Sprinter, with its high roof line, allows a 6-foot-tall person to stand up inside. The head room also allows easy entry and exit when the Sprinter is used as a passenger van.
DaimlerChrysler executives, on hand for the Sprinter's launch, said ergonomics is just one of several features that make this European import unique. Despite improvements in other types of vehicles, the van has remained basically "a box on wheels," said Tim Reuss, CEO of DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. "Vans were designed for cargo, but not the people loading and unloading them." He added that Sprinter designers paid attention to aerodynamics, avoiding the "barn door" style of many current vans.
Plans are in the works to create a factory to build the Sprinter here in the U.S. Currently, the van is made in Germany, with final assembly in South Carolina.
The base price for the Sprinter is $26,300, which Reuss acknowledged was about 10 percent higher than the competition. However, he said, high fuel economy and longer maintenance intervals would soon make up the difference in cost. Presumably, these were some of the features prompting an order of 1,900 Sprinters by Federal Express. The international delivery company began receiving its vans in June 2001.
Reuss said their studies showed that customers might fear that goods delivered by a Mercedes-Benz van would be too expensive, hence the decision to sell the van through Freightliner dealerships first, and later through Dodge. Additionally, Dodge's aging full-sized Ram Van and Wagon is being phased out at the end of 2002; the Sprinter will be the likely candidate to take its place.
The Sprinter will be equipped for camping and sold in a James Cook edition as early as 2003. Another van from Mercedes, the Vito, currently sold in Europe, will also be coming to Freightliner and Dodge dealers in 2004. The Vito shares the Sprinter's platform but has different body styling and a more luxurious interior.
A variety of Sprinter vans were on hand at the press launch in Ft. Myers, Fla. We climbed in and out of some of the vans set up as delivery vehicles, and one that was configured as an ambulance. We were only able to drive the passenger van, taking turns with four other journalists. While the Florida landscape offered no hills to test the Sprinter's climbing power, we did form some impressions about its handling and performance.
The driver seat is quite elevated, which is to be expected in a van this size. This and the extremely large windows afford wonderful visibility in all directions. The front seats are firm and upholstered in a tough gray fabric with a subdued pattern. Although DaimlerChrysler executives said the seats had been redesigned for the American market, they said they were created with service foremost in mind rather than turning them into moving sofas.
The Sprinter steering wheel is nearly horizontal prompting one journalist to observe, "I feel like a bus driver." No tilt mechanism is yet offered, although one may be available in the future, executives said. The semicircular instrument cluster houses large easy-to-read gauges. Headlight and wiper controls are on their respective stalks at the left and right of the steering wheel and resemble those found in cars.
One unusual feature is that the gear shift lever protrudes from the dash rather than the steering column or the floorboards. This is because the engine is actually in front of the driver, rather than underfoot, as in small vans. This setup opens up plenty of room for the driver and front passenger and the long sloping nose gives the van a lower drag-coefficient.
The engine in the Sprinter didn't have the harsh rattle of previous-generation diesels, which sounded like marbles rattling in a tin can. Also, we never smelled the characteristic and unpleasant diesel exhaust. In fact, executives said the exhaust system was modified to pass U.S. clean air standards. These two improvements alone seemed like they would go a long way to overcoming long-held drawbacks to operating a diesel-powered van.
Powered by a 154-horsepower five-cylinder inline turbocharged diesel engine, which makes 243-pound feet of torque, the van should also appeal to companies keeping their eyes on the bottom line. The high-technology engine delivers 22 miles per gallon and only requires oil changes every 10,000 miles. An optional computer analyzes use, wear and oil conditions and will sometimes recommend extending the service intervals even longer. The same engine is found in European Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class cars and the M-Class sport-utility vehicle.
The engine delivered good low-end acceleration and the electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission willingly kicked down to a lower gear for passing. It seemed possible to cruise comfortably at highway speeds without straining the engine. Hey, it's not a sport sedan, but for the size of the engine, it performed capably.
The clear performance advantages lay in the handling. The Sprinter didn't feel ungainly, despite its size and hauling capability (the cargo van offers a maximum of 473 cubic feet and can carry up to 5,000 pounds; the passenger van seats up to 10 people and has a maximum payload of 4,000). The Sprinter twisted and turned its way through a figure eight of cones with ease. But most amazing was its turning radius, which, in the smallest van (118-inch wheelbase) was a scant 36.7 feet. Our only reservation to its maneuverability was that the nose sloped out of view so it was hard to tell how close to pull to fixed objects. This might take some getting used to.
The Sprinter comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes, ABS and acceleration skid control (ASR). To our editor, the brakes felt spongy with a lot of travel to the pedal. However, they stopped the van with ease.
Entry to the passenger van was through a sliding side door. In the high-roof model, this made it very easy to get into the rear seats without shuffling around in a semi-hunched position. Entry into the rear of the cargo vans was aided by grab handles on either side of the entrance. Additionally, the full-height rear doors can be folded back 270 degrees so they lie flush with the side of the van.
The Sprinter seems significantly different from the vans presently traversing American roads. Despite its higher starting price, it was clearly designed for economical and ergonomic appeal. It's just possible that DaimlerChrysler has found a niche in the American full-size van market.
The Sprinter, made by Mercedes-Benz and badged as a Freightliner, is being introduced to fill a niche in the market for delivery vans and passenger shuttles (Class 2 and 3 light commercial vehicles). It is already for sale at Freightliner dealerships, but is expected to be sold by Dodge next year.
The diesel-powered van, sold in three wheelbases and two basic body types, is being promoted, in part, for its ergonomic advantages over the competition. Presently, competing Chevrolet and Ford vans come from the factory with such little headroom that a delivery driver or repair person must stoop when inside (consequently, many of these vans are modified privately). The Sprinter, with its high roof line, allows a 6-foot-tall person to stand up inside. The head room also allows easy entry and exit when the Sprinter is used as a passenger van.
DaimlerChrysler executives, on hand for the Sprinter's launch, said ergonomics is just one of several features that make this European import unique. Despite improvements in other types of vehicles, the van has remained basically "a box on wheels," said Tim Reuss, CEO of DaimlerChrysler Vans LLC, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. "Vans were designed for cargo, but not the people loading and unloading them." He added that Sprinter designers paid attention to aerodynamics, avoiding the "barn door" style of many current vans.
Plans are in the works to create a factory to build the Sprinter here in the U.S. Currently, the van is made in Germany, with final assembly in South Carolina.
The base price for the Sprinter is $26,300, which Reuss acknowledged was about 10 percent higher than the competition. However, he said, high fuel economy and longer maintenance intervals would soon make up the difference in cost. Presumably, these were some of the features prompting an order of 1,900 Sprinters by Federal Express. The international delivery company began receiving its vans in June 2001.
Reuss said their studies showed that customers might fear that goods delivered by a Mercedes-Benz van would be too expensive, hence the decision to sell the van through Freightliner dealerships first, and later through Dodge. Additionally, Dodge's aging full-sized Ram Van and Wagon is being phased out at the end of 2002; the Sprinter will be the likely candidate to take its place.
The Sprinter will be equipped for camping and sold in a James Cook edition as early as 2003. Another van from Mercedes, the Vito, currently sold in Europe, will also be coming to Freightliner and Dodge dealers in 2004. The Vito shares the Sprinter's platform but has different body styling and a more luxurious interior.
A variety of Sprinter vans were on hand at the press launch in Ft. Myers, Fla. We climbed in and out of some of the vans set up as delivery vehicles, and one that was configured as an ambulance. We were only able to drive the passenger van, taking turns with four other journalists. While the Florida landscape offered no hills to test the Sprinter's climbing power, we did form some impressions about its handling and performance.
The driver seat is quite elevated, which is to be expected in a van this size. This and the extremely large windows afford wonderful visibility in all directions. The front seats are firm and upholstered in a tough gray fabric with a subdued pattern. Although DaimlerChrysler executives said the seats had been redesigned for the American market, they said they were created with service foremost in mind rather than turning them into moving sofas.
The Sprinter steering wheel is nearly horizontal prompting one journalist to observe, "I feel like a bus driver." No tilt mechanism is yet offered, although one may be available in the future, executives said. The semicircular instrument cluster houses large easy-to-read gauges. Headlight and wiper controls are on their respective stalks at the left and right of the steering wheel and resemble those found in cars.
One unusual feature is that the gear shift lever protrudes from the dash rather than the steering column or the floorboards. This is because the engine is actually in front of the driver, rather than underfoot, as in small vans. This setup opens up plenty of room for the driver and front passenger and the long sloping nose gives the van a lower drag-coefficient.
The engine in the Sprinter didn't have the harsh rattle of previous-generation diesels, which sounded like marbles rattling in a tin can. Also, we never smelled the characteristic and unpleasant diesel exhaust. In fact, executives said the exhaust system was modified to pass U.S. clean air standards. These two improvements alone seemed like they would go a long way to overcoming long-held drawbacks to operating a diesel-powered van.
Powered by a 154-horsepower five-cylinder inline turbocharged diesel engine, which makes 243-pound feet of torque, the van should also appeal to companies keeping their eyes on the bottom line. The high-technology engine delivers 22 miles per gallon and only requires oil changes every 10,000 miles. An optional computer analyzes use, wear and oil conditions and will sometimes recommend extending the service intervals even longer. The same engine is found in European Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class cars and the M-Class sport-utility vehicle.
The engine delivered good low-end acceleration and the electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission willingly kicked down to a lower gear for passing. It seemed possible to cruise comfortably at highway speeds without straining the engine. Hey, it's not a sport sedan, but for the size of the engine, it performed capably.
The clear performance advantages lay in the handling. The Sprinter didn't feel ungainly, despite its size and hauling capability (the cargo van offers a maximum of 473 cubic feet and can carry up to 5,000 pounds; the passenger van seats up to 10 people and has a maximum payload of 4,000). The Sprinter twisted and turned its way through a figure eight of cones with ease. But most amazing was its turning radius, which, in the smallest van (118-inch wheelbase) was a scant 36.7 feet. Our only reservation to its maneuverability was that the nose sloped out of view so it was hard to tell how close to pull to fixed objects. This might take some getting used to.
The Sprinter comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes, ABS and acceleration skid control (ASR). To our editor, the brakes felt spongy with a lot of travel to the pedal. However, they stopped the van with ease.
Entry to the passenger van was through a sliding side door. In the high-roof model, this made it very easy to get into the rear seats without shuffling around in a semi-hunched position. Entry into the rear of the cargo vans was aided by grab handles on either side of the entrance. Additionally, the full-height rear doors can be folded back 270 degrees so they lie flush with the side of the van.
The Sprinter seems significantly different from the vans presently traversing American roads. Despite its higher starting price, it was clearly designed for economical and ergonomic appeal. It's just possible that DaimlerChrysler has found a niche in the American full-size van market.
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